I had always been curious about the restaurant near Hakata Ward Office, and this time I had some business at the ward office so I decided to have lunch there. It's a style where you buy a meal ticket from the ticket machine next to the entrance, and this time I chose the Soki soba. I heard that it turns into an izakaya at night, and there was a recommendation for chicken skin inside the restaurant. I sat at the counter and my meal was brought to me in less than 3 minutes, which was surprisingly fast! The hot meal was quite delicious. I thought the noodles were a bit firm, but it didn't bother me too much. Personally, I prefer Soki over three-layered pork in Okinawa soba. I also like Okinawa soba, so I plan to visit again.

Okinawa soba restaurant in Okinawa with a wide variety of soba dishes, always full at lunchtime. This time, due to a hangover, I tried the Island Curry. It didn't have much meat texture, but it was a delicious curry for over 550 yen. However, I prefer the rice to be a bit firmer. Considering the price and the fact that it's not the main dish, it's not bad.

I finally got to visit a restaurant that I've been curious about for about 5 years. The Okinawa soba (large serving) costs ¥850. It's been 6 years since my last visit to Okinawa, so it's been 6 years since I last had Okinawa soba. My heart always seems to teleport to the southern island unconditionally, which feels like cheating.

I visited during lunchtime and it was quite crowded. In Fukuoka Prefecture, there have been over 10,000 reported cases of COVID-19, which is a bit concerning. I waited with my mask on until my order was ready. I purchased a ticket for "Salt Ramen". Despite the large number of customers, the wait time was not long. The "Salt Ramen" had a light soup with a good flavor. I added some garlic paste and finished the soup. The noodles were flat and had a chewy texture, unlike the typical Okinawa soba noodles. There was a container of pickled ginger on the table, but it had no lid, so I didn't use it. Last time I visited in September 2020, it was 680 yen, but this time it was 730 yen. They mentioned that it was due to the increase in ingredient costs. Not only that, but the three slices of pork and fish cake topping were smaller. It's a significant price increase compared to the difference in cost. Well, I guess it can't be helped. The menu photos have not been updated since the last time I visited. The toppings look bigger in the photos. I have revised my evaluation of the cost performance.

Today, I wandered around Hakata Station with my colleagues to have lunch. We decided to try a place called "Ryusoba," which serves Okinawan soba during the day and chicken skin-focused yakitori at night. I always find it interesting that they have a food ticket vending machine outside the restaurant. This time, I ordered the Okinawan soba set for 900 yen, which came with Okinawan soba, rice, and fried chicken. The soup, made with bonito and pork, was light yet flavorful. The fried chicken was seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce, which paired well with the rice. After a satisfying meal, I'm ready to work hard in the afternoon. Thank you for the delicious meal!

Located on the street near Gion Hakata Ward Office, "Torimaru" is a yakitori restaurant at night and a Okinawan soba restaurant called "Ryusoba" during the day. When I feel like having Okinawan soba, I sometimes stop by here. Today, I decided to try the light and delicious Soki Soba for 680 yen. The soup is made from bonito and the noodles are flat. I added a bit of coriander and enjoyed the slightly gelatinous texture of the cartilage while finishing every last bit. It was a satisfying meal. In between udon and ramen, it's nice to have something like this once in a while (I'm not into pasta because I'm an old man). Thank you for the meal.

Once upon a time, there was a commercial that said, "Osechi is great, but curry is good too!" Indeed, if you only eat traditional New Year dishes like osechi and ozoni, you might start craving curry. So, I decided to visit Ryusoba restaurant. Last time, I had their "Okinawa Soba," but this time I was curious about their "Island Curry" on the menu. I bought a ticket for the Island Curry (500 yen) from the ticket machine outside and went inside. The Island Curry arrived, and when I tried it... It had a thick curry sauce with small pieces of pork, maybe leftovers from the three-layered pork used in Okinawa Soba. It was made with island chili peppers, so it was fairly spicy but not extremely hot. I finished it all in no time. My goal for the day was to eat curry, and I was satisfied to have enjoyed a delicious curry for just a coin. Next time, I want to try their "Soki Soba" that I haven't had before. Delicious Island Curry, Ryusoba, I will come back again. P.S. Osechi is great, but curry is good too! Video of the commercial -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgENQfbI54Q

Once again, I had lunch in Gion. Okinawan soba. Yes, this is exactly what I imagined Okinawan soba to be. There is a ticket machine outside the restaurant. You can choose between 1000 yen and 2000 yen. Oh, you can't use a ten thousand yen bill. I sat at the counter seat. Soon, the Okinawan soba arrived. It was my preferred type of noodles. Next time, I think I'll try the Sokisoba.

I visited the restaurant at 12:45 to avoid the lunchtime crowd. I purchased a ticket for the "Shio Soba" for 680 yen. The soup was light but flavorful, made with a blend of island salt, chicken, pork, and bonito. I added "Koregusu" halfway through, which enhanced the soup. The noodles were flat and slightly chewy. The toppings included homemade salted pork and island fish cake. Overall, it was delicious and worth the price at 680 yen near Hakata Station.

Fukuoka City Hakata-ku, in front of Hakata Station, there is a Okinawan soba restaurant called "Ryusoba". The restaurant is located near the Hakata Ward Office. The weather has been hot lately, so it's a good idea to eat dishes from hot regions on such hot days. That's why I decided to visit "Ryusoba". At this restaurant, there is a ticket machine at the entrance where you can buy food tickets before entering. The menu mainly consists of "Okinawa Soba", "Soki Soba", and "Salt Soba" (and also "Island Curry"). On this day, I chose the "Okinawa Soba" (700 yen) and entered the restaurant. The Okinawa Soba arrived with pork belly slices and white kamaboko from Itoman on top of the noodles. I added a little pickled ginger from the table and started eating. The noodles were flat curly noodles, directly delivered from a noodle factory in Okinawa. They were smooth, chewy, and delicious. The soup was a blend of pork, chicken, and bonito flavors, with the bonito flavor coming through prominently. It was a light yet flavorful soup that I really enjoyed. The pork belly slices were tender and had just the right thickness. I finished the bowl clean. It's not exactly "udon" or "ramen"... it's a unique type of noodle, but it was delicious. I might try the Soki Soba or the Island Curry next time. I definitely plan to visit "Ryusoba" again for their tasty Okinawa Soba.

Visited "Ryukyu Soba" for the second time this month on June, and arrived at 12:40 PM to avoid the crowds. This time slot ensures that it is not crowded. Since my company has flextime, I can take my lunch whenever I want. I purchased a meal ticket for the "Ryukyu Island Curry" that I tried last time, which costs 500 yen including tax. They also offer a half-size option for 400 yen, which pairs well with Okinawan soba. The menu warns that the curry is quite spicy, made with island chili peppers. The curry is served on a flat plate with rice and minimal ingredients, mainly small pieces of pork. It wasn't as spicy as the warning suggested, but the heat gradually builds up after eating. The rice was dry and firm, not the best quality, but it complements the curry well. I still prefer the "Soft Cartilage Soki Soba" I had last weekend. Overall, my rating remains the same.

I want to eat noodles, but I've been having ramen and udon a lot recently... so I found this place that I had saved recently! When I was in college, I used to go to Okinawa a lot in the summer, but as I became a working adult, I drifted away and couldn't go last year. In the meantime, unfortunately, Shuri Castle also burned down... but I love Okinawa soba and tacos. So, while immersing myself in that mood, I had Okinawan cuisine after a long time! First, I bought a meal ticket at the ticket machine next to the entrance before entering the restaurant! - Okinawa soba (700 yen) I really wanted to try the salt soba made with island maars... First, the broth... Ah... a good soup that seeps into your body... it feels light, but the umami and saltiness are solid. Maybe it's because it's so hot there that you sweat a lot, but it's easy to eat and the flavor seeps in smoothly... it's unfair... haha The flavor of the broth is strong, and you can feel the right amount of saltiness. The unique Okinawan noodles have a great texture, like a good mix of ramen and udon, and the smooth and chewy texture is irresistible... the throat feel is excellent too... The thick soki, with its light texture, tastes just like braised pork. The meat is firm, and the fat is melting... irresistible... Even though it's described as light, the flavor is sufficient! The technique of Okinawa to make a well-seasoned dish feel light? Ah... I really want to go to Okinawa again after a long time... I wonder if I can go this year? I want to eat in the hot weather there.

Near Hotel Nikko Fukuoka, there is a Okinawa soba shop. I visited at 11:40 am before the lunch rush, so there were no other customers. This helped to avoid crowded places. Although Fukuoka City is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, it's important to be cautious even though it's a distance away. I ordered the Soft Cartilage Soki Soba for 680 yen. Despite being tax-inclusive, it came with two pieces of soft cartilage. One of them had easily chewable cartilage. Besides the cartilage soki, there were fish cakes and green onions. Adding pickled ginger enhanced the visual appeal. The soup seemed to be made from bonito broth. It had a gentle flavor and was easy to drink. Adding chili paste from the counter made it spicy and even more delicious. I finished the noodles and drank all the soup. The ticket machine also offers other dishes like salt soba, island curry soba, and island curry that I would like to try. It's only a 1-2 minute walk from my office, so I plan to visit again.

I visited during lunchtime and even though it was crowded, the food came out quickly, which is very convenient for salarymen. The Soki soba has chewy noodles with a flavorful broth. The fried chicken is also tender with a sweet sauce that whets the appetite.

The bonito broth was flavorful. However, the large serving of Okinawa soba for 780 yen is expensive. It may be the average price for Okinawa soba in Fukuoka, but compared to udon or ramen, the cost performance is not good. At this price, I only feel like eating it occasionally.

I enjoyed delicious Okinawan cuisine at a restaurant owned by a friend while exploring food in Hakata. The food was so good that I finished every last bite. Check out their Instagram and blog for more mouthwatering dishes!

Mini Curry Set with Kakesoba (tax included 850 yen)

I stopped by after going to the sauna. It was very delicious, so I want to try a different menu next time!

Okinawa soba, average... Karaage, greasy.