One of the best things to do in Fukuoka is to eat. I am not kidding – there is so much good food in the city that it could take you weeks to try many things. I’ve been to Fukuoka three times in the past few years and each time I find something new and awesome to eat.
So I thought I would put together a food guide for eating in Fukuoka. There are a few must-eat food in Fukuoka that you can’t find anywhere else plus all the traditional Japanese food that you can find in Fukuoka on a budget. Pssst, it is cheaper to eat in Fukuoka than other popular cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
So if you are planning a trip to Japan soon and wondering where and what to eat in Fukuoka, keep reading and learn about all the best Fukuoka restaurants and unique local food.
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Tips for Eating Japanese Food in Fukuoka
Before trying some of the best food in Fukuoka, take a look at my post on everything you need to know before going to Japan. I included a lot of travel information, including how to get around Japan and other travel tips.
Here are few additional tips for eating in Fukuoka:
- Some popular restaurants have a queue. The wait is not as long as the restaurant queues in Tokyo, but the popular ones (like the viral ones on Instagram and TikTok) always draw a crowd.
- Most restaurants accept cash only, especially all the noodle shops where you must buy a ticket before sitting down.
- Bring your credit card, as some places accept credit cards only.
- Check the hours of operation when you are eating in Fukuoka. Some restaurants are open for lunch only. Some are open for both lunch and dinner but breaks in between.
- Download Google Translate, an app that can translate Japanese to English. Some restaurants have Japanese-only menus, but most seem to have English menus.
- Tipping is not required in Japan.
Best Food in Fukuoka: Where and What to Eat in Fukuoka
In this section, I put together a summary of the best food to try in Fukuoka. This is a quick guide when you search for what to eat in Fukuoka.
And when you scroll down, I include a more details for each Fukuoka food and where you can find the local food. I included the hours of operation, and Google Maps links to each Fukuoka restaurant and food outlet so you can easily find them.
Here is a quick summary of all the food you should try in Fukuoka:
Noodles in Fukuoka
- Hakata Ramen aka Tonkotsu Ramen – the signature ramen featuring a creamy pork bone broth and thin noodles
- Fukuoka Udon – thick wheat flour noodle in a mildly sweet dashi broth with various toppings
Fukuoka Famous Food
- Mentaiko – salted and marinated pollock roe (fish eggs)
- Motsunabe – beef or pork offal hot pot
- Mizutaki – jidori chicken hot pot
Fukuoka Must Eat Food
- Yakitori – grilled chicken skewers
- Hakata Wagyu – beef dishes made with cattle raised in Fukuoka Prefecture
- Hitokuchi Gyoza – bite-sized iron pan dumplings
- Kaisen – fresh seafood in Fukuoka
- Ika Ikizukuri – fresh squid sashimi aka dancing squid
Other must eat Japanese food in Fukuoka
- Tonkatsu Sandwiches – deep-fried pork cutlet sandwich
- Fried seafood and meat set meals – set meals featuring a variety of Japanese food
- Izakaya dishes – small Japanese dishes
What and Where to Eat in Fukuoka Japan
Noodles in Fukuoka
1. Hakata Ramen aka Tonkotsu Ramen
What is Hakata or Tonkotsu Ramen: the signature ramen throughout Kyushu where each region has its own twist to the traditional flavour. In Fukuoka, the capital of Hakata ramen, the ramen features a creamy pork bone broth with thin fresh noodles.
Where to eat Hakata Ramen or Tonkotsu Ramen in Fukuoka:
- Ippudo (11am-10pm) – the famous ramen shop has many locations in Fukuoka and throughout the globe. But go the Ippudo’s original location (Daimyo branch) and order the Shiromaru Classic, which comes with few slices of pork, half an egg and bamboo shoots. The Akamaru Modern is good too.
- Ichiran (24 hours) – the famous ramen shop with individual booths is founded in Fukuoka. The original location has a 15-minute dancing performance at 8pm on Saturday nights. There are other locations in Fukuoka and 80+ branches all over the world.
- Hakata Ikkousha (11am-11:30pm Monday to Saturday; 11am-9pm Sundays) – eat a bowl of tonkatsu ramen at the bar so you can catch them make the soup broth.
- Ramen Unari Nakasu (6pm-12am Mondays; 12-6am & 6-12am Tuesday to Saturday; 12-6am Sundays) – their unique “Seafood Tonkotsu” Gyokai ramen has a rich broth where it is made with both pork bones and seafood.
- Hakata Ramen Hakataya Kawabata (24 hours) – one of the cheapest ramen in Fukuoka costs only ¥290!
2. Fukuoka Udon
What is Fukuoka Udon: a bowl of thick noodle made with local wheat flour in a mildly sweet dashi broth (Japanese soup stock). Choose from a variety of toppings. Try goboten (burdock root tempura), egg, meat and more. Make sure to try one since Udon’s birthplace is right in Hakata.
Best restaurants in Fukuoka for eating Udon:
- Menya ISHII (9:30am-4pm) – try their signature mentaiko kamatama butter udon. But go early because they close when noodles are sold out.
- Udonya Kamawan 宇どんヤかまわん (11-3am) – I really enjoyed the beef and fried burdock udon. They also have a spicy mayo tofu udon.
- Hakata Udon Sakaba Wappachi (11am-9:30pm) – they have many unique types of udon but try their unique curry pumpkin udon.
- Hakata AkaChokobe (11:30am-2pm & 6-11:30pm; 6-11:30pm Mondays & Saturdays; 11:30-2pm Sundays) – they serve udon in a kettle! or try the keema curry udon.
Fukuoka Famous Food
1. Mentaiko
What is Mentaiko: salted and marinated pollock roe (fish eggs). Depending on how a dish is prepared, the full mentaiko can be used or part of the roe can be used for filling.
Where to eat Mentaiko in Fukuoka:
- Pain Stock Tenjin (8am-7pm; closed Mondays) – the best bakery in Fukuoka! Go 15 minutes early and queue for its famous mentaiko baguette. The roe is salty and peppery and balances well with the bread. Also try other baked goods. It is so good I went three times in 1.5 week!
- The Full full Hakata (10am-7pm; closed Tuesdays) – also go early for the mentaiko bread. It is good (but I like Pain Stock better)
- Ganso Hakata Mentaiju Nishinakasu (7am-10:30pm) – a popular modern restaurant specializing in mentaiko cod roe set meals.
2. Motsunabe
What is Motsunabe: a hot pot of beef or pork offal (organ meats) in a soy sauce and miso broth. You can add rice at the end to make porridge. The hot pot includes cabbage, chives and other vegetables. Typically a winter food but you can try it throughout the year.
Best restaurants in Fukuoka for eating Motsunabe:
- Maedaya Motsunabe Nakasu (5pm-12am Monday to Friday; 11am-2:30pm & 5pm-12am Saturdays & Sundays) – I’ve never had this before but I always see a long queue outside the restaurant. They have an English menu. Solo diners can enjoy one of three flavours of motsunabe.
3. Mizutaki
What is Mizutaki: Kyushu’s native jidori chicken, is cooked in a hot pot, along with green onions and vegetables. Enjoy the rich, silky broth and eat the chicken with the citrus ponzu sauce. Similar to motsunabe, the soup can be used to make porridge or noodles.
Where to eat Mizutaki in Fukuoka:
- Hakata Hanamidori (5-11pm) – I tried a set meal and they cooked the chicken at my table. So delicious! English menu available.
- Mizutaki Nagano (12-10pm; closed Sundays) – choose either bone-in chicken or ground chicken hot pot. Modest pricing. English menu available.
- Hakata Mizutaki Toriden (11:30am-11pm) – various chicken set meals including mizutaki. English menu available.
Must Eat Food in Fukuoka
1. Yakitori
What is Yakitori: bite-sized pieces of chicken skewered and grilled over charcoal. Many different parts of the chicken are used for making different skewers. Yakitori is popular throughout Japan. And in Fukuoka, the chicken skin is a highlight on the menu.
Best restaurants in Fukuoka for eating Yakitori:
- Kawaya Gion (5pm-1am) – a fun yakitori restaurant that opens late. I like the chicken and pork belly skewers. Order via QR code or with server.
- Takenoya (11am-10:30pm) – lots of skewers to choose from. The chicken skin skewers came highly recommended and it was quite good. Several locations in Fukuoka including domestic airport terminal.
2. Hakata Wagyu
What is Hakata Wagyu: Hakata Japanese beef cattle raised in Fukuoka Prefecture. The tender and juicy beef is the main ingredient for many restaurants in Fukuoka.
Where to eat Hakata Wagyu in Fukuoka:
- Hikiniku to Come (11am-3pm & 5-9pm; closed Wednesdays) – the viral Japanese hamburger restaurant that serves freshly grilled hamburger patties. A set includes three patties, egg, unlimited rice and miso soup. There are several locations across Japan and even in Hong Kong. But each resto is very busy. Make sure to book a spot one week in advance.
- Musashi (11am-3pm & 5:30-10pm) – slices of juicy wagyu beef placed together to look like a flower and are placed on a bed of rice. Try it as is or sear it on the hot stone. Visit this newly opened restaurant (early October 2025) and avoid long queues at the other one next to Hakata Station.
- Gyukatsu Motomura (11am-11pm) – they only serve on thing: beef cutlet set meal. Choose one, one and half or two cutlets. Grill it on the hot stone and add some salt to enhance the flavour. Two locations in Fukuoka and many more across Japan.
3. Hitokuchi Gyoza
What is Hitokuchi Gyoza (Bite-sized Dumplings): bite-size tetsunabe (iron pan) gyoza is the best in Fukuoka. Each dumpling is packed with flavourful meat and vegetables.
Best restaurants in Fukuoka for eating Hitokuchi Gyoza:
- Tetsunabe Gyoza (5-10:30pm; closed Sundays) – gyoza is the highlight of the restaurant but you can also get other fried food and side dishes. Three locations in Fukuoka. English menu available.
- Hakata Bite-sized Gyoza Taketora (5pm-3am) – a late night joint with very small bite-size gyoza. They are very small! But the yakisoba (fried noodles) and other beef dishes makes up for it. Several locations across the city. English menu available.
4 & 5. Kaisen and Ika Ikizukuri
What is Kaisen: it means “fresh seafood”. And Kaisen-don is a rice bowl topped with fresh seafood.
What is Ika Ikizukuri: fresh squid sashimi aka dancing squid. It is “dancing” because the squid is still moving on the plate.
Where to eat Kaisen in Fukuoka:
- The ONO Market (7-9:30am, 11am-3pm & 5-9pm) – a local casual restaurants that offers a variety of food including fresh Kaisen and Kaisen-don. A lunch set includes the entree, unlimited salad, rice, soup, side dishes and coffee. The fish is super fresh. I went last year and came back again because it is that good.
- Haruyoshi Yu-chan 春吉ゆうちゃん (3pm-1am) – the menu at this izakaya restaurant has fresh squid sashimi. They can grill or fry it when you don’t finish. I google translated the name of the restaurant but look for the cute logo in front of the resto. It is a rooster standing on a pig, standing on a cow and standing on a fish.
Other must eat Japanese food in Fukuoka
Besides all the unique food Fukuoka is known for, there are other Japanese food in Fukuoka that you should check out.
1. Tonkatsu Sandwich
- Komeda Coffee (7am-11pm) – the cafe is known for its breakfast food but its tonkatsu sandwich (deep-fried pork cutlet sandwich) is outstanding! The ebi sandwich (fried shrimp cutlet) is also really good too!
2. Fried seafood and meat set meals
Eating in Fukuoka can be very affordable especially when you eat at places that are categorized as “syokudo and teishoku restaurant”, which means casual Japanese restaurant serving affordable home-style set meals. And the place below is precisely that. It is so good that I went back twice in 1.5 week.
- Imaizumi Kitchen (11:30am-10:30pm) – it offers a variety of fried food set meals. A set includes the main entree, side dishes, rice and miso soup. There’s also complimentary kimchi and seaweed. Highly recommend the fried horse mackerel, fried fish, fried chicken and curry.
3. Izakaya Dishes
I grouped these two places to eat under Izakaya dishes (small dishes featuring classic Japanese food) because the cute restaurant has many fish Izakaya dishes and different yatai food stalls serve different types of Japanese food. Both highly recommended for solo travellers.
- Hakata Robata Fishman (11am-2:30pm & 5-11pm) – an eclectic izakaya restaurants with delicious food and atmosphere. Many fish options on the menu and super friendly staff.
- Nakasu Food Stalls Street (6pm-12am) – have dinner at one of the yatai food stalls. Many of them are in the Nakasu area right in front of the river. Others are scattered around the city in neighbourhoods like Tenjin. It is a must-try experience for all first time travellers.
Which Fukuoka must-eat food are you most excited to try?
Eating is a big part of visiting Fukuoka. And the city has many one-of-a-kind food that you can’t find anywhere else. And some places (like yatai food stalls) are very unique to the city.
I hope this Fukuoka food guide can help you plan your own culinary food tour around the city. And if you found other good places to eat, let me know in the comments below.
Ready to plan your trip to Japan? Here are some of my go-to travel planning resources:
* Book your flight: find flight deals on Skyscanner
* Book accommodation: find the best Japan accommodations on Agoda or Booking
* Buy insurance: Safetywing is my go-to provider for travel insurance, as it covers many things. I will never travel without the Nomad Insurance Package because it protects me against unforeseen events. Get a quote today.
* Order a SIM card: order a SIM card in advance and set up your mobile phone before arriving in Japan.
* Join tours: check Klook or Get Your Guide for the best tours around Japan.
Thank you for reading my Fukuoka Food Guide
You might also like these other posts on solo travel in Japan and food around the world:
Introduction to Japan
- Solo Travel to Japan: 17 best cities for solo travellers
- Things I wish I knew before going to Japan
- 11 Off-the-beaten-path places in Japan
- One month in Japan: from Tokyo to Hiroshima
Kyushu region
- 10-day Kyushu Island itinerary
- Best things to do in Fukuoka Japan
- Day trip to Dazaifu from Fukuoka
- Kumamoto City in one day
- Day trip to Mount Aso from Kumamoto
- Top things to do in Kagoshima for Solo Travellers
- 1-5 day Okinawa itinerary without a car
- Where to stay in Naha Okinawa: Best boutique hotels
- Okinawa food guide: best food to try
Food around the world
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- 25 Bucharest Food: What to eat in Bucharest
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- 21 must-eat food in Singapore
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- Traditional Hong Kong food
- 22 must-eat food in Taiwan
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- Ximending food for foodies travelling to Taipei
- Hualien Food Guide: What and Where to eat in Hualien, Taiwan
- Yilan Food Guide: Where and What to eat in Yilan County
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Hi, my name is Queenie, and I’ve been a solo traveller for 20+ years and currently based in Hong Kong. Follow me on my adventures through Instagram and my blog!
