A note on the words: Hakata-style udon is prized for its thick, remarkably soft wheat noodles that yield easily with every bite, served in a delicate, golden dashi (kelp-based broth). Gobo-ten is burdock root tempura cut into strips and fried crisp, meant to be left in the hot broth until its batter turns wonderfully soft. Maruten is a flat, circular deep-fried fish cake that soaks up the broth, springier than steamed kamaboko but softer than tube-shaped chikuwa, and shichimi is the seven-spice chili blend kept on tables for seasoning.
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Daifuku Udon 1 bangai ten on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
To everyone in Kyushu, thanks for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi!
Back in Kyushu after a while! I flew into Fukuoka for an errand, and once I arrived at Hakata Station, I needed a bite to eat. It was early morning, but when I searched for somewhere open, an udon shop popped up right nearby: Daifuku Udon! It is wonderful to find a spot open for breakfast!
For someone unfamiliar with the layout of Hakata Station, getting there was quite a challenge, ha! It is hard to tell what connects where. I can finally understand how people from out of town feel when getting lost in Shinjuku or Shibuya Station, ha. Somehow I made my way there and stepped inside!
You order using the touch panel on the table.
First off, a toast to safe arrival!
A morning highball feels wonderfully sinful, ha!
Looking back, maybe this was a bit too hearty for breakfast, ha!
I couldn’t choose between gobo-ten (burdock root tempura) and maruten (a round deep-fried fish cake), so I went with the luxurious option of getting both. The menu even marked it as a classic, so clearly I am not the only one who can’t choose, ha.
The dashi (kelp-based broth) is light-colored and kelp-forward. Clear and gentle, it is the kind of broth you could easily drink down to the very last drop — completely different from Tokyo udon! In Hakata style, I am told, the gobo-ten is meant to soak up the broth, and the real magic happens once the batter begins to soften. Letting it sit for a bit before taking a bite makes the broth-soaked batter wonderfully flavorful. Maruten is a deep-fried patty of minced fish paste, with an elasticity somewhere between kamaboko and chikuwa, ha. It drinks up the dashi beautifully as well, making it delicious!
The noodles are thick and characteristically soft; they require practically no effort to chew! Green onions and shichimi (seven-spice pepper) on the table are free to add as much as you like!
This is the plain gobo-ten udon. People who can actually make up their minds are admirable!
My very first Hakata meal after touching down was udon!
The last time I came to Hakata I had udon too, and that combination of soft noodles and a clear, soothing broth makes for an exceptionally restorative hangover meal. People say folks in Kyushu hold their liquor well, but maybe udon has something to do with that! I wish we had something like this in Tokyo. It was delicious!
Here’s to hoping for more delicious finds today!
Daifuku Udon Hakata Station Menu
Breakfast
Served 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM. During these hours, udon, soba, rice bowls, and set meals can still be ordered as usual.
Rice, miso soup, raw egg, side dish, pickles, and pickled mustard greens (takana)
Grilled mackerel, rolled omelet (dashimaki tamago), rice, miso soup, side dish, and pickles
Grilled salmon, rice, miso soup, side dish, and pickles
Breakfast set add-ons: mentaiko 180 yen / natto 160 yen / grated daikon 160 yen / rolled omelet 140 yen / egg 140 yen / nori 110 yen
A la carte udon
From the tabletop tablet under ‘A la carte udon’. Soba can also be selected for the same items.
Tabletop green onions are all-you-can-add. Order from the tabletop tablet.
Recommended rice bowls & set meals
From the storefront ‘Recommended Menu’ banner. Combos mainly pair a choice of udon or zaru soba (chilled buckwheat noodles).
Katsudon (pork cutlet bowl) and clear soup
Udon, mountain vegetable rice, rolled omelet, and pickles
Udon and mini tentojidon (tempura with simmered egg over rice)
Zaru soba and mini tentojidon
Udon and mini katsudon
Zaru soba and mini katsudon
Bukkake udon and mini beef bowl
Zaru soba and mini tendon (tempura bowl)
Bukkake udon and mini yokubari bowl (combo bowl)
Zaru soba and assorted tempura
* From storefront menu during an August 2026 visit. Prices include tax; offerings change seasonally. Please check the official website or in-store for the latest information.
Daifuku Udon 1 bangai ten (Udon (Wheat noodles) / Hakata Station, Gion Station, Kushida-jinja-mae Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
