Fukuoka is the birthplace of Tonkotsu pork ramen and Taiho is credited for inventing/popularising this profoundly flavorful soup noodle that has stormed around the world. Katsuki Hitoshi, aka the 'Ramen Samurai is a 3rd generation owner who keeps the tradition of mukashi ramen alive. Chewy handmade noodles are blanched for two minutes and served hard. The pork broth is cooked for 18 hours in the same pot since they opened in 1953 which has never been emptied, so each bowl contains some of the original 60-year-old master stock. The bowl is then topped with crispy nori, scallions, bamboo shoots, pickled ginger (a Fukuoka speciality), pork belly, a runny boiled egg and crumbly bits of crispy pork lard.

jeffrey_merrihue

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