Tsurutontan in Ginza is an udon specialty restaurant on the 10th floor of the Tokyu Plaza Ginza mall. The udon is served in enormous bowls that are dramatic, especially if you pick up the bowl to drink the broth. It’s a lovely restaurant for both solo diners and groups. Check out the cool table I…
Category: udon
Nagoya Miso Nikomi Udon
The One of Nagoya’s local dishes is miso nikomi udon. This is the Nagoya kochin oyako version by Yamamotoya Sōhonke. Oyako means mother and child, so chicken and egg are together. The piping hot dish is served in a donabe earthenware pot. Thick udon noodles are al dente with leeks, enoki mushrooms, kamaboko fish cake,…
Kaneko Hannosuke
Fun lunch with udon and tempura at Kaneko Hannosuke, a popular tempura shop with several branches in Tokyo. My kid picked this lunch spot because he was excited for the condiments on the table: onsen super soft boiled egg wakamé tenkasu tempura bits tororo kombu shaved kelp mountain vegetables gobo burdock root and ginger pickles…
Tsurutontan
Carbonara udon at Tsurutontan at Haneda Airport, Terminal Three. Creamy soup topped with eggplant, fried lotus root, snap peas, scrambled eggs, egg yolk, chunks of bacon, and a generous shower of Parmesan cheese. Tsurutontan has branches in Tokyo including #Ginza. Diners can select from thick or thin (hosoi) handmade udon noodles. This massive bowl is…
Sato Yosuke
One of my go-to tips for finding restaurants in a new city in Japan is to go to the local department stores. In Akita city Seibu department store has one of my favorite udon restaurants, Sato Yosuke. The 8th-generation restaurant serves Inaniwa udon that is stretched out by hand. The noodles are silky and easy…
Chichibu Udon
We love day trips to Chichibu, Saitama. For the fresh air, walking through the historic part of town, and ending our day at the onsen hot springs at the station building. One of the main attractions is one of Japan’s oldest shrines, Chichibu Jinja, which is over 2,100 years old. Across the street from the…
Hoshino
The udon noodles at Hoshino in Nihonbashi are mocchiri chewy. The Sanuki style of handmade udon noodles is a popular lunch spot. I usually get chilled noodles with a splash of soy sauce or in a chilled dashi broth. The meal is rounded out with vegetable tempura – maitake mushrooms, onions, sweet potato, and Satsuma…
Jingoro
Local noodle shop for handmade udon and soba. This hearty serving of thick Musashino style udon and soba is less than $6. Jingoro 甚五郎 Tōkyō-to, Kokubunji-shi, Honchō 3-12-2 http://www.jingo6.com/sp/menu.html
Shinbashi Oniyanma Udon
Bowl of cold handmade udon noodles topped with tempura of chicken and chikuwa grilled fish cake at Shinbashi Oniyanma. Oniyanma is from Shikoku known for udon noodles. We’re lucky to have this in Tokyo. This casual tachigui stand-and-eat shop is near Shinbashi station. There is a vending machine in front of the shop. This is…
Avocado Udon at a Produce Shop
The avocado 🥑 udon 🍜 at Higashi-Ginza Daitsune. Daitsune is a produce shop, so expectations are high for good quality vegetables at this noodle shop on a quiet back street in Higashi-Ginza. Popular with local office workers it can get busy. There is a table out in front of the shop (or there was when…
What to Eat in Tokyo Now
Tokyo summers are hot, humid, and in my opinion, horrible. I don’t know about you, but my appetite wanes and some days it can be hard to get motivated to eat. Here are some things that I look forward to eating this time of year. In this list I am including some dishes or…
Shinbashi Tsurumaru Udon 新橋つるまる饂飩
Tsurumaru is a chain of udon restaurants that I love when I need to grab a quick bite. I find myself often going to the Shinbashi branch as they are open early in the morning, from 7 a.m. It’s a great spot for a quick meal anytime of the day. The flour for the udon…
Roppongi Tsurutontan Udon
In summer at home we often make chilled somen noodles, sometimes topped with tomatoes. It’s a breeze to whip together, especially if you have tsuyu, the soy-based sauce noodles. Udon specialty restaurant Tsurutonten in Roppongi has a chilled tomato udon that is served with tomato sorbet. This is a great dish on a hot summer day,…
Tsurumaru Udon in Toranomon つるまる饂飩 虎ノ門店
A hot bowl of thick and chewy flour udon noodles hits the spot any time of day. Starting the day with fast food udon is something I could get used to. Good thing there is not one of these shops in my neighborhood. The standard bowl of noodles with hot broth is only 262 JPY….
Nana Udon in Kokubunji 七うどん
A recent issue of Dancyu magazine featured the hot noodle of the moment, udon. Udon noodles are thick flour noodles. Restaurants are popping up around Tokyo and it’s not unusual to see long lines forming at lunchtime. Many of these shops have been around for a long time are seeing a new appreciation for these hearty noodles. In…
Sanukiya – Kaiseki Udonya and Saké
Tokyo is filled with a wide variety of izakaya, places with food and saké. Recently I got together with friends, two editors from a popular food magazine, DANCYU, and a famous saké and shōchū authority for a night out. I was told that we were going to Sanukiya in Kōenji. Sanuki is a region in Japan famous for…
Cheap Eats – Taniya Udon in Ningyocho 人形町の谷や
Udon is a dish we often eat at home for lunch. Udon noodles are sold in the supermarket as dried noodles that need to be boiled and rehydrated or fresh (and also frozen) that just needs to be blanched in hot water. While both of these versions are fine for a simple meal at home,…
Demystifying an Udon Menu
How do you like your noodles? Hot or cold? What temperature do you want the broth? Or, perhaps no broth at all? The texture of the noodle changes with the temperature. The umami changes depending on the type of broth or dipping sauce. While some connoisseurs may insist on only eating it a certain way,…
Ten Udon Shops in Tokyo
Udon noodles are everywhere I look. TV programs, food magazines, and newspapers are all covering the different types of udon noodles, ways of eating it, and where to go in Tokyo. My fall back restaurant has always been the chain store Hanamaru. Mainly because it was close to where I was working, it’s cheap, and…
Food Sake Tokyo 