卵入り / Tamago-iri / Kōyōkaku — Saga, Saga

Thick, highly emulsified Saga style pork bone tonkotsu soup. High-hydration noodles are medium-thin and straight, served slightly soft (as is customary with Saga ramen). Toppings include large pieces of thinly sliced pork chashu, raw egg, nori seaweed and negi. The raw egg yolk is meant to be broken midway through eating and used to dip the noodles into.

Kōyōkaku was founded in 1974 by master Satoru Kawakami, who trained at the legendary Saga ramen shop Ikkyuken (now closed). Kōyōkaku closed in 2008, only to reopen in a different location as a yakiniku bbq restaurant, run by Kawakami-san’s son-in-law (and second generation owner) Yoshida-san. Due to the overwhelming requests of the longtime loyal customers, Yoshida-san soon gave up the idea of yakiniku and went back to ramen, replicating the original menu. Today he runs the business together with his wife (Kawakami-san’s daughter). Open for lunch only, 11am-3pm. 32 seats. Since May 2008 @kouyoukaku_saga