For one-stop dining, head to Canal City Hakata (tel. 092/282-2525), a 10-minute walk west of Hakata Station or a 1-minute walk from Canal City Hakata-mae bus stop no. 4. You'll find dozens of restaurants in this shopping complex, situated around a canal and water fountains and offering everything from Chinese, Italian, and Japanese cuisine to fast food and bar snacks. On the fifth floor is Ramen Stadium 2, with eight ramen shops offering noodles, gyoza (dumplings), and other fare from different regions of Japan, including Tokyo, Sapporo, Kanagawa, Kyoto, Miyazaki, and Fukuoka. Pick your meal from the ticket vending machine outside each shop; there are photos of most selections, priced from ¥600 to ¥1,050. Like most restaurants in Canal City, they're open daily from 11am to 11:30pm.

For a bit more local flavor, head to one of Fukuoka's famous 200 yatai stalls (street-side food stalls). Most are located in Tenjin and along the Nakagawa River, on Nakasu Island south of Kokutai-Doro Avenue. Most stalls sell ramen, though some also serve oden, yakitori, tempura, and other simple fare. They're open daily from about 6pm to 2am. Many nighttime revelers stop here before or after a spin through the Nakasu entertainment district. Choose a stall and sit down, and you'll be served a steaming bowl of ramen, most of which average about ¥700.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.