Hakata: A must-try Shrimp kakiage udon and kashiwa gohan at Hagakure Udon (葉隠うどん) in Fukuoka

Hagakure udon (葉隠うどん) has always been a place I longed to visit, and finally, I made it! I stopped by Hakata on my way to Saga from Nagoya, and it was all for Hagakure! Just for Hagakure!

I arrived at Fukuoka Airport about an hour before closing time. I almost gave up, but I went straight to the restaurant. I made it! About 20 people followed in after me—wow! The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere. There are mainly counter seats, but they also have a tatami area. I could see the chefs preparing the udon right in front of me along the counter.

Here’s the menu. The basic kake udon is only ¥400! They also offer menus in English and Chinese.

I ordered shrimp kakiage udon and kashiwa gohan (chicken rice).

First, the udon: It came with three small shrimps, complete with heads and tails. By the time the bowl was served, the soup had already soaked into the kakiage, softening it, and I loved that. It also had a generous amount of green onions. The portion of udon wasn’t too big, but if you’re hungry, you can order a larger portion. However, I recommend having a second helping of udon! 💜

The udon is flat and incredibly soft. Ah, I love this udon! Despite being very soft, it still had a delightful springy texture. I’ve never had udon like this before! The soup was light yet full of flavor from the kombu seaweed and dried bonito.

Next, kashiwa gohan. “Kashiwa” means chicken, so this is chicken rice. It also includes vegetables like carrots and bamboo shoots. It was really good! The flavor was rich, with plenty of extracts from the dried bonito, kombu seaweed, chicken, and vegetables. While eating, an idea struck me💡