G‐G-MOMOCHI
Located on the east side of Watanabe Street and Nishitetsu Yakuin Station in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, along the Jonan Line, is the dining district known as "Sankaku Market". Here you will find the renowned Hakata udon restaurant "Inaba Udon Watanabe Street Branch". "Inaba Udon" is a long-established udon restaurant representing Hakata, founded in 1951. The name comes from the former Inaba-cho (now Tenjin 1-chome) where it was originally established. The original store closed in 2007 after several relocations due to a major fire in the 1980s, and among the current 9 stores, this is the oldest one. The restaurant is run by the dignified and seasoned female owner, Yukiko Moriguchi, who has been working at this shop for about 40 years. They serve a typical Hakata udon with a soft and chewy texture, where the udon noodles are briefly boiled twice upon ordering. The clear golden soup is carefully made from several types of "dashi" such as Hokkaido Rausu kelp, Nagasaki dried sardines, and bonito flakes, along with Maruhara soy sauce from Hita, Oita, and salt from Akou. The highlight of their menu is the "gobo tempura" that melts in your mouth as soon as it touches the soup. Many udon enthusiasts adore this ultimate bowl of udon. The restaurant is frequented by famous figures such as musician Yosui Inoue, Kazufumi Miyazawa, and popular comedian HKT48 Maru. On this occasion, I happened to pass by the restaurant just before 10 a.m. and noticed the "open" sign. Since I had missed breakfast, I was drawn to visit the restaurant. The senior female owner, Mrs. Moriguchi, warmly welcomed me with a smile as soon as I entered. The senior chef was in the kitchen. The owner's daughter is usually present as well, but she was absent on this day. A young female staff member with a Chinese background was being trained under the guidance of the owner to handle the new hall duties. The restaurant has about 30 seats with tables for 8 to 4 people only. There were no other customers at the time. I was seated at a 6-person table near the window, and I ordered their classic "gobo tempura udon". As soon as I sat down, the young staff member promptly served the dish, saying "Thank you for waiting". The aroma of the soup was gentle. It was made by grinding Hokkaido kelp and Nagasaki dried sardines in the morning, and then putting them in a large sake bottle to warm in hot water without overheating. The soup has a subtle natural sweetness, with the essence of the dashi not overpowering. It's like the type of soup a mother from Hakata would make (laughs). The noodles are exactly like "Hakata udon". They are boiled for about 20 minutes, then "pre-boiled" and finally "boiled twice" for about 2 minutes upon ordering. They are soft but chewy. Even without teeth, you can cut them with your lips (laughs). The gobo tempura is made by placing sliced gobo inside a gathering of fried egg and forming it into a single piece. As you eat, the fried egg and fried gobo absorb the soup and become tender (laughs). This is a truly authentic "Hakata udon". It was a brunch that warmed my heart. I will visit again, thank you for the meal.【18.1.21】【23.8.21】
Inaba Udon Watanabe Street Branch
2-3-1 Watanabe-dori, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City
Phone: 092-711-0708
Business Hours: 11:00-22:30 (until 19:30 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)
Closed: None