About food in Japan

Where to enjoy Udon in a casual way

Following the fist post of  Udon (Japanese traditional wheat flour noodle) series, today we introduce  one of the most casual way to enjoy the noodle in Tokyo and other parts of Japan.

Since several years ago, we see more and more self-service style Udon restaurants in Tokyo and surrounding area. The traditional noodle has good taste but it does not look so cool at least for us, Japanese locals to be honest. Especially Japanese ladies and girls were likely to choose Italian pasta for their lunch rather than Udon.

However the situation might be changed a bit by the emerging self-service Udon restaurants. Two major chains for the restaurant category are called “Marugame Seimen (丸亀製麺)” and “Hanamaru Udon (はなまる　うどん)”. Ordinary Udon and also Soba restaurants are small family-owned, table service restaurants, while the new type of Udon restaurants are in self-service style, offer more seats and at reasonable prices. For any kind of people from young to old, non-Japanese speakers, these casual restaurants will be a comfortable dining choice at very reasonable expenses. You could find units by not only those two major chains, Marugame Seimen and Hanamaru, but also other brands’ in town.

The operation system at such self-service Udon restaurants are unique. No table service as we told and it may be more similar to food-court style.

First, check the menu and decide what you want to order. In many cases, you will find a poster or menu board with photos and prices for each. Then go to the counter and tell a chef cooking Udon noodle. Normally he/she is ready to listen to you.

You will get your ordered bowl of Udon in a few minutes. After that, proceed the way following the counter. If you would, you can add some pieces of tempura as a side dish.

 

 

 

 

 

At the end, you will encounter a staff with a cash register, it is where you pay the bill. Usually it is around Yen 500 per person including one or two pieces of tempura, depending on what you take.

It is the moment when we recognize the value of this kind of casual Udon  restaurants. Nice and healthy Udon lunch or dinner set is available at Yen 500!! That’s why these Udon restaurants become so popular among locals. Now we have more opportunities to enjoy Udon noodle than before.

Once you make a payment, take a pair of chopsticks, a cup of tea and add some condiment (shredded leek, sesame powder, hot chili powder for example) there then take a seat for enjoying your meal, all as you like.

Marugame Seimen also explains the system in English on its website. To access the page, please click here.

 

The self-service style comes from Sanuki(讃岐) area, Kagawa prefecture, the most famous Udon producing area. So majority of Udon menu are also following the region’s style, Udon noodle with thick sauce instead of full-bowl of soup.

 

Here we have some different versions examples, depending on the restaurants and season.

 

Mentaiko(hot cod roe) and butter at Seto Udon (before and after mixed)

It’s rate to find Udon noodle with a piece of butter.

  

 

Niku (some pieces of beef) Udon at Marugame Seimen

 

 

Self-service Udon restaurants at major locations, for example:

Marugame Seimen in Hibiya (near Imperial Palace)

Address: B1 floor Teigeki Building, 3-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

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Marugame Seimen in Shinjuku

Address: B1 floor Shinjuku Mitsui Building, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

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Hanamaru Udon in Ueno (brand new! Will be open from 10^th January 2014.)

Address: 2^nd floor Ueno Center Mall 4-7-2 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo

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Hanamaru Udon in Shibuya

Address: B1 floor Shibuya Homes Build., 2-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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Seto Udon in Shinagawa

Address: 1^st floor Keikyu Dai2 Build., 3-25-23 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

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Udon (うどん), Japanese traditional wheat noodle

During this Winter holiday season, we would like to cover some Japanese restaurants where good “Udon(うどん)” noodle is served.

 

 

 

First of all, let’s review what is “Udon” noodle with our past posts as introduction.Udon noodle is a major kind of Japanese traditional noodle along with Soba (そば).

Ingredient:

The biggest difference between Udon and Soba is ingredient of noodle. Udon noodle is made of wheat flour, on the other hand, soba is of buckwheat.

Look:

Color, because of the difference in ingredient, Udon noodle is in white color, while Soba is darker and looks in gray

Size of noodle or diameter, if we compare them with Italian pasta spaghetti that many of you know, Udon has larger diameter than spaghetti does. Soba has smaller than or almost similar size with the Italian noodle.

Taste, soba has a bit stronger buckwheat flavor, while Udon made of wheat flour has less grain taste but more chewy texture partly because of the larger size.

Soup for these noodle is not so different. Some restaurants offer a diner the choice of noodle either Udon or Soba for same kind of soup.

Well, Udon as well as Soba noodles can be seen across Japan and they have slightly different versions by regions in term of noodle diameter, soup and typical accompanying ingredients.

 

Secondly please let us show you some typical menu vocabulary for Udon.

Kake(かけ) – very simple, only noodle and soup, no other ingredient or condiment. So this menu must be the least expensive normally.

Zaru(ざる) – "Zaru" represents “basket”. Noodle will be served on a basket or flat net with a cup of dipping sauce separately. It is popular especially in Summer. In that case, noodle is likely to be made cool by cold water after it is cooked.

Kama-age(釜揚げ) – It takes a different way in finishing and serving. Noodle is moved to a bowl directly from cooked pot (Kama). A typical process to wash noodle with running water is not taken for Kama-age. Also it is served with special thick sauce instead of full bowl of soup.

Tanuki(たぬき) – The name comes from animal Japanese “raccoon”. In Tokyo and surrounding area, it is noodle with tiny pieces of tempura batter.

Kitsune(きつね) – It’s relative of Tanuki. Kitsune means “fox”. Kitsune Udon has “abura-age”(deep fried tofu or bean curd) on top of the noodle bowl.

Tsukimi(月見) – This name comes from the look. It is more convincing name compared with Tanuki and Kitsune. Tsukimi, “Moon-watching” includes raw egg on top of Udon bowl. The yolk looks like the Moon.

Kakiage(かき揚げ) – A piece of mixed Tempura, called Kakiage, is on top of the noodle. Please check our post to know more about Kakiage from here.

Curry(カレー) － Japanese style curry sauce is added to noodle soup

We should talk about “Japanese style” curry too some days! It’s a bit different from ones in India or Thailand. It is sweeter actually and quite popular menu for kids in Japan.

 

We have more and more versions of Udon soup and ingredients. But that’s all for today unfortunately. We will keep introducing them time by time, even after this series of posts.

 

3 largest or best Udon producing area in Japan

For the first two, everyone agree maybe. For the third one, it is controversial and many people raise different brand areas. It’s only on our opinion.

Samuki Udon (讃岐うどん) in Kagawa prefecture, Shikoku. Definitely it is the most popular area for Udon noodle.

Inaniwa Udon (稲庭うどん) is also one of the regions known for Udon noodle. It is in Akita, Tohoku region.

Kishimen　(きしめん) is the specialty of Nagoya. Unlike ordinary Udon, the noodle is flat and looks like “fettechine” in Italy.

 

Before we introduce some nice Udon noodle restaurants in Tokyo as a series of posts, here is the list of our past posts which cover Udon noodle.

 

Udon (うどん) - Tsurutontan, Roppongi (つるとんたん, 六本木)

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2012/08/udon-tsurutontan-roppongi.html

This is one of the best place to enjoy Udon. It offers many different versions including some modern and international for the traditional noodle in a big bowl. The location in Roppongi is also convenient and easy for international tourists.

 

Hokusai (北斎), Japanese restaurant in Tokyo Disneyland

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2013/03/hokusai-japanese-restaurant-in-tokyo-disneyland.html

Udon is available even at a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo Disneyland! Served with a piece of carrot in Mickey shape.

 

Discover life of Japanese in good old days at Open Air Architectural Museum

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2013/06/discover-life-of-japanese-in-good-old-days-at-open-air-architectural-museum-.html

We introduced the local style in Musashino, outskirt of Tokyo.