Winter whistles through the streets, slips its icy fingers down your coat, and you search for something, just about anything, to ward off the damp chill of a Japanese winter. Suddenly, you know with all certainty the one true cure — ramen.
Japan's version of this Chinese noodle broth is popular across the nation, but Kyushu's Fukuoka is legendary for tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen, a hearty soup and a great antidote to nippy weather. There are many secret tonkotsu broth recipes, but it is basically made by soaking and boiling pork bones with spices and vegetables for several hours. After that, however, different soup stocks may be added, other vegetables and spices mixed in: thus the innumerable shops with unique recipes. The basic stock is thick and rich and has a hard-to-place, slightly stinky aroma. Many ramen shops also make their own thin, straight, Fukuoka-style noodles and let customers choose the firmness when they order. Finding one's own favorite restaurant is part of the fun, but the four listed below are good places to start a weekend of culinary overdose.
Hourin is an easy introduction to tonkotsu. This routinely packed restaurant serves up a relatively light soup (¥590), lacking the characteristic love-hate stinkiness of tonkotsu while retaining its flavor. The broth is complemented by a slightly spicy, "secret" miso sauce.