Hyperlocal Tokyo

This is a restaurant specializing in "Himokawa Udon", a famous dish from Gunma Prefecture. The moment you put it in your mouth, you'll be amazed by its incredible deliciousness. It has been crowned the "Udon Champion" for three consecutive years in the "Udon National Championship." The 5cm wide noodles are chewy and smooth. Made with 100% domestic wheat, the flavor of the wheat becomes more and more delicious with each bite. Upon being seated, you are served tea, rice crackers, and rock candy. The tea, a black bean tea, is also incredibly delicious. It's great that refills are free. Established in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, in the mid-Meiji era, Tatebayashi is the birthplace of Nisshin Seifun (Nisshin Flour Milling). It is a land where a unique wheat culture has flourished. There are three stores in Gunma, as well as locations in Haneda and Nihonbashi. This Ginza store is always crowded with foreign tourists.

I arrived 40 minutes before opening on a weekday and was able to enter about an hour later. There were a lot of tourists, likely due to the inbound effect. Despite the intense sunshine that day, the long queue shows the restaurant's enduring popularity. I had decided on a cold, matsutake, and regular udon, so I chose the cold udon with grated radish and matsutake tempura. It arrived in about 10 minutes. The self-service style of adding broth is good. The tempura was crispy, the udon had a good chew, and the broth was flavorful. I understand why the zaru and oni-gama are popular, but the other options are also good. It's too hot to wait in line during the summer, so I'll come back when it's cooler.

A great place to enjoy authentic udon, if you don't mind the wait. I visited for lunch. I arrived an hour before opening, but unfortunately, I couldn't get into the first round and had to wait an additional 40 minutes to be seated. I chose the famous "Oni Kama" (Demon Pot), which has won the "Udon Tenkaichi Ketteisen" (Udon National Championship) three times in a row. The pot contains pork, kamaboko (fish cake), vegetables like green onions, and wide "himokawa" (ribbon-like) udon noodles. The broth is refined yet deeply flavorful. The pork is juicy and flavorful without any gaminess, adding a satisfying texture. The "himokawa" noodles, while noteworthy, lack a bit of impact. They have a strong chewiness, though not as much as Sanuki udon, and a smooth texture, but nothing particularly memorable. The tempura set includes: - Maitake mushrooms - Shrimp - Perilla leaves - Pumpkin It's a classic selection, with a nice crispy texture and a good volume for lunch. Overall, considering the wait time, the cost-performance is a bit on the lower side. The unique flavor of the udon is not strong enough to stand out among the many Ginza lunch options. However, the quality is excellent, so you can always count on a delicious meal. The hospitality is also fantastic. There's no arrogant service like you might find in an old-fashioned establishment. They even lent umbrellas to customers waiting in the rain. The communication is polite, and you're not rushed even after finishing your meal (though this is partly due to the long queue, I personally appreciate this approach). This is a restaurant I would always keep in mind if there wasn't a line. It's best to wait until the influx of tourists subsides.

A udon restaurant in Ginza. It's located a 2-3 minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station. It's one of the 100 Best Udon Restaurants in 2024. This restaurant serves "Oni-himokawa," a particularly wide type of "himokawa udon," a local specialty of Gunma Prefecture. I went there around 2:30 PM on a weekday and there was a line of about 20 people. I've been there on weekends, and the line was about twice as long as today. The wait was long, but I was able to get in after about 30 minutes. Most of the customers were tourists. Today, I ordered the following: ✔︎ Zaru Ni-mi (¥980) Instead of cold water, they serve cold black bean tea, which is great! It's so refreshing on a hot summer day. I drank it all down in one go, haha. The udon arrived in about 10 minutes. The noodles are incredibly unique. They're super wide, about 5 centimeters wide after being cooked. The "ni-mi" broth is a combination of soy sauce broth and sesame broth. I personally love the combination of the smooth, refreshing texture of the noodles and the chewy texture with the soy sauce broth. When I get tired of the soy sauce, I switch to the sesame broth for a change of flavor. The Ginza branch has such long lines, so I might try the Nihonbashi branch. It's the kind of udon you crave in the summer! Thank you for the meal!

Visited on July 2024. 'Godai-me Hanayama Udon Ginza', a udon restaurant known for its long lines, is located just a short walk from Higashi-Ginza Station. It's a long-established shop with its main store in Gunma Prefecture, dating back to the Meiji era. Their popular menu item is the 'Oni-Kama', a udon that has won three consecutive championships in a national udon competition. It's characterized by its wide, 5-centimeter-wide noodles called 'Oni-himo-kawa'. The udon was smooth and had a good chewiness. I visited for lunch on a weekday. I arrived at 10:00 (opening at 11:00) and there were 7 people in line. Note that there were over 30 people in line when the shop opened. I ordered the 'Oni-Kama' for 1250 yen. It was delicious! Thank you for the meal. It's a 3-minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station. It opened on October 9, 2016.