Located in the heart of Kitakyushu lies a little-known noodle soup shop that honors a beloved Dragon Ball character, the great Mr. Popo!
I had to do a double-take when I first gazed upon the turban-wearing black face that is Dragon Ball’s Mr. Popo staring back at me.
The fact that someone would base their entire restaurant business off of a Dragon Ball character (and a rather irrelevant character at that) to the point of naming the shop “Popo Niku Udon” was beyond me.
Regardless, as a huge Dragon Ball fan, I simply had to pay my respects to one of the most inspirational TV series that shaped my life and try some of Mr. Popo’s noodle soups!
A Dragon Ball reference?
There was no doubt about it. The face, the turban, the bright red lips, this beef udon shop was designed to honor Mr. Popo, one of Dragon Ball’s beloved supporting characters.
So, who exactly is Mr. Popo? That’s a bit of a loaded question, but he is essentially the assistant to the Earth’s guardian in the Dragon Ball series.
Mr. Popo plays a pivotal role in training and developing the show’s main protagonist Goku on his journey to collect the seven Dragon Balls and protect the world from powerful enemies.
Somewhat of a mysterious character, Mr. Popo’s character design seems to be based on a mixture of Arabian, African, and Indian cultures.
Don’t let his looks fool you though, Mr. Popo is one heck of a fighter! He certainly gave Goku a run for his money during their practice battles, and he also played an important role in developing the strength of Goku’s comrades, the Z-Fighters.
Traditional Udon Shop Setup
Popo Niku Udon is just a 5-minute walk from Kokura station, hidden behind a set of green curtains.
Other than the creepy black face of Mr. Popo staring back at you on every corner of the store, it was a relatively standard noodle shop setup.
A single row of chairs spread across a long table rests behind a set of curtains that provide a fair amount of privacy for customers.
On the table were cups, water jugs, utensils, and a whole range of condiments to have with your udon.
The back kitchen (which I failed to take a photo of), was concealed by a big black curtain with a huge photo of Mr. Popo’s infamous face displayed.
For those wondering, the Japanese text on the character’s turban read “Niku Udon Popo.”
An All-Japanese Menu
In line with the whole black theme of Popo Niku Udon, you’ll find the menus colored in a classy black shade with striking white Japanese text showing the menu items.
This is definitely one of those shops you should do prior preparation for before you head in, particularly if your Japanese is lackluster.
The menu is written in very traditional Japanese, to the point of using kanji characters even for the numbers!
There are really only two items to choose from as far as the udon dishes go; niku (beef) udon or kake (plain) udon.
Once you tell the owner which udon you’d like, tell them whether you want small, medium, or large. They’ll typically understand this part in English.
They may ask you if you want toppings. From my understanding of the menu, you can add extra meat, spring onions, or egg to your udon.
Some of the side menu items include onigiri (rice balls) and small or large rice bowls.
Delicious Popo Niku Udon Made Fresh!
And there you have it! In a few minutes, your Popo niku udon (or kake udon) will be ready to eat!
Collect your bowl from the raised counter space in front of you (be careful, it’s hot!) and enjoy this delicious savory soup with noodles and tender beef.
This large-size bowl of niku udon cost 1000 yen (7 USD) and was reasonably filling for me (which is impressive since I’m a big eater).
After finishing every drop of this delicious soup, I grabbed the owner’s attention with an “arigatou gozaimasu“ and handed over the cash.
On that note, I’d recommend bringing cash as it doesn’t seem like the type of shop that accepts card payment (feel free to ask though!).
Grab Your Popo Niku Udon Sticker!
Upon leaving, be sure to grab a Popo Niku Udon sticker as a piece of memorabilia for your time at this awesome udon shop in Kitakyushu!
As a laptop sticker enthusiast, Mr. Popo was a beautiful addition to my collection, now posing as a respected member of my Dragon Ball sticker team.
Now, I can always remember the delicious meal I had at Popo Niku Udon, no matter where I am in the big wide world!
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