Particular about soba in Fukuoka! 20 famous spots loved by locals

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Sobakiri Kanbee, about a 5-minute walk from Ropponmatsu Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is known for its course meals built around soba noodles and soba dishes.

It has the feel of an adult hideaway, with only 8 seats at the counter. The setting has a live feel, and you can watch the owner’s impressive knife skills up close.

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Noodles made without using any binders such as wheat flour are called "100% soba." The key is to eat this soba with karajiru (spicy dipping sauce).

They also offer "ni-hachi soba," which uses a different ratio of buckwheat flour, along with a range of hot and cold soba dishes. They also serve single dishes such as "sobagaki (buckwheat dumpling)."

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They offer the "Soba Zanmai Zen," available at lunchtime, where you can enjoy three types of soba: 100%, nihachi (80% buckwheat soba), and kake (soba in broth), and reservations are available for the assorted varieties of courses.

The kaiseki course built around soba dishes includes tempura of vegetables in season, along with seasonal Sarashina soba and kawari-soba (creative soba varieties).

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Yanagibashi Shokudo Seichan, about a 3-minute walk from Watanabedori Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, serves soba dishes as well as Rice bowls topped with marinated seafood made with fresh seafood brought in straight from the market.

This diner opens relatively early in the morning and stays open until after noon (it closes once ingredients run out).

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The soba here is Shinshu soba (Nagano-style soba), a local specialty of Nagano Prefecture. According to the menu board, it is 100% soba made without any binder.

The portion is on the smaller side because it comes as part of a set with a marinated seafood Rice bowl. If you want to make soba the main part of your meal, you can order it as an A la carte dish.

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When the marinated seafood Rice bowl and soba are served side by side, it makes for a very satisfying plate. You can choose not only hot soba, but a cold version as well.

They also offer a set menu that pairs shrimp tempura with soba. It is hard to decide whether to visit for the marinated seafood Rice bowl or the soba.

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Akasaka Keyaki-dori Murata, about a 7-minute walk from Akasaka Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is a popular spot that many people visit as a soba izakaya (Japanese-style pub). In addition to Japanese sake, they also have a selection of wine.

The large table near the entrance is said to be especially popular, and the food is served on original tableware created by artists.

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This restaurant mills its own flour in an ishiusu (stone mill), with freshly milled, freshly made, and freshly boiled as the standard. It offers the 100% buckwheat "Hosobiki Mori" as well as coarse ground soba.

At times, they also knead seasonal ingredients like yuzu and shiso (perilla) into the soba. It makes you want to try and compare them.

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They offer set meals of soba with tempura such as shrimp and anago (conger eel), including the "Yasai Tenzaru" that comes with tempura made with five kinds of vegetables.

For an additional charge, you can make the soba a Large size, and if you ask for a half portion, you get a discount. Order based on how hungry you are.

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Soba Kosaku, about a 5-minute walk from Kushida Jinja-mae Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is a soba specialty restaurant that is particular about its ingredients, from the buckwheat seeds to the dashi broth. They always have 10 kinds of Japanese sake on hand to enjoy with your meal, from standard picks to rare bottles.

The interior is said to have a welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to drop in anytime.

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The owner mills the buckwheat seeds that he Special selects every day into flour and even makes the noodles in house. This is kuichi soba (90 percent buckwheat soba) made with 90 percent buckwheat flour, with not only a nice texture but also a great aroma.

In addition to kombu kelp, the dashi is based on mackerel and bonito. For cold soba, you can choose from four sizes, from small to extra large.

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Of course, they also serve hot soba, and the photo shows the "kamo nanban soba (soba with duck and scallions)." It seems you can also choose the "niku soba (meat soba)" topped with Kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black beef).

The tempura is also recommended, made with kuruma ebi (Japanese tiger prawns) from Kumamoto Prefecture and anago (conger eel) from Nagasaki Prefecture, both in the same Kyushu region as Fukuoka where the restaurant is located. They also offer a selection of a la carte dishes that pair well with Japanese sake.

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Sapporo Kasu Soba to Tempura Fudo Hakata Nakasu Ten is about a 2-minute walk from Nakasu-Kawabata Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, and serves soba dishes that are popular in Sapporo, Hokkaido, here in Fukuoka.

On the first floor, there are counter and table seats, and on the second floor, they have Private rooms.

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The "kasu-soba (fried beef offal soba)" featured in the restaurant's name is an original menu item inspired by Osaka's specialty kasu-udon (udon with fried beef offal).

It is topped with beef motsu (offal) that has been slowly deep-fried to remove excess fat. The "kara-kasu-soba (spicy fried beef offal soba)," which lets you choose from 30 levels of spiciness, is also popular.

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A soba dish lavishly topped with a large amount of uni (sea urchin). It is built on custom additive-free soba with thin noodles and just the right touch of sesame. For an extra charge, you can add even more uni.

As for the tempura, it uses Hokkaido brand potatoes called Inka no Mezame and beef Tenderloin, among other ingredients.

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Kochisoba Tenjin Ten, about a 1-minute walk from the south exit of Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station on the Nishitetsu train line, has the concept of “a late lunch and an early beer.” In other words, it is a place where you can enjoy soba and take your time with a beer in the early afternoon.

In addition to counter seats for solo diners, it also has Semi-private room ozashiki (tatami seating).

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This restaurant is known for its 100% soba noodles with a smooth, pleasant texture. They pair perfectly with the soba dipping sauce, finished with sweet soy sauce brewed locally.

Served on a plate in a casual, easy-to-eat style, this soba dish also makes a great choice to finish off a night of drinking.

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The most popular item on the menu is the "Tempura Set," which is well known for its tasty tempura made with seasonal ingredients.

For the soba, you can choose whichever you prefer: the soup style or the assortment style. They also offer a daily set menu and set options paired with a mini "Tori-ten Rice bowl."

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Soba Chaya Hanamoto Honzenan, located on the 10th floor of KITTE Hakata, a commercial complex directly connected to JR Hakata Station, is a restaurant built around the idea of letting guests enjoy their dining time even more with soba (buckwheat noodles) as the star.

The restaurant has a calm, refined feel and offers Semi-private room seating where guests can relax at ease.

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The assorted varieties available chilled soba feature firm noodles and a clean, refreshing finish. In addition to the standard “zaru seiro,” they also offer “zanmai,” which can be enjoyed in 3 different ways, as well as options topped with tempura.

They also serve warm soba with a fragrant dashi aroma, accompanied by a range of different toppings.

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Especially popular is the nikutama tsuke soba (soba noodles served with dipping broth and meat and egg) series, with its mildly spicy dipping broth and standout sesame flavor. It is the restaurant's signature dish.

Each one comes with burdock root on a separate plate for a nice texture, and you can choose toppings such as motsu (offal), beef, or a mix.

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Towari Soba Soya is a soba restaurant inside a commercial complex, making it a good choice for all kinds of occasions, from a break while shopping to dining out on a day off.

You may be drawn in by the striking sight of countless bottles displayed on the shelves. It is a 3-minute walk from Tenjin Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, on the 7th floor of Iwataya Honten Shinkan.

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This restaurant serves 100% soba made with 100% high quality buckwheat flour. They seem to focus on freshly milled, freshly made, and freshly boiled noodles.

For the dipping sauce, they use a rich dashi broth with the savory flavor of kombu kelp and bonito. They offer both hot and cold options, and the photo shows hot soba topped with nishin (simmered herring).

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The "tenzaru soba (cold soba with tempura)" is popular, and instead of dipping sauce, you eat the tempura with the restaurant's original mentaishio (spicy cod roe salt).

As a rare menu item, they also offer a soba set that comes with fresh Korean ginseng imported from Korea, served as tempura along with shrimp and vegetables. It is said to be made with care for your well-being.

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Saisakiya, about a 5-minute walk from JR Hakata Station, is a restaurant that brings you the gentle gifts of nature through soba dishes.

They serve nihachi soba (80 percent buckwheat soba) made from buckwheat grown in an area known for its pure spring water. The interior is a space where you can feel the warmth of wood.

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The soba noodles are made from a custom blend, with special care put into both texture and flavor.

For cold soba, in addition to the "zaru," which comes in a choice of Large size or small, they also offer topping-style menu items such as negi-oroshi (green onion and grated daikon) and kamo-seiro (duck dipping soba). The broth for the soba is said to be soy sauce-based with a strong katsuobushi (bonito) flavor.

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They are said to have an especially good range of set menus at lunch, and the photo shows a set with "zaru" and katsudon (pork cutlet Rice bowl) in an ankake (thick sauce) style.

If you are worried about the large portion, you can change the "zaru" to a small size. Sets with two pieces of inari-zushi (sweet tofu pouch sushi) or sushi topped with aburi-saba (seared mackerel) are also recommended.

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Soba Kisoji, about a 6-minute walk from Ohori Koen Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is an authentic handmade soba restaurant with the motto “Tomorrow’s life comes from daily meals,” and it uses only Special selected ingredients.

The Japanese modern space is good not only for everyday meals, but also for a Japanese-style bar kind of visit where you can enjoy a light drink and finish with soba.

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They mill only the amount of soba they will use On-the-Day in-house with a stone mill. That is why it has such a great aroma.

The topping of jinenjo tororo (grated Japanese yam) is grown on a farm in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, next to Fukuoka Prefecture. They also use many ingredients from Kyushu, including Kagoshima Prefecture’s branded Saddleback pork.

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The uniquely presented karasumi (dried mullet roe) soba. They source Domestic mullet roe and use their own method to turn it into karasumi, which they toss with the noodles. It pairs well not only with Japanese sake but also with white wine.

They also sell baked sweets made with buckwheat flour at the restaurant, so be sure to pick some up as a souvenir.

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Soba to Sake to Tempura Soya, located about a 3-minute walk from Gofukumachi Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is a popular spot where you can enjoy a relaxed meal in a calm setting despite its convenient location near the station.

At lunchtime, the focus is mainly on soba dishes, while at night it can also be used like an izakaya, with tempura as snacks to enjoy with drinks.

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They serve 100% soba made with 100% Domestic buckwheat flour, with a wide lineup available both hot and cold.

Options include the "Shunsai Ten Soba," which pairs 1 piece of shrimp tempura with 5 kinds of tempura made from seasonal vegetables. At dinner time, you can choose your favorite tempura from about 30 different ingredients.

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The recommended choice is the aburi Tsukemen series, served with cold soba and warm dipping broth.

It uses either Hanamidori (brand chicken) with its rich flavor, or Itoshima-buta (brand pork), and the photo shows the "Aburi Motsu Tsukemen Soba," made with Domestic beef and motsu (offal) with a nice texture.

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Ishiusu-biki Soba Ishizuki Fukuoka Ten, located on the 9th floor of the restaurant zone City Dining Kuten inside the station building, is a 1-minute walk from JR Hakata Station and offers the traditional soba-nomi (drinking with soba) style that pairs soba with alcohol.

The interior has a calm atmosphere, and you can enjoy a relaxed meal at the tables.

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The dipping sauce has the rich style generally known as Edomae, with a sweet and savory flavor. They say you can dip not only the soba but also the tempura into this sauce before eating it.

As for the soba itself, they source Special buckwheat seeds from all over Japan and even make fine adjustments to the flour depending on the temperature and humidity, showing close attention to every detail to serve great soba.

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This side dish is called soba dofu (buckwheat tofu), and it is made with buckwheat flour ground in a stone mill. It is said to be a creamy dish that blends the aroma of buckwheat with the ingredient’s own natural sweetness.

Including yaki miso (grilled miso), accented by the texture of buckwheat kernels, the menu also offers a great selection of dishes that pair well with alcohol.

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Soba-do Tenjin Daimyo Ten, about a 3-minute walk from Akasaka Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is a popular spot where you can enjoy Japanese food centered on soba noodles along with Japanese sake sourced from around the country.

It is easy to use for everyday dining, and it also has space for Banquet gatherings with large groups.

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The soba made with buckwheat flour from Hokkaido features hikigurumi ni-hachi soba (80 percent buckwheat soba made with whole-ground flour), with a notably smooth texture going down. Hikigurumi refers to flour milled from the whole buckwheat seed, including the husk.

At lunchtime, you can order a set menu with tsuke-soba (cold soba served with dipping sauce) and a daily Rice bowl.

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The specialty dish here is the “Ozaru.” Just as the name suggests, a large zaru (bamboo tray) comes piled high with soba and is meant to be shared by multiple people.

Orders start from 2 servings, and you can choose from several kinds of dipping sauce, including a clear shio-tsuyu (light salt-based broth) made with white soy sauce and a rich walnut sauce.

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Detaemon, about a 3-minute walk from Ohorikoen Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, is a place where you can experience the traditional sobamae (drinking and snacking before soba) culture of ordering drinks and small bites first.

The interior is an elegant and calming space, and it is said to be well suited to people looking for fine food.

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This restaurant uses only Hitachi Aki Soba (a branded buckwheat variety from Ibaraki Prefecture). This variety is known for its strong sweetness and nice aroma, and it pairs well with Japanese sake.

They serve it as ni-hachi soba (80 percent buckwheat noodles) or ichi-ku soba (90 percent buckwheat noodles), depending on the condition of the buckwheat flour when it comes in.

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It seems the selection of sakana (small plates to go with drinks) changes daily, and on some days they also offer duck, which is used as a topping for the soba.

If you order the Japanese-Western fusion "Kitsune (deep-fried tofu) Comté Viazavio," which combines aburaage (deep-fried tofu) and cheese, you might want to pair it with not only Japanese sake but also natural wine.

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Konkakutei, about a 3-minute walk from Heiwadori Station on the Kitakyushu Monorail, is a soba izakaya where you can enjoy handmade soba along with Kitakyushu local dishes that pair well with alcohol.

In addition to counter seats that are easy to use even when dining alone, the restaurant also has Sunken kotatsu seating where you can relax.

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The soba made by the owner comes in two styles: "100% seiro" and "ni-hachi seiro (80/20 soba)." The former is limited to just 10 servings a day. In addition to seiro, you can also choose toppings such as kamo nanban (soba with duck and scallions).

While you wait for your soba, the house specialty "iwashi no nukadaki (sardines simmered in rice bran)" is also recommended.

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A good snack to have with drinks is the grilled miso mixed with soba seeds (buckwheat groats). Take small bites and savor your drink.

A drink to look out for is the “soba-neri shochu,” made cloudy and white with sobayu (buckwheat cooking water). If you finish with an order of soba dishes, you can really enjoy a dinner time full of soba.

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Kasu Udon Daifuku is about a 4-minute walk from Kitakyushu Monorail Tanga Station, and it stays open until dawn, making it a good fit for all kinds of needs.

Even though the shop name says “udon,” you can apparently switch the noodles to soba while keeping the same topping menu.

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Kasu-udon (an Osaka local specialty) is made with "kasu," which refers to beef Horumon that has been deep-fried for a long time to remove the excess fat.

Kasu-soba is a dish that uses this Horumon as a topping on soba. It is a bowl full of collagen.

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A key feature of this restaurant is that it offers a wide range of toppings, not just for kasu-soba (soba with fried beef offal).

For example, you can top it with large oysters or boldly add gyoza (dumplings). You can also increase the usual 20g of kasu for an extra charge. It seems they also offer a simple kake-soba (plain soba in broth).

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Located about a 5 to 6-minute walk from JR Kurosaki Station, Teuchi Soba-dokoro Shoan uses organic soba flour from Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido. It is made without any pesticides, then dried at a low temperature and stored the same way.

The restaurant also holds soba-making classes.

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They seem to age the soba flour for up to about 2 years to give it a mellow taste. They then grind it in Japan-quarried stone mills with tiny air holes.

Thanks to those holes, heat does not build up when the stone mills turn, so the aroma of the soba is not lost.

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What stands out is a unique local dish passed down in the Isahaya area of Nagasaki Prefecture. The soba, described with the word “dorori,” is eaten without rinsing the boiled noodles in cold water, and with soy sauce added to the sobayu (soba cooking water).

You can choose from several kinds of soba dishes, including a limited-quantity option. Lunch sets and dinner courses are also available.

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Ichi Rin is a detached house style Japanese restaurant, by reservation only. From its large windows, you can take in great views of Kitakyushu (city in Fukuoka Prefecture), including the cityscape and the sea.

At dinnertime, you can also enjoy the beautiful night view. It is a 15-minute drive from JR Kokura Station, and there is parking for 4 cars.

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The chef’s morning starts by drawing natural spring water used for making soba (buckwheat noodles). The soba flour, whose production region changes with the seasons, is known for its nice aroma.

At lunchtime, they serve course meals that pair soba with tempura. Make a reservation by the day before your visit.

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In some cases, they serve creative soba dishes finished with truffle salt or tossed with karasumi (dried mullet roe). The rich dashi (Japanese soup stock), a hallmark of a Japanese restaurant, is not to be missed.

As for the evening kaiseki (traditional multi-course meal) course, you can enjoy not only soba but also a range of dishes created by the owner, including freshly fried tempura.

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Sansho no Ki, about a 5-minute walk from JR Kadomatsu Station, is a Japanese restaurant centered on eel dishes, but one of its signature items is said to be kuroge Wagyu kawara soba (black Wagyu roof tile soba), made with ingredients from Fukuoka Prefecture.

The interior has the look of a traditional old house and features an open kitchen where you can watch the cooking.

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The one to look out for here is the “Kuroge Wagyu Kawara Soba.” This local specialty from Yamaguchi Prefecture, across the Kanmon Straits from Fukuoka, features cha-soba (green tea buckwheat noodles) served on a kawara (roof tile) and topped with a variety of ingredients.

The cha-soba is made with brand matcha from Fukuoka Prefecture kneaded into the noodles, and you eat it with a special sauce that blends Japanese flavors with tomato.

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If you are here, you will probably want to try the restaurant’s signature dish too, unagi seiro-mushi (steamed eel in a tiered box).

It is made by thoroughly soaking the rice with eel sauce, mixing it well, and then topping it with unagi kabayaki (charcoal grilled glazed eel). The "Kuroge Wagyu Kawara Soba Set" comes with a half size of kawara soba, and the eel is served in a small box.

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Sobakiri Tokaku, about a 2-minute walk from JR Omuta Station, is an authentic handmade soba restaurant produced by a long-established ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant).

Past the stone-paved path through the Japanese garden, there are Semi-private room and fully private room seating, where you can relax and enjoy your meal without worrying about those around you.

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The soba noodles, hand-cut by skilled artisans, seem to have the balance of soba flour and wheat flour adjusted with great care depending on the season. This brings out the best possible smoothness, aroma, and texture.

As for the house-made dipping sauce, it is made by drawing out the umami from bonito, kombu kelp, soy sauce, and akazake (sweet cooking sake).

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The most popular item is said to be the "Kurobuta Tsuke Soba." You dip cold soba into a warm sweet broth with kurobuta (Berkshire pork) from Kagoshima and eat it that way. It is a dish with a high repeat order rate, and it also comes recommended for first time visitors.

Take a look at the menu with its well drawn illustrations and pick your favorite soba.