On Saturday, March 9th at 2:15 PM, I visited Dora Ramen in Kurume for ramen, then enjoyed shopping for souvenirs in Hakata before heading to Fukuoka Airport. Before my flight, I visited Dora Ramen Dorara at the airport runway and purchased tickets for Itojima Tonkotsu Ramen and sweet potato shochu at the ticket machine, then sat at the counter. I ordered Itojima water mixed with sweet potato shochu, and requested the noodles to be firm. The water mixed with shochu was served promptly, along with free spicy pickled vegetables and garlic. I toasted with the spicy pickled vegetables and then my ramen arrived within a few minutes. The soup was made with Itojima pork, with a rich pork flavor and distinctive floating pork fat. The pork fat was filled with the sweetness of the pork, and while the pork bone scent was not overpowering, it had a solid and moderate pork smell typical of Hakata, resulting in a high-quality pork bone soup. It had a refined taste and was delicious. It's truly Fukuoka to be able to enjoy this taste at the airport! The noodles were thin and straight with a good texture, perfect for the soup. The toppings included chashu, green onions, wood ear mushrooms, and pork fat. The chashu was juicy and flavorful, and I added the spicy pickled vegetables and garlic halfway through. The spicy pickled vegetables had a strong spiciness, while the garlic was freshly chopped. It had a fresh garlic flavor, similar to adding crushed garlic. I almost finished the soup completely. I was very satisfied with the strong local feel of the shop, using Itojima brand pork, Itojima ingredients, and local sake. I highly recommend this place for those with time at the airport and craving ramen. Thank you for the meal.

Landing at Fukuoka Airport after a long time, I noticed that most of the ramen shops have changed to Kyushu-style, probably due to the impact of the pandemic. Although I had heard of the Itojima ramen, I decided to try the Chanpon (1,100 yen) instead. The aroma in the restaurant made me change my mind. The Chanpon arrived quickly, and it was mostly filled with noodles and toppings. The soup, a blend of chicken and pork bones, seemed different from the authentic Nagasaki style. It lacked richness and the seafood elements were not as prominent as I had expected. Despite being vegetable-rich, I felt that it was slightly lacking. The restaurant staff at the airport were attentive and even offered to store my large suitcase in a designated area.

The seating is spacious, perhaps due to being in an airport, which is good for tourists. However, it was so wide that the chopsticks were far away. I even noticed the toppings on the table after finishing my meal. The taste was delicious, but I have already had plenty of seafood and pork bone ramen in Tokyo, so it didn't feel very new or exciting. Overall, it was just okay.

At the end of my trip back to Fukuoka, I had ramen at the airport. I had taken the afternoon off, planning to leisurely have a drink at the airport before my flight, but I ended up having a meeting right up until the last minute, so I arrived at the airport just one hour before departure. I chose this restaurant on the runway for ramen before boarding. I asked for firm noodles. I don't know the difference between Itoshima ramen and Hakata ramen, but the thin noodles, solid tonkotsu broth, and green onions were consistent. The amount of wood ear mushrooms varies by restaurant, and the thick pork belly chashu was good. They had pickled ginger on the side, and if you ask, they'll bring you spicy mustard greens in a small dish. It was just a delicious bowl of ramen. Thank you for the meal.

I had tonkotsu ramen. It was both light and rich, with a harmonious balance of flavors that make it satisfying without being overwhelming. It's the kind of ramen that you won't get tired of easily and will crave from time to time. It's not as heavy as Kurume ramen with its thick broth and strong smell. The noodles are very thin and can be requested to be cooked firm, which they do well. The thin noodles stick together easily, making it a bit challenging to slurp, but biting into the clumps ensures that the broth sticks well and tastes delicious. The portion of noodles is on the smaller side. I was surprised to see that extra noodles cost 150 yen now, reflecting the rise in prices. It's a ramen that I would like to try again.

Fukuoka Airport domestic terminal has a restaurant called "Itoshima Ramen" located next to the runway. I was curious about how it differs from Hakata ramen, so I decided to try it before my flight. I ordered the beer set which came with Itoshima beer and gyoza. The ramen had a rich tonkotsu soup with thick slices of char siu, recommended with firm noodles. It was more rich and filling compared to the typical Hakata ramen. As someone born in Nagahama, I would say it was average in my opinion. The gyoza was easy to eat and delicious. Itoshima beer was sweet and almost like juice, but I still prefer regular beer.

[ Fukuoka/Kumamoto Trip (DAY3-④) ] This is the final review of the 2-night, 3-day Fukuoka and Kumamoto trip. After returning from Kumamoto to Hakata, I had some time before my flight, so I strolled around "Amu Plaza Hakata" inside Hakata Station. It's fun to browse through specialty stores in the city once in a while. I couldn't resist buying a pair of sneakers for myself as a souvenir. After exploring Hakata Station for a while, I took the subway to Fukuoka Airport. There are plenty of dining options at Fukuoka Airport. In particular, I always find myself drawn to "Ramen Runway" (laughs). By the way, the manager at Yamachan's mentioned that there is a growing trend of "non-tonkotsu" ramen in Fukuoka now. It's a good thing for locals to have more ramen options in Fukuoka. At "Ramen Runway" in Fukuoka Airport, you can enjoy various regional ramen such as dipping noodles from "Tsujita," dried fish ramen from "Ramen Nagi," and miso/soy sauce ramen from "Noodle Laboratory Konton." However, as someone who usually lives in a "non-tonkotsu" area, when I come to Fukuoka, I still want to eat tonkotsu ramen. So, I decided to dine at "Original Itoshima Ramen Dorara Fukuoka Airport." "Itoshima City" is located near Saga in Fukuoka Prefecture, known for its beautiful sea. I didn't know that there was ramen named after Itoshima. Upon entering the restaurant, I immediately purchased a meal ticket. I decided to start with a "Itoshima Beer Set" @1100 to enjoy my last beer in Kyushu. It includes "Itoshima BEER," a craft beer with a design of the tourist spot "Sakurai Futamigaura Meotoiwa" in Itoshima City on the label, and 5 dumplings. The "Itoshima BEER" arrived promptly. It's a stylish beer with a refreshing taste and a pleasant aroma, different from Hitachino Nest Beer from Ibaraki. It's a delicious craft beer. While enjoying the beer, the 5 dumplings arrived. The filling was juicy and tasty, but the dumpling skin lacked a crispy texture, which was a bit disappointing. After the beer, I ordered the "Itoshima Tonkotsu Ramen" @800 with firm noodles. I also asked for a complimentary grated garlic. Looking at the menu, Itoshima Ramen comes in tonkotsu, shoyu, shio, and champon flavors. I wonder if this variety is also influenced by the trend of "non-tonkotsu" ramen? The "Itoshima Tonkotsu Ramen" was served in a few minutes. When I tried the soup, it was slightly light but rich in tonkotsu flavor. Although there were no distinctive differences unique to Itoshima tonkotsu, the high level of Fukuoka's tonkotsu ramen was evident. The noodles were low-hydration and had a crispy texture. The thin straight noodles tasted great. However, due to their thinness, they tended to stretch easily. I added red pickled ginger, sesame, and the grated garlic I received for free. Tonkotsu ramen with garlic is incredibly delicious. Just be careful not to add too much garlic, or you might end up smelling like garlic yourself (laughs). The final dinner of the Fukuoka/Kumamoto trip was tonkotsu ramen with garlic. I had a lot of delicious food and I'm completely satisfied. I hope to visit again next year. Thank you for the wonderful meal, goodbye Fukuoka!

I visited Ramen Kusouji at Fukuoka Airport for my third stop on the Ramen Runway. I tried the original Itoshima Tonkotsu Ramen for 800 yen. This ramen is said to be the original taste of this restaurant. I also added rice, free pickled mustard greens, and freshly squeezed garlic. While sipping on a highball, the ramen arrived. I slurped the noodles and savored the soup, which is packed with Itoshima ingredients. I added pickled ginger, sesame seeds, pickled mustard greens, and garlic for extra flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed the Itoshima Ramen. It was a delicious bowl of ramen.

Today, I had some time so I had my last meal at the airport. There were many shops outside the restricted area, so it was hard to choose. There was even a ramen shop near the runway, as expected in Fukuoka. I had the classic tonkotsu ramen. While I enjoy unique and unusual flavors, it's rare for me to have the opportunity to visit the authentic Fukuoka. So, I really appreciate having these kinds of shops available.

When returning from Fukuoka to Tokyo, I had some time so I decided to look for Hakata ramen. I found a ramen street called Ramen Runway and decided to explore it. After passing by crowded and empty shops, as well as shops offering ramen other than Fukuoka style, I finally found a moderately busy shop to enter. I bought a ramen ticket from the machine inside the shop and ordered the noodles to be firm (barikata). After waiting for 5 minutes, the ramen was served. I added white sesame and pickled ginger, and started eating. The noodles and soup were just like the Hakata tonkotsu ramen I usually eat, no different. Then I took a bite of the chashu (roast pork). It smelled strong! While it is said that this is the chashu of Kyushu ramen, after a long time, my body seemed to have a strong aversion to the chashu of tonkotsu ramen. Hakata ramen, Kagoshima ramen, Kumamoto ramen, they all have tonkotsu as the base and the chashu generally has a wild taste, but even for someone like me who is relatively used to Kyushu tonkotsu ramen, I had to eat it without breathing to be able to swallow it. Of course, I think there are many customers who find this smell unbearable, but for me, it might be a little too much?!

I tried the new restaurant that opened in the former Ariyoshi store location. I had the tonkotsu ramen. The smell of tonkotsu was subtly fragrant, the soup temperature was good, the chashu was delicious, and the finely sliced wood ear mushrooms were tasty. I forgot to add the seasoned egg because I didn't notice the toppings on the ticket machine. There was no pickled mustard greens on the table, you have to ask the staff for it. I ordered an extra serving of noodles, and I think it would have been tastier with pickled mustard greens. I wonder if they would give you more if you ask for it. Maybe they have the system of asking the staff because many people leave it uneaten if they put too much. They also had salt ramen, so I might try that next time. They also had champon, but I don't usually order champon in Hakata. Ariyoshi store also had champon, but I didn't order it there either. Good luck to them in competing with the Ikkosha restaurant across the street.

The ramen was delicious. However, the staff at the restaurant was disappointing. There was a significant delay between ordering and receiving the food. They only brought the dishes after we finished eating, and we had to remind them to bring it. The kitchen staff were chatting, while the serving staff were cleaning, giving off a bad impression.

Returning from a business trip, I visited Ramen Kusarito for the first time in a while. There was a new restaurant called "Dora" serving Itoshima ramen instead of the usual Hakata tonkotsu ramen. I vaguely remembered trying their shio ramen before and it was delicious. I ordered the Itoshima ramen from the ticket machine and sat at the counter. The bowl that arrived had a golden-colored soup that made me go "ahh" with its gentle flavor. It was satisfying with a refreshing aftertaste. However, the noodles seemed different from what I had before at another branch. They were not as smooth and had a rougher texture. Perhaps it was the way they were cooked or a different type of noodles. Despite the slight disappointment, I still think it's a good place and I will likely come back. It's the most appealing restaurant among those at Ramen Kusarito in my opinion. I have high expectations for this newly opened establishment.

Ramen Runway at Fukuoka Airport is a must-visit spot. The friendly staff greeted me with a smile and the atmosphere of the restaurant was great. They happily brought me extra noodles and spicy pickled vegetables. I will definitely visit this place again when I go to Fukuoka Airport. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I went to Fukuoka Airport and had some ramen. It was delicious, but the shoyu ramen my friend ordered was not good at all. It seems like everywhere I go, tonkotsu ramen is always better than shoyu ramen. Thank you for the meal!

After finishing my business in Kumamoto and Fukuoka, I headed to Haneda Airport and had tonkotsu ramen here before leaving. I chose this place because it had the shortest line in the airport ramen street (lol). But I'm glad I got to eat the tonkotsu ramen I wanted. I bought tonkotsu ramen for 800 yen, added an egg for 130 yen, and of course a beer for 650 yen from the ticket machine. The ramen tasted just like I expected, very rich tonkotsu flavor, but what stood out was that you could get raw garlic and spicy pickled mustard greens for free if you asked. Especially, when you add raw garlic to the ramen, it becomes incredibly delicious. Let's not worry about the smell and just put it all in. By the way, this is a new restaurant that opened just a few months ago. Due to lack of recognition, there isn't a long line yet, but it might become a popular spot in the future.

The ramen shop inside Fukuoka Airport offers light and delicious ramen. When I tried to order craft beer from Itoshima, they kindly suggested, "For an additional 100 yen, you can get gyoza as well," so I went for it. The gyoza came with five pieces, but I couldn't resist and ate one before taking a picture, so the photo only shows four pieces.

The ramen shops at Fukuoka Airport are always crowded, but they are relatively empty on weekdays. Today I went to Itoshima Ramen. I ordered the noodles firm, but they weren't as hard as I expected. The soup was a light pork bone broth. You can ask the staff for some pickled vegetables, which were mildly spicy. Overall, it was a gentle pork bone ramen experience.

I arrived in Fukuoka for a business trip around lunchtime and decided to have lunch in Hakata, but ended up eating at the airport instead. I decided to try out this new restaurant and ordered their simple Tonkotsu ramen "Kata". The service was a bit inexperienced, with the water being served a little awkwardly. The ramen arrived in just a few minutes. The soup was light and flavorful, the chashu was good, and the noodles were delicious. They also provided some pickled vegetables as a service, which added a nice kick to the flavor.

Itojima Chinese soba at the original Itojima ramen restaurant, Doora, at Fukuoka Airport. When the bowl arrived, I was slightly concerned about the amount of oil, but it turned out to be no problem. The soup, with a subtle bonito flavor, was full of umami and I couldn't help but slurp it all up. The yuzu pepper provided for flavor variation was also nice. The noodle portion was a bit small, leaving me slightly unsatisfied. It's recommended to order the gyoza and rice set or half fried rice set. Overall, it was delicious. Thank you for the meal ^^