One of the biggest reasons I travel to Japan is, honestly, for drinking.
Whisky, wine, sake(nihonshu), shochu – almost every kind of alcohol except Korean traditional liquor is cheaper and more varied in Japan.
And for someone like me who usually drinks alone, Japan is heaven.
There are so many bars that serve wine or sake by the glass,
so I can try different things without overdoing it.
When I travel in Japan, I usually spend more nights drinking than sightseeing during the day.
And at the end of every “drinking activity,” I always eat ramen.
Since Japan doesn’t have a hangover culture like Korea does,
ramen before bed is my way of preparing for the next morning.
When I eat ramen, I always look for Hakata ramen.
In Japan, every region has its own unique style of ramen.
But Hakata ramen is considered the origin of tonkotsu ramen –
the creamy pork-bone soup that started a national boom.
It’s known for its cloudy, rich broth,
its ultra-thin noodles that cook in seconds,
and the fact that you can choose how firm you want your noodles.
Almost every tonkotsu ramen around Japan can be traced back to this Hakata style.
Personally, I love Hakata ramen for its thick broth and thin noodles.
Wherever I travel in Japan, I always end my trip
with a bowl of Hakata-style ramen from that city’s local favorite shop.
So far, during my Kagoshima trips, I’ve been going to Danbo(暖暮) –
a well-known Hakata ramen chain with locations nationwide.
It was decent,
and considering I wasn’t in Fukuoka,
I thought it was good enough.
But this time, I found a new place through a local’s recommendation –
Hakata KIKI(博多喜喜), right next to Tenmonkan Park.
The name “Hakata” itself gives you some confidence, doesn’t it?
Interestingly, its main store is in Kagoshima’s Tenmonkan,
and they even opened a branch in Hakata, Fukuoka.
The menu had three types: white(白), black(黒), and red(赤).
I guessed white was the original,
black was the richer and more popular version,
and red was spicy.
So I ordered Shiro Nitamago-iri(白・煮卵入り) –
the white ramen with a boiled egg.
Of course, I ordered the noodles kata(硬め) – firm.
The look already gave me high expectations –
and it delivered.
The noodles were thin, perfectly firm,
with that al dente-like bite that only Hakata ramen can offer.
The broth was clean but still rich with tonkotsu depth.
If anything, my personal taste leans a bit more toward the sticky, funky, ultra-rich type –
but this balance made it easier to enjoy late at night.
It was so good that I went there twice during this trip.
Actually, I should say only twice.
This time, I only had two nights
when my “drinking activities” went late enough to need ramen afterwards.
Anyway, if you ever need a late-night ramen spot in Kagoshima, this is the one.
They’re open until 4 a.m.,
so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy a proper tonkotsu bowl
before heading back to your hotel.
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