Fukuoka's most important food export is Hakata ramen, the tonkotsu pork-bone style with a rich, cloudy white broth, thin straight noodles, and a customary kaedama (free noodle refill in the same bowl when you finish your noodles). The city has dozens of specialist ramen shops ranging from the famous chain Ichiran (which offers solo dining booths) to tiny counter restaurants where the bowl is excellent and the décor is minimal. The Nakasu and Tenjin areas have the highest concentration of quality ramen, and the ramen stadium in Canal City Hakata offers a convenient comparison of regional styles.
Beyond ramen, the yatai — Fukuoka's distinctive outdoor food stalls — are the most characterful eating option. Around a hundred operate in the evenings along the Naka River banks and in the Tenjin and Nakasu areas. They serve a short menu of ramen, oden, grilled chicken skewers, and sake at counter seats shared with strangers. The experience is informal and not especially cheap for what you get, but the social atmosphere is unlike anything else in Japanese food culture. Arrive after 7pm and expect to stand in line on weekends.
Fukuoka has a strong connection to Korean food due to the ferry link to Busan, and Korean-Japanese fusion cuisine (Korean barbecue, sundubu jjigae) is easier to find here than in most Japanese cities. The Hakata district around Kushida Shrine has a good concentration of izakayas serving Kyushu-style cuisine, which leans heavily on local pork, fresh seafood from Hakata Bay, and the region's sake and shochu.