Mark Wiens takes us on a noodle tour in Fukuoka, Japan, exploring the city's famous ramen, udon, and champon dishes. He visits iconic eateries, including a legendary Hakata ramen shop dating back to 1952, an udon restaurant known for its large servings and whole wheat noodles, and a place serving champon with a rich pork-based broth and a mountain of vegetables. The tour highlights Fukuoka's significant contribution to Japanese noodle culture.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Mark Wiens is in Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan.
2. Fukuoka is known as one of the capitals of ramen and noodles in Japan.
3. Mark Wiens is going on a noodle tour of Fukuoka, trying iconic tonkotsu Ramen, udon, and a dish called champagne.
4. Tonkotsu Ramen was invented in Fukuoka.
5. Hakata Ramen, also known as tonkotsu Ramen, is made with pork bones boiled for 15-20 hours to release their flavor potential.
6. Mark Wiens visits a legendary ramen shop called Hakuryuken, which has been around since 1952.
7. Hakuryuken is known for its handmade, homemade noodles.
8. Mark Wiens tries a bowl of Hakata-style udon at a restaurant, which is famous for its udon.
9. The udon broth is light, thin, and clear, and is made with a type of fish cake.
10. The restaurant offers a large size bowl of udon, which is huge and can be refilled as many times as you want after 2 pm.
11. Mark Wiens visits a temple that commemorates the master Shochi Kushi, who brought the recipe for sweet bean jelly, Manju, udon, and soba from China in 1241.
12. Mark Wiens tries a dish called champon, which includes noodles, a stir-fry of vegetables and meat, and a mountain of vegetables in your bowl.
13. The champon broth is thick and rich, and is made with pork bones.
14. The dish is served with a variety of seasonings, including a red golden sauce and chili flakes.
15. Mark Wiens completes his noodle tour of Fukuoka, visiting three different restaurants and trying various noodle dishes.