I had some time before catching the Shinkansen at Kurume Station, so I decided to try Kurume Ramen at a ramen shop in front of the station. I had heard that Kyushu's tonkotsu ramen is quite different from the tonkotsu ramen you find in Osaka, with a stronger smell and flavor, so I was curious to see what it was like. Surprisingly, it had a fairly mild taste. Regardless of the taste, the staff were friendly and the atmosphere of the shop was cozy.

Around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I had some time before catching the Shinkansen at Kurume Station, so I stopped by the only ramen shop open in the station building. The interior of the shop was dimly lit, but the ticket machine was on, so I made my purchase and entered. There were no other customers, just one female staff member who took my ticket. The ramen arrived shortly after, and when I tried the soup, it had a slightly off-putting taste and was lukewarm. The thin straight noodles lacked firmness, and there were only two thin slices of chashu. The overall portion was also on the smaller side. My late lunch turned out to be somewhat disappointing.

Today, when I was returning home from work near JR Kurume, I forgot about some contact matters and decided to take JR again in the evening. I stopped by Mitsuichi inside the station and ordered the Tonkotsu Shio Ramen for 650 yen. I ordered extra noodles, but the amount of noodles was small because they were thin noodles, so there was a lot of soup left over (laughs). It had some back fat in it, but it felt like something was missing. The atmosphere and service were really good.

After finishing work in Kurume, I head straight to Tokyo. It's inevitable that the last drink will be at the station. For my last lunch in Kurume, I chose a place called "Gurume Shokudo" which has a few different shops, including a okonomiyaki restaurant for some reason. It operates with a ticket vending machine and a few locals are eating there. The central area of Kurume is dominated by Nishitetsu, so it's not too crowded. I ordered the Tonkotsu Shio Ramen with Ajitama for 750 yen, a side of fried rice for 350 yen, and special gyoza for 350 yen. The prices are reasonable for a station eatery. The broth seemed to be squeezed out, but I couldn't tell what was different about it. The soup had a slightly chemical impression and the firm thin noodles typical of Kyushu, which is a classic combination but not my favorite type. Although there are places where I find Tonkotsu to be delicious. The gyoza, which was named the best in Japan, was just simply delicious. It's a good option for a quick last drink while waiting for the train. Thank you for the meal.

I came to Kurume to visit the famous Takara Shrine in Chikugo Province. When in Kurume, trying Kurume ramen is a must. I had it at Manichi GOLD LABEL inside the station building. It was my first time trying Kurume ramen. I bought a meal ticket from the vending machine outside the store, and chose the "Spicy Red Tamago Tonkotsu Shibori" (850 yen) after some deliberation. The interior of the store is stylish and modern. I took a sip of the soup, which was surprisingly light despite being a rich tonkotsu broth. The soup had a secret spicy miso flavor added to it. The thin straight noodles were well coated in the soup. The toppings included green onions, chashu, and flavored egg. It was my first time trying Kurume ramen, and it was delicious.

The main feature of Mitsuichi in JR Kurume Station is the wide and easy-to-eat noodles. The ramen is simple with just chashu and green onions, and you can add a boiled egg.

The char siu had a tender texture and the hot rice was delicious. The light soup was easy to eat, with no greasy taste or strong flavors, making it very tasty.

This is the only ramen restaurant located inside JR Kurume Station building. I received a complaint from a friend who visited Kurume this time, saying that Kurume's ramen is like this... So, I thought, "What! Where did you eat?" and decided to visit the same place to confirm! I ordered the same ramen that he had, which was a boiled egg tonkotsu shoyu ramen. The restaurant operates with a ticket vending machine outside where you purchase your meal ticket. The interior of the restaurant had a chic atmosphere with a black color scheme, not what you would typically expect from a ramen shop. I sat at the counter without being prompted, as there was only one other customer. The ramen was served in a reasonable amount of time. Taking a sip of the soup, it was salty and oily with a lingering pork bone smell. The noodles were thinner than the usual Kurume ramen, with a slightly chewy texture. Personally, I didn't like the noodles much as they didn't blend well with the soup. The chashu and boiled egg were average, nothing special. The combination of green onions with the fatty ramen worked well. Overall, this ramen lacked impact and a satisfying aftertaste for me. There are many other ramen options with a cleaner taste than this one. This restaurant, being the first ramen shop tourists see when they arrive in Kurume, may give them the wrong impression of Kurume ramen. I hope they can improve to better represent the local specialty. Thank you for the meal.

I entered a place that seemed like a gourmet street inside the station, where they serve Kurume ramen. At first, I didn't realize it was a ramen shop because of the atmosphere. The interior had a stylish feel, not typical of a ramen shop, with a strong tonkotsu soup aroma. There were no other customers, so I was able to enjoy my meal leisurely. The soup had a typical tonkotsu ramen flavor, but when I tried the noodles, they didn't seem to absorb the soup well, creating a gap in taste.

I came to Kurume on November 3rd. I watched Tachikawa Tsubasa's performance at the Rokkakudo during the Kurume Machikado Music Festival. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I was short on time due to my schedule. The ramen shop I saw near the station was still "preparing"... disappointing. I could have chosen not to eat, but there was a ramen shop inside the station. I bought a meal ticket at the ticket machine next to the entrance. There was only one customer inside, and I handed the ticket to the waiter who brought me a glass of water. Although it was my first visit, the menu inside seemed familiar... especially the gyoza, was it from a shop near Hakata Station? The ramen bowl also looked familiar... ah, it was the shop I saw earlier. The soup had a miso flavor instead of soy sauce. I don't have a delicate palate, but I could taste the miso flavor. The noodles were thin. I quickly finished my meal in a rush. I liked the atmosphere inside the shop. The stainless steel counter gave a good vibe. As I hurried out of the shop, the train was on the platform... I made it just in time. However, the train was delayed and arrived at Hakata Station later than scheduled. Later, I found out that this shop and the one I saw earlier were related. If I come to Kurume again, I would like to visit the ramen shop where Tachikawa visited (maybe the main branch of Daikanramen).

I had a two-night, three-day business trip in Kurume. When I got off at the station, it was dinner time, so I headed to the food court inside the station. Right as I entered, I found this restaurant. They had a system where you buy a meal ticket outside first. I ordered the Tonkotsu Shio Ramen for 600 yen. There was only one other customer before me and the place was not crowded. They asked me about the firmness of the noodles, so I requested them to be firm. The noodles were thin and straight, and the soup had a rich texture but was not as strong in flavor as I expected. It had a light and easy-to-eat taste. When I added the sesame seeds and pickled ginger from the table, it became just right. The first Tonkotsu Ramen in Kurume was delicious.

Humans have three desires: appetite, sexual desire, and sleep desire. At that moment, what I wanted to satisfy the most was my appetite. I inserted a thousand yen bill into the touch panel ticket machine, pressed the button for the traditional Kurume tonkotsu shoyu ramen, which costs 600 yen. This was at "Manichi GOLDLABEL JR Kurume Station Store" located in JR Kurume Station, also known as "Gourmet Dining," on the left side as soon as you enter. There was no one in the restaurant after 8 p.m. I had the spacious space all to myself, feeling relaxed and at ease. The well-polished stainless steel sink-like counter table shone silver. Rolling up my shirt sleeves and resting my elbows on the cool surface felt comfortable. The blackish floor, chairs with skeleton backrests, large brush-written characters on the wall, red spotlights - the chic and stylish interior of the ramen shop was quite unusual. I was captivated by the dreamy atmosphere. But it was not real, it was just a dream. The staff, dressed in black from head to toe, was diligently practicing the management philosophy, which was nothing but an illusion created by me. The bowl was large and the amount of ramen looked small. It was a simple ramen with green onions and chashu. The noodles were thin and the first bite felt powdery. I chose the light option, but the saltiness was moderate. It was a mild pork bone flavor, easy to eat without any unpleasant smell. The taste was not bad, but there was nothing particularly outstanding about it, lacking impact. It seemed like they were aiming for a stylish ramen similar to Ippudo. The gold in the bowl looked cool. Adding gold flakes might be a nice touch.

This is a ramen restaurant located in the Fressta at Kurume Station on the JR Kyushu Shinkansen and Kagoshima Main Line. Kurume Station is a stop on the Shinkansen, but there are few dining options, so choices for eating are limited. I felt like having ramen since I was in Kurume, so I decided to try this restaurant, the only ramen shop in the station. First, I bought a meal ticket at the entrance. It was a touch panel system, but the response was a bit slow, making me think it might be broken. It was around 5 p.m., so there were few customers inside and seats were available. The interior of the restaurant is mainly black, giving it a somewhat dim atmosphere. I ordered a regular tonkotsu ramen, which was decent but nothing special. It was reasonably tasty.

Store name: Manichi Gold Label Fresta Kurume store Address: 2-34 Jonancho, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fresta Kurume 2F (inside JR Kurume Station building) Price: ¥600 (basic ramen) Soup: Tonkotsu Richness: Rich?? Noodles: Thin noodles Toppings: Chashu, green onions Extra noodles: Available Sets: Various available Located inside Fresta Kurume, a building within JR Kurume Station where multiple food tenants are located. The restaurant is the only ramen shop inside JR Kurume Station, which is quite quiet despite being a Shinkansen station. There is a ticket machine outside the shop where you can place your order, but the menu is extensive and somewhat confusing. Despite having only one ticket machine, the shop is surprisingly not too crowded. This restaurant is a branch of the "Manchuya ga ○ban" chain that used to have several locations in Kurume City, so the taste remains the same as before. The "Tonkotsu Shibori" soup is very rich and thick, with plenty of back fat, making it quite oily. They continue to use thin noodles, as they always have. After finishing the meal, you can feel a mysterious powdery residue on your lips, which makes you think, "It hasn't changed at all." The restaurant's unique approach may be considered appropriate in the food industry, but it raises the simple question of why this particular restaurant is at the entrance of Kurume. Despite the opening of the Shinkansen and the increasing number of visitors from outside Kyushu, I hope the taste of Kurume ramen is not misunderstood. The company's website also mentions "seeking a battleground outside the local Kurume area," so perhaps there is a strategy behind this. If they don't emphasize Kurume, having a shop that prides itself on the richness of tonkotsu may be acceptable.

I stopped by during a transfer time between the Kagoshima Main Line and the Kyudai Main Line at JR Kurume Station. Kurume seems to have more lively stations on the Nishitetsu line than on JR, so I chose to visit this place directly connected to the station since there were not many shops to visit during the limited transfer time. I ordered from a vending machine at this somewhat stylish ramen shop. I ordered a set that came with 3 gyoza, which was a good deal. There are many value sets available, so it seems good for those who are hungry. When the ramen arrived, it seemed surprisingly small at first, but it was just that the bowl was unusually large. The taste was okay, just a regular tonkotsu ramen. It might be a bit too rich with fat, but it's still enjoyable. It doesn't have a distinct Kurume feel, but due to its convenient location, I thought it was worth a visit.

I visited Kurume for the first time. Since I was in Kurume, I decided to try the original Kurume ramen, which is known for its tonkotsu broth! However, I had no prior knowledge or preparation. I decided to just go into the nearest restaurant from the station without researching. To my surprise, there was a ramen shop inside the station facility, Fressta Kurume. Despite the common tendency to avoid station facility shops, I was already set on trying the ramen, and I was hungry, so I went in. I bought a normal tonkotsu ramen set with 3 gyoza using the touch panel ticket machine. Inside, the restaurant was not too crowded for lunchtime. The atmosphere was dim with a monochrome color scheme, stylish chairs and tables, and Culture Club playing in the background. It felt more like a dining bar than a ramen shop. I handed my ticket to a cool waiter and waited for the ramen. The noodles were thicker than the ones in Hakata, and the broth was rich with floating pork fat but had a mild taste. Overall, the taste was... not bad, just delicious. It didn't amaze me as the original Kurume ramen, but it was good. I revisited the shop at night, not particularly because I loved the taste, but to kill time while waiting for the Shinkansen. I ordered the "Red Tonkotsu Squeeze," which I thought would be spicy, but it was actually very mild. I also had gyoza both times, which were crowned as the best in Japan on a TV show about 10 years ago. The taste was deliciously ordinary. The interesting part was the service. At lunch, the cool waiter provided a smart and smooth service, resembling a dining bar. At night, a brother who struggled with Japanese served me in a relaxed manner, giving off an old-school ramen shop vibe. The inconsistency was amusing. Despite the many points to nitpick, it wasn't all bad. The wavering taste and atmosphere may be due to the shop aiming to cater to everyone as it is located at the entrance of Kurume. If you brag about eating ramen here as "I tried Kurume ramen," you might get laughed at or scolded by locals. Perhaps it's better to try ramen here first and then explore the depth of Kurume ramen at another shop. Moreover, being directly connected to the station, it could be a good place to kill time while waiting for the Shinkansen or train.

Convenient when you're short on time at JR Kurume Station. Located right outside the ticket gates, you can have Kurume ramen for just a coin. The broth has a taste I quite like. However, the atmosphere is lacking in energy. It doesn't have the typical ramen shop vibe. Maybe it's because it's inside the station? In exchange for the lack of impact, the taste is more universally appealing. It's not bad by any means. But whether I'd want to go back for it... ===========

Manichi GOLD LABEL (Gold Label) Furesta Kurume Store March 5, 2012 (Monday) Theme: Food spots in Kurume City I decided to have a rich pork bone ramen for lunch as I got off at JR Kurume Station in Kurume City. There are only a few eateries lined up inside the station, and I chose a ramen shop with a luxurious atmosphere. I remembered having eaten the gyoza that was once ranked number one in Japan. It was a large dumpling with a normal taste. There is a wide variety of ramen available here - soy sauce, miso, salt, light pork bone, rich pork bone, and more. Every time I come here, I plan to order a different ramen next time, but in the end, I always end up ordering the most popular ramen. I ordered the Marutama Tonkotsu Shibori ramen for 650 yen. The ramen portion is not small - the bowl is large, almost the size of a suribachi. The egg lacks flavor, and the egg white is somewhat gooey, so when you drink it with the soup, the presence of the egg diminishes even more. I wish they would at least provide some salt on the side. The chashu is tender but somehow feels cheap. The soup is rich in back fat, and when you crave a rich and heavy ramen, this is the one to go for. However, if you drink this soup at any other time, you might feel a bit overwhelmed. Taste: 29/50 Cost performance: 9/20 Atmosphere: 12/20 Service: 5/10 Overall score: 55/100 Furesta Kurume 2F, 2-34 Jonancho, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture Phone: 0942-38-4955

I wanted to eat ramen right away, so I got off the Shinkansen and the first place I saw, I was looking at the storefront. I was greeted by a cheerful staff member and decided to go in. The interior of the restaurant was clean and it seemed popular, so I decided to try the classic menu item, the double-flavored tonkotsu ramen with flavored egg. When it arrived, my first impression was... it's small! The portion seemed quite small compared to the bowl. There was a lot of oil floating on top, giving me a heavy feeling. I love heavy ramen! When I took a sip, it was... mild. There was a powdery taste that lingered in my mouth. Even though it was tonkotsu, the flavor disappeared quickly. However, the person I went with liked mild flavors, so they nodded in agreement as they ate. It was a day with free extra noodles, so I didn't hold back and got some! Extra noodles are usually coated in sauce, right? But these were just boiled and served in a bowl. Is this how it's done in the authentic way? When I added them to the soup, it diluted the flavor even more. The atmosphere was very pleasant.

I wrote "shortest" but it's definitely the shortest, as it's located inside a building attached to the train station building (laughs). And once again, I messed up. The pattern of realizing I forgot to take a photo until after eating (laughs). Well, it's quite common for me, so it's no surprise. Now, this shop looks quite different from other Manichi stores, with a fresh, innovative, stylish vibe. The ramen menu is quite extensive. I mean, did Manichi always have this many options? I may just not know, but I felt a sense of enjoyment in being able to choose. The taste is the usual thick and rich tonkotsu broth, which I sometimes crave. It's not that I must have Manichi or love it, but I enjoy this type of ramen. I won't mention the name of the shop, but when I go to Chikugo, there's a place with an intense animal smell and thick tonkotsu broth, so compared to that, Manichi's richness is within my tolerance range. It's the kind I occasionally crave. If you happen to visit Kurume without a specific place in mind and just want ramen, chances are you'll end up at Manichi. But I hope visitors to Kurume not only stick to Manichi but also try 2-3 other ramen shops to truly experience Kurume's ramen variety. Overall, I like Manichi's ramen. But I wouldn't go every day, maybe 3-4 times a month. I feel like I wrote another vague review (laughs). Just to end on a positive note, the staff at the restaurant are energetic and fantastic! The Manichi ramen bowls are cool!! Sorry for not providing any real follow-up (laughs).