Nagahama Yatai Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin Branch

When people in Nagoya hear the name “Yamachan,” the first thing they think of is a chicken wing restaurant, while people in Hakata think of a ramen shop… Hakata’s “Yamachan” or Nagahama Yatai Yamachan is a ramen tavern based on a Nagahama food stand established in 1985. Although not as nationally known as Ippudo or Ichiran, it seems to be a very famous ramen shop in Hakata that serves authentic Nagahama ramen.

What kind of ramen is available at this “super famous Nagahama ramen shop”? Naturally, I was curious, too, and on April 2024, I headed for Nagahama Yatai Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin Branch, located along Nagahama Park, on the same day I arrived in Hakata. It was after 10 p.m. when I arrived at the restaurant, and it was very crowded inside…

No longer a ramen shop, but more like an izakaya… Nagahama Yatai Yama-chan Fukuoka Tenjin branch is this kind of restaurant

Nagahama Yatai Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin Branch is a fairly large ramen restaurant, with a total of 55 seats, according to the restaurant’s Tabelog information. No, the expression “ramen shop” is not appropriate. Originally started as a ramen food stand, this shop has changed its business style to that of an izakaya (Japanese style bar) that also serves sashimi and grilled skewers when it started to have a real store. When I actually went inside the store, I found that it was quite izakaya-like, and there were many customers having a party at the time I went there.

So, as far as this restaurant is concerned, be careful if there are customers waiting for you at the storefront. Customers inside usually stay for 1 to 2 hours while drinking, so unlike ordinary ramen shops, calculations such as “ramen shops have a fast turnover…” do not apply at all. If you see a crowd in front of this restaurant, it might be wise to give up that day and look for another restaurant. That said, customers who come here just to eat ramen will not be treated with disregard, so if you are concerned about the waiting time, feel free to ask the waiter.

Highly regarded by locals as a “superb gateway to authentic Nagahama Ramen”! What does Nagahama Ramen at Nagahama Yatai Ramen Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin Branch taste like?

Let me introduce the default Nagahama Ramen I ordered at Nagahama Yatai Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin branch. Here is the image……

It came out in a smaller bowl than the standard one, but it is Nagahama Ramen with a premise of “Kaedama (refills)”… And the price is 660 yen (tax included) with this. In this day and age when a bowl of ramen in the Kansai region costs over 1,000 yen, I really envy people in Hakata who can eat ramen in this price range.

Now, let’s start with the soup… Like the Ganso Nagahamaya, it is a light pork bone soup, but we can feel the sweetness of the pork bone a little stronger. The oil is also relatively low. There is no pork bone smell at all. It enters the body smoothly without any resistance. It is not like the umami taste is coming out of you, but it is more like it is becoming a part of your body… The soup passes down your throat with such a natural feeling.

On the other hand, the noodles are a little different from those at other restaurants. This time I asked for the noodles to be boiled to a normal consistency, but compared to the tonkotsu ramen I have had in Hakata so far, the water content was much higher and the texture was stickier and firmer. Also, the amount of noodles was surprisingly large. So if you are just plain hungry, you may not have to pay the 150 yen (including tax) for a second bowl of noodles.

The topping of chashu (pork) is a delight, and for 660 yen per bowl of ramen, we get two pieces by default. And each piece was quite thick. Why are ramen restaurants in Fukuoka so cost-effective? If I could eat this kind of ramen every day, I would move to Hakata in the future! I can’t wait to move to Hakata in the future!

On this day, I paid for this ramen with a draft beer and a side dish of chanja. I left the restaurant soon after eating only the ramen, but I was able to enjoy my stay without being treated roughly by the waitresses. Well, I guess the original usage of this restaurant is to enjoy a la carte dishes and drinks, and finish with ramen…. The fact that you can have a banquet and finish with tonkotsu ramen in the same restaurant may also have the advantage of “good time performance” in the sense that you don’t have to wait in line for a new one.

Examples of other menu items at Nagahama Yatai Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin Branch (prices include tax)

• Kikurage Ramen 760 yen
• Spicy Takana Ramen 760 yen
• Chashu ramen 860 yen
• Stir-fried hormone with miso 900 yen
• Jidori Kimchi 900 yen
• Jidori chicken tataki 950 yen
• Grilled Japanese black beef tongue with salt 1,200 yen and up

There are also branches in Nakasu and Ginza… Access to Nagahama Yatai Yamachan Fukuoka Tenjin Branch is a 12-minute walk from the nearest station, Tenjin Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line.

In addition to the Fukuoka Tenjin branch introduced here, Nagahama Yatai Yamachan has a total of two other branches: the Fukuoka Nakasu branch and the Tokyo Ginza branch. Each store has a slightly different menu, so it is best to use them for different purposes. In particular, the Tokyo Ginza branch has a ramen-centered menu that includes such dishes as wonton noodles and spicy noodles, which are not available at the two Fukuoka branches… Isn’t this a restaurant worth listing as a place where you can eat authentic Nagahama ramen in Tokyo?

Here are the details of the restaurant…