Irifune Shokudo

A long-established Iekei ramen shop in Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, which shifted from its original diner format to a ramen specialty shop in 2007. The owner trained at the renowned 'Ichirokuya' in Yokohama, and after working at 'Fuji-ya' in Nakasu, became independent in this location. It is known as a rare 'Ichi-kei' (Yokohama Shoyu Tonkotsu) lineage shop in Fukuoka. The signature dish is 'Ramen' for 850 yen. It features an Iekei standard soup with fragrant chicken oil on the surface, followed by a rich umami of pork and chicken. Customers can customize it verbally according to the Iekei tradition, choosing 4 parameters: noodle type (men no shurui): thin (hosomen), medium-thick (chutabuto-men), thick (futomen); noodle firmness (men no katasa): soft (yawarakame), regular (futsu), firm (katame); seasoning strength (aji no koisa): light (usume), regular (futsu), rich (koime); and amount of chicken oil (toriabura no ryo): less (sukuname), regular (futsu), more (oome). The toppings are a classic Iekei combination: melt-in-your-mouth pork shoulder chashu so tender it's hard to pick up with chopsticks, chopped green onions, spinach, a quail egg, and three sheets of nori seaweed. It's described as having a milder tuning for Fukuoka residents, with less sharpness compared to Ichi-kei shops in the Kanto region, but in return, it captures the hearts of locals who love tonkotsu ramen. The noodle menu is diverse, including 'Ramen', 'Tsukemen' (dipping noodles), 'Abura Soba' (oil noodles), 'Mazesoba' (mixed noodles), 'Kara Negi Ramen' (spicy green onion ramen), 'Noritama Ramen' (seaweed and egg ramen), and 'Chashu-men' (roast pork ramen). It's popular to combine these with side dishes like 'Chashu-don' (roast pork bowl), 'Natto Kimchi-don' (fermented soybeans and kimchi bowl), 'Negi-don' (green onion bowl), 'Tsukimi Chashu-don' (roast pork bowl with raw egg), and 'Negi Chashu-don' (roast pork and green onion bowl) for a highly satisfying lunch. A variety of condiments are available on the table for flavor changes: pepper, sesame, garlic, tobanjan (chili bean paste), vinegar, and chili oil. It offers a valuable option to experience 'Iekei' ramen in a city dominated by Hakata Tonkotsu.