The hot summer vacation is still ongoing. Recently, the piercing sunlight has disappeared, leaving just a feeling of heat. Today, I dropped off my daughter and then walked two laps around Oizumi Park before heading towards Abiko from Toli Ono, where I discovered this place. It's a restaurant where I often visit. The exterior is flashy, and the interior is just as flashy. I arrived around 12:30 and was able to get a seat without having to share with others. The menu I chose was the Tendon Bukkake Reimen (750 yen). They kindly provided cold barley tea on the table, which was appreciated. However, the lack of wet towels or tissues was a downside. The dish arrived in about 7 minutes and looked delicious with various ingredients besides the tempura. I also got a small onigiri as a service. The udon noodles were thin and lacked firmness, but they were chewy. The tempura was freshly fried and tasty. The grated radish was spicy, adding a nice touch. The elderly couple running the place seemed to be working hard, and their humble service seemed to be loved by regular customers. It was a satisfying meal.

I went to a udon restaurant in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. The menu includes chicken tempura udon, which is chewy with a good texture and delicious. The broth is slightly sweet and rich, with a refreshing aftertaste that you can drink as is. When you crush the egg, it becomes milder and delicious. The crunchy vegetables add a nice accent. The onigiri (rice balls) are large and you get two for 100 yen, which is a good deal. You can also order just one onigiri. The chicken tempura is crispy and juicy, and delicious. The restaurant has a nostalgic feel, like an old-fashioned udon shop. It's a comfortable place to eat slowly. The menu is varied, making it hard to choose what to order. They also have a good selection of set meals. The owners are very polite and have a relaxed vibe, which is nice. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is nostalgic, like stepping back in time to the Showa era. If this place was near my home, I would definitely be a regular customer. I will definitely visit again.

I tried a slightly different udon in Abiko. The location of the restaurant is around halfway between Abikocho Station and Sawanomachi. The exterior looks like a tobacco shop and doesn't really feel like a food and beverage establishment. Inside the shop, there are many cat photos. Maybe the owner is a cat lover. It's quite a unique atmosphere in the shop. Speaking of unique, the menu is also quite distinctive, with a different type of udon available. Yes, grated tonkatsu udon! I ordered the same menu to the staff, wondering if udon and tonkatsu go well together. When the grated tonkatsu udon arrived after a while, it's basically udon with grated tonkatsu on top. Well, that's just the simple description, so let me tell you more about the taste. It's a light and refreshing dish with grated tonkatsu, but because it's tonkatsu, it does have some oil. However, the oil and udon actually go quite well together, making it delicious. Come to think of it, tempura udon also has fried food on top of udon, so fried food and udon are not a bad combination. I slurped the udon, savored the tonkatsu, and slurped the udon again. I finished it in no time. The udon was even more delicious than I imagined. If you have the chance, please try it out. I will definitely go there again.

I happened to stop by this restaurant on my way back from the nearby government office. Inside the shop, there were a lot of cat photos on the wall, showing that the owner is a big cat lover. Putting that aside, I opened the menu and found some unique dishes (see the restaurant's sign image). Without hesitation, I ordered the zaru soba set. The set included zaru soba and a regular-sized tamadon. In about 10 minutes, the zaru soba and the tamadon arrived. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the tamadon, as I was expecting a smaller portion in a set. The flavors were light and I enjoyed every bite without getting tired of it. Since this shop is conveniently located along a road I often pass by, I plan to visit again and try one of their katsu dishes next time. The atmosphere of the shop was nice, and the hostess was very polite and welcoming.