Hyperlocal Tokyo

I visited for lunch on a weekday. This popular udon shop is open only for lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, making it quite difficult to visit. The menu features a basic selection of seven types of udon. You can also choose from various toppings and daily tempura options. This time, I ordered the shoyu udon set, which allows you to enjoy two different types of udon. I chose a small shoyu udon and a hiyaatsu udon. I also added a mini chikuwa and kombu tempura. The thick, hand-made Sanuki udon noodles are incredibly chewy and have a strong bite, making them very satisfying to eat. The warm shoyu udon is comforting, and adding a touch of yuzu juice adds a refreshing twist, changing the flavor profile. It's definitely worth the wait!

I had been wanting to try this udon restaurant. I visited on a Friday afternoon around 2 pm. There was a line outside, with about 7 people in front of me, but I was able to get in after about 10 minutes. The udon noodles were firm. They had a great springiness and were very chewy. The noodles had a slight bite to them, which I liked. It was the type of udon I enjoy. I've never really liked udon with just soy sauce before, but this udon had a touch of yuzu juice, which made it very easy to eat. The cold broth had a light, fragrant aroma of kombu, and it was so delicious that I drank every last drop. The edges of the noodles were especially good! The tempura had a light batter and was incredibly delicious. It didn't overpower the udon at all. It was a delicious meal. I'll definitely come back again if I have time on a weekday afternoon.

I visited on a weekday at 12:40 PM. The official opening time is 1:00 PM, but I knew they sometimes opened a bit early, so I arrived before 1:00 PM. However, the shop was already full of customers, and there were four people in line ahead of me. Just 15 seconds before I arrived, I saw three people who had arrived early enter the shop. I felt a pang of regret, thinking I should have left 20 seconds earlier. Within three minutes, about five people had joined the line behind me. It seems that to avoid waiting in line at a shop that opens at 1:00 PM, you need to arrive by 12:30 PM. After waiting for about 10 minutes, I was finally able to enter. There were seven counter seats and three tables for two. I was seated at the counter. Here's what I ordered: * Cold Buっかけ Udon (large) @ ¥800 (small is ¥600) * Mini Chikuwa Konbu Tempura @ ¥150 * Ika Tempura @ ¥200 The udon was thick and chewy. I've only seen thicker udon at Yoshida Udon in the Fuji Mountain area. However, compared to Yoshida Udon, this udon had a sweetness like delicious rice, and I found it much tastier. The broth was flavorful, with a good balance of soy sauce and acidity. The seaweed was also very delicious and a nice accent. I also added a little bit of yuzu juice. It had a wonderful aroma. The tangy, flavor-changing broth was still delicious. The Ika tempura was perfectly salted, soft, and delicious. The chikuwa and konbu were also good, but the konbu was especially delicious. The broth they soaked the tempura in before frying must have been delicious. The total bill was ¥1,150. It was a very satisfying udon and tempura experience. When I left around 1:15 PM, there were eight people waiting to enter. They might have been the ones who arrived around the official opening time of 1:00 PM. It was a delicious meal. Thank you.

A five-minute walk from Kinshicho Station reveals a line that stretches out for a shop that only operates for two hours a day, three days a week. Their handmade noodles, crafted with carefully selected wheat from Kagawa Prefecture and the pristine spring water from Chichibu Okutama, renowned for its use in premium sake brewing, boast some of the strongest textures in Tokyo. To fully savor the delicious noodles, order: ☑︎ Shoyu Udon Set ¥900 (Small Shoyu Udon + Small Hiyahiya Udon) ☑︎ Chikuwa & Jumbo In-gen ¥150 The udon immersed in the cold broth infused with bonito flakes is a masterpiece, as is the shoyu udon enjoyed with yuzu juice and soy sauce. It's also a delight that they always serve their tempura freshly fried. Despite the long lines and limited three-day operation, this is a legendary Sanuki udon shop, arguably the best in Tokyo (in terms of both taste and accessibility). It's definitely worth the wait. Highly recommended.

**[Restaurant Name]** is a specialty Sanuki udon shop that is only open from 13:00 to 15:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It is closed on irregular days depending on the owner's health. If it's open, there will be a line, so it's best for a weekend visit. Cash only. The udon here has a great texture, firmness, and saltiness, making it incredibly satisfying. Aside from hobbyists, this is the best place to find delicious udon in the area. They rarely operate, but when they do, they offer delicious udon at affordable prices. Upon entering, you'll be directed to your seat after being instructed to sanitize your hands with the hand sanitizer located on the left. Water is self-service, and you can order beer and sake even during the day. The condiment area is located in front of the water dispenser, offering a wide variety of options: fried tempura scraps, matcha salt, plum salt, yuzu salt, wasabi salt, seasoned bonito flakes, tonkatsu sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and medium-thick sauce. Chopsticks and toothpicks are provided on the table. Tabletop spices include sesame seeds, soy sauce, salt, and chili pepper, which you grind yourself. Tissues are located somewhere on the wall or on the handwashing counter in front of the restroom. The restroom is located at the back of the store and is shared by both genders. It has a heated toilet seat with a bidet. **[Date]** - I went to see if they were open for lunch for the [number]th time (I've been turned away three times before). Arriving at 13:50 with two people, we found a line of 10 people outside. We were seated after waiting for about 30 minutes. The tempura options for the day were chikuwa & konbu, spring onion, eggplant, and fox-shaped croquette for 150 yen each, and squid for 200 yen. The chikuwa & konbu was sold out, so we ordered the other four. We also ordered a soy sauce udon set with both cold and hot udon, a side of pickled radish and grated yam, one bottle of sake, and one can of beer. We also ordered a small portion of hot udon and a small portion of udon with hot water for dipping, along with another can of beer. The total came to 4950 yen. My companion and I have different tastes, so I recommend trying various dishes. The popular chicken tempura, with its skin, wasn't my favorite. Out of what we had today, the fox-shaped croquette was the best, but if you're dipping it in hot broth, the spring onion tempura is the best choice. We each had three bowls of udon, so we were bursting with fullness, but it was so delicious that we were very satisfied. When we left around 15:00, there were 2-3 people waiting outside, and the sign said they were preparing to close. Next time, I want to try the chikuwa and konbu tempura again. If the season is right, I'd also like to try the maitake tempura. I think the soy sauce udon and cold udon set, or even just the cold udon, would be good, but the spicy radish is a must-have for everyone. My companion said they liked the hot and cold udon with soy sauce, and their favorite toppings were the spring onion tempura and the fox-shaped croquette. **[Date]** - Lunch visit [number]th time. **[Date]** - Lunch visit [number]th time. We arrived before 1:00 PM and there was a line of 8 people in front of the store. We ordered chicken tempura, squid tempura, pumpkin tempura, shiitake tempura, two spicy radishes, grated yam appetizer, one can of beer, three bottles of sake, a small portion of hot and cold udon, a soy sauce udon set with cold udon, and finally, a joren udon. The total for two people was 5150 yen. The broth for the joren udon was a bit bland, but the udon was still delicious as always. The chicken tempura was different from what I remember from 8 years ago. It was like a light and crispy fried chicken, and it was delicious. The L-shaped seats on the left side of the entrance are good because they're close to the self-service water dispenser and easy to reach the tissues. However, for some reason, it was stuffy and hot today. Also, the cold udon, spicy radish, and grated yam weren't as cold as usual. Maybe it was because of the heat. When we left around 2:00 PM, there was still a line of 8 people outside. They have umbrellas for heatstroke prevention, so you should definitely use them while waiting in line.