A trip to Fukuoka isn’t complete without some Tonkotsu Ramen. I’ve been a big fan of Ichiran for quite some time now, and with *just* enough days to try out all their different variations in Fukuoka, I made it my goal to check out as many of their stores as possible.
You can find a surprising amount of Ichiran variations around the city, from the standard round bowl, to their rectangle and pentagon bowls. And while they all feature a little twist on the Ichiran formula, today we’re starting off at the store where it all began – The First One. Let’s get to it. How Good is Ichiran Nanokawa Actually?
–Nanokawa Store History–
–Ordering System–
–“Ramen Focus Booths”–
–Customizing your Ramen–
–Ichiran’s Tonkotsu Ramen–
–Kaedama–
–Verdict–
–Getting There–
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🍜 Ichiran Nanokawa – The First One – 🍜
Ichiran started as a local Yatai (Food Stand) Ramen store in 1960, and in 1996, launched its first permanent store in Ichiran Nanokawa – The First One -.
Originally just a small shop by the corner of the road, Ichiran Nanokawa has since expanded to the building next to it, and developed the iconic Ichiran seating experience that’s now the standard for all stores. (The Yatai area is still around of course, but it’s now just an entrance leading to the actual store. No longer functions as a store, but makes for a good photo spot!)
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📋 Ordering System 📋
The Ichiran experience begins at their Ordering Machine.
Insert your cash into the machine, select the items you want to order, and a ticket will be printed for you to present to the staff at the table. Once you ordered everything, don’t forget to hit the “Change” button to pick up your change.
What’s my usual order? Ichiran only offers a single type of ramen, so my order starts off with their ¥980 bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen.
The only other things I typically go for are the ¥210 Kaedama refill and the ¥260 extra serving of Chashu Pork. Nothing you can’t already find from the standard bowl – just extra servings of what’s there. (I used to order extra Garlic as well, but my tastes have been refined over the years.)
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🍜 Interior – Ichiran’s “Ramen Focus Booths” 🍜
Ichiran’s tables lean towards its Yatai roots with counter-like rows of tables. With walls blocking all three directions, these “Ramen Focus Booths” are designed to block out as many external distractions as possible, allowing you to fully concentrate on the ramen eating experience.
You don’t need to interact with anyone when you dine here – and that even holds true with the staff, where you can place your order without speaking a single word. (Introvert’s paradise, I say.)
Once you’re ready to submit your Order Sheet, just press a button and the staff will come pick it up, serve you your ramen, close the blinds, and that’s the end of your interactions.
Everything else you need can be found around the table, like chopsticks, wet wipes, cups, and a water dispenser by the table, with tissues, toothpicks, and a coat hanger right behind you.
And if you ever need to make a request to the staff, you’ll find four wooden boards with preset messages that will do the communication for you.
Side Note: You’re allowed to talk in there, of course, and if you want to share the Ichiran experience, the side walls can be removed if you’d prefer. Children’s seats are also available.
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📋 Customizing your Ramen 📋
At the table, you’ll be presented with an Ordering Sheet. Ichiran’s all about customizing your ramen, and this is where all the fun is at (besides eating the thing.) There’s a decent amount of options to choose from, from the strength of the Tonkotsu broth, to the noodle’s texture and additional toppings.
If you want to stop by for a quick bowl of ramen, then order the lighter options for a quick and easy meal.
And for something heavy to end off a day of travel, go all-out with their full-bodied options.
Ultimately, you get to decide how you’d like your ramen, so experiment with all the available options to find your favorite ramen combination.
Side Note: If you’re unsure of what to get, the sheet also comes with a “Recommended” option, so try that combination out for the standard Ichiran experience.
As for how I’d like to order my ramen? After experimenting with 20+ bowls over the years, I think I’ve landed on this as my ideal bowl of Ichiran.
🍜 Dashi / Tonkotsu Broth 🍜
Strong
🍜 Richness / Oil 🍜
Extra Rich
🧄 Garlic 🧄
1 Clove
🌱 Green Onion 🌱
Green Onion Only
🍖 Chashu Sliced Pork 🍖
With
🌶 Original Spicy Red Sauce 🌶
Mild (1/2)
🍜 Noodle Texture 🍜
Extra Firm
🍜 Extra Order 🍜
Kaedama (Extra Firm) + Extra Chashu Sliced Pork
I’m a big fan of Ichiran’s bolder flavors, so I go for their strongest flavors wherever I can. Might be a little too powerful for some, as both of my friends told me that my preferences were quite… extreme (especially the Extra Firm Kaedama noodles – details below.) Try my combination out if you’re interested. But maybe tone the richness down to just “Rich”, as even I can admit it’s a little extreme.
Once you’re all set, press the “ご注文” button in front of your table to call the staff to pick up your Ordering Sheet.
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🍜 Ichiran Ramen (¥980) 🍜
Here it is. Ichiran’s Tonkotsu Ramen – customized to my personal taste. There’s a lot I have to say about their ramen, so let’s break it down into the different components.
🍜 Tonkotsu Broth 🍜
Right away, the aroma is nothing short of magic. The broth is rich and creamy, full of the depper notes from the slow-simmered pork bone. Combined with the flavors of garlic and their finishing oil on top, you have a broth that’s clearly the star player of the bowl.
I went for the ‘Strong’ option today, and while some might find it a bit too salty, I find that this level does a good job in flavoring the blander noodles, creating a balanced bite that’s packed with flavor.
🌶 Secret Red Sauce 🌶
The ‘Secret Red Sauce’ of theirs is quite the complex blend of ingredients, with 30 spices, they say. It’s not just straight up dried spices and chili flakes, but rather a sweet chili-based paste. (Try the Red Sauce on its own sometime, it’s surprisingly sweet – until the chili kicks in.) The flavors of the sauce, once added to the ramen, adds a nice warmth and complexity to the dish.
🍜 Hakata-style Noodles 🍜
The Ichiran experience can differ wildly based on the noodle texture you get, but for Hakata-style noodles like this, I recommend you try anything between Medium and Extra Firm.
I got mine “Extra Frim,” and what a treat it was! Unlike the chewy texture of other noodle varieties, the ramen here was toothsome and very substantial. (closest thing I can describe would be a firmer al dente pasta.) And when you combine the textural contrasts of the firmer noodles with the rich, creamy Tonkotsu, you get this wonderful, full-bodied combination that keeps me coming back every time. So, yes. The noodles here are absolutely top-notch!
🍖 Chashu Pork 🍖
For the protein of the dish, Ichiran features slices of Pork Chashu. The flavors were quite nice, tender with hints of sweet and salty flavors. Great in a vacuum, but not as ‘mindblowing’ as the Tonkotsu, Red Sauce, or the noodles.
Not too protein-heavy at just 2 slices, but you can always order a plate or four more (¥260) for a more substantial meal.
🌱 Green Onions 🌱
And the final component of the dish – Green Onions. It’s a welcome addition to the dish, as it brings some crunch to the overall softer meal (minus the Extra Firm Ramen.)
And if you like to take photos of your food, the added color really brightens up the dish!
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🍜 Kaedama (¥210) 🍜
A Hakata tradition, Kaedama is a second order of Ramen noodles prepared to order once you’re done with the original serving. The Kaedama is served by itself – so if you decide to get one, make sure you have some leftover tonkotsu broth as well.
To order, place the Kaedama plate over the sensor, and you’ll hear a little jingle play in the store.
And after the staff picks up your order, your Kaedama should arrive in less than a minute.
Surprisingly, the Kaedama texture isn’t exactly the same as the one you get in the standard bowl. The ingredients and flavor are the exact same, of course, but I noticed that the texture of the Kaedama serving tends to be more extreme than its standard counterpart (even more firm for Extra Firm, and even more soft for Extra Soft.)
It’s not that noticeable if you go for Firm, Medium, or Soft, but the other two definitely were. I’m guessing that it has something to do with the ramen not being served in a hot broth – which affects the final texture despite the same cooking time.
Is it a bad thing? Not at all. In fact, I actually prefer it this way. If you want your Kaedama to be the exact same, then you can order around it by getting a less extreme texture for it. But if you’re like me and enjoy the noodles extra firm, the Extra Firm Kaedama has such an incredible bite to it.
I used to order the half Kaedama since the base portion was already quite large. But once I found out about the increased firmness on the Kaedama, I switched over to the full serving and never looked back!
Oh, and the Kaedama comes topped with a bit of sweet Tare as well. Make sure to get some of that flavor as well, either by pouring it into the Tonkotsu, or just enjoying it as is.
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⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is Ichiran’s Nanokawa store actually? Yeah, It’s incredibly good! I’m a huge Ichiran fan, so that shouldn’t be too surprising, but everything here just works so well together.
The Tonkotsu is rich and fragrant, the noodles are uniquely firm, the Red Sauce adds another layer of complexity, and the toppings – while not as insanely good as the other components – rounds out the bowl to create a harmonious blend of ingredients. And while Ichiran can be slightly more expensive than some other ramen shops I’ve visited, factoring the quality, customization, and dining experience, it’s absolutely worth the extra money.
Should you visit the Nanokawa store specifically, though? The ramen here isn’t any different from the other main Ichiran stores, so the deciding factor would be the exterior decor. If you’d like to appreciate the history of Ichiran, or would like to just grab some photos of the place, then obviously head over there and experience it yourself.
But whether it be the Nanokawa shop, or any other store nearby your area, if you need some great tasting Tonkotsu Ramen, then I’d definitely recommend a visit to Ichiran!
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🚗HOW TO GET THERE 🚗
You can get to Ichiran Nanokawa by subway or bus. For the subway, the closest station would be Nishitetsu Hirao Station (Tenjin-Omuta Line.) Exit from the station, and Ichiran should be around a 10 minute walk.
As for bus options, there are a few lines from around Tenjin Station that will head towards Ichiran Nanokawa. Whichever line you decide to take, exit at Nanokawa Bus Stop and Ichiran is only a quick 3 minute walk away. (Just look for any lines that stop by Nanokawa Bus Stop. Total travel time should be about 10 minutes + walking.)
Ichiran Nanokawa – The First One –
🌏 Location 🌏
2 Chome-2-10 Nanokawa, Minami Ward, Fukuoka, 815-0081, Japan
🗺 Map 🗺
https://goo.gl/maps/c9maTBJJ2boJbePP7
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
10 A.M. to 5 A.M.
💻 Website 💻
https://en.ichiran.com/index.php
🏠 List of Stores 🏠
https://en.ichiran.com/shop/area-index.html
📖 Online Menu (English) 📖
https://en.ichiran.com/shop/kyushu/nanokawa/
