Hidechan Ramen Review – A Famous Fukuoka Ramen Shop That Keeps Evolving

Among the numerous ramen shops in Fukuoka, “Hakata Daruma” and “Hidechan Ramen” are quite well-known and have even expanded to Tokyo.

Did you know that these two are operated by the same company?


The company is run by the son of the owner of “Daruma,” a ramen shop that operated in Hakozaki, Higashi Ward, where I often ate during my student days.

The son created “Hidechan Ramen” with the intention of surpassing his father, and “Hakata Daruma” was opened in a different location to carry on the taste of the original “Daruma,” which closed around 2000 due to road expansion.

• Reference (external link): vol.34 Hakata Daruma Ramen Kawahara Hideto | Ramen East and West | Chikara no Moto News

Now, about the main topic – Hidechan Ramen. This place is famous in my mind as a shop with dramatic flavor changes.

When I first went there around 2003 during my student days, my impression was “It’s super rich with a layer of fat on top, but incredibly delicious!”
But the next time I went, I thought “It’s just greasy and not tasty at all.”
※I’m not sure if it was my taste buds or if the flavor actually varied. This is just my personal opinion.

When I went back to eat there around 2012 or 2013 after becoming independent and returning to Fukuoka, for some reason it had become a shop staffed only by female employees, and the service and atmosphere were very impressive.
But the crucial ramen tasted different from before and wasn’t delicious at all… I want to praise shops with good service as much as possible, but with the high prices, this was tough…


Despite these experiences, when I moved relatively nearby, I decided to try Hidechan again without learning my lesson. The flavor might have changed again, after all.

This article is a report from that visit.

Visiting the Main Store of Hidechan Ramen in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City

I visited the main store and original location of Hidechan Ramen in Kego, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City. It’s located one street in from Kokutai Road, with such an inconspicuous exterior that you couldn’t find it without knowing where it is.
(Though there was a standing signboard at the time)

The interior is compact with just an L-shaped counter and one small table. So this is where it all began.

There are also many celebrity autographs. As expected, they appear to be nationally famous celebrities rather than just local ones.

Though not visible in the photo, there was a notice saying “We’ve returned to our original founding flavor,” confirming that the taste had indeed changed. I don’t know which point they returned to, but surely it must taste better than last time…!

A bowl of ramen costs 700 yen, which is quite an aggressive price for a Fukuoka ramen shop. This must be what comes with being a famous establishment.
You can also change to gluten-free noodles for an additional 50 yen. Since gluten can cause allergies in some people and there’s also something called a gluten-free diet, they seem to be catering to such customers as well.

Since I visited on a weekday afternoon, I ordered the daily lunch set.

As part of Kumamoto disaster relief support, they also had Kumamoto-style ramen with black garlic oil and spicy mustard greens. Hidechan Ramen apparently also participated in providing meals after the earthquake.

Sharp Soy Sauce-Based Tonkotsu Soup – It Had Become Delicious

The daily lunch set includes ramen, rice, and another dish (twice-cooked pork on this day). It’s voluminous and feels like too many carbs, but I don’t care! I’ll exercise!

The visual impression was different from both the fat-layered ramen from about 13 years ago and the all-female staff version from my previous visit.

It appears to have pepper sprinkled on top beforehand.

Let me try the soup. Hmm… I see.

While it’s sometimes described as having a rich, thick soup, in my opinion, this soup is characterized by its prominent soy sauce tare.
While it certainly has tonkotsu broth, it’s almost the complete opposite of the strongly pork bone-flavored, potage-like soups you find at places like Kurume Ramen or Genki Ippai.

Since it has less of the distinctive pork bone flavor, I think it’s the type of taste that’s less likely to polarize opinions, making it more accessible to tourists from across Japan and overseas.
Personally, it tasted much better than what I remembered.

The chashu is ordinary, and considering the volume, I still think 700 yen is too expensive, but this made me think I could casually drop by when I get a ramen craving.

Conclusion

Hidechan’s ramen has undergone at least two major transformations in my memory.
When I went in August 2016, I was able to enjoy it as a normal, tasty meal.

Will it undergo further changes?
I’ll likely continue to visit regularly when I want ramen in this area, and also to check for any flavor changes.