What is it with the south and women? In the US, there are Southern Belles and in Japan, Hakata Bijin (博多美人). Hakata is a southern region of Japan. Bijin means beauty. This region is known for the beautiful women and…ramen.

I’m standing in front of the original Ippudo in Hakata, Fukuoka. The Kyushu area of Japan. The queue is short. The store front has character and I’m just… not hungry.

Those who know me, know I eat. I mean EAT. Like, what-the-fuck-you-are-unlady-like-you-put-Texans-to-shame type chowing down.

This isn’t really anything to brag about, but I’m rambling on, hoping my fingers channel some room in my stomach.

It’s not really working.

What am I doing anyway? I’m hanging out here to have a bowl of Ippudo ramen made at the mothership just so I can say: I ate the original you wanna be foodies ha ha ha.

That’s a bit lame. Which reminds me, I haven’t seen a Hakata Bijin yet. Hakata bijins are more interesting to me at the moment, so maybe I’ll just leave and go search for one.

Besides. There is an Ippudo across the street from my apartment in Tokyo and I rarely go. Afuri, known for their yuzu ramen and charred pork more aligns with my palate anyway.

I guess you can take a girl out of New York, but you can’t take the NY out of the girl. Because everyone I know in NY, is obsessed with this darn ramen.