This time, I visited a rare soy sauce-based Sanuki udon restaurant that opened in Nakano in January 2021. The location is a 3-minute walk from Nakano Station North Exit on the JR Chuo Line, Sobu Line, and Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. The business hours are from 7:00 in the morning to 23:00 at night, with continuous operation. They are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 23:00, and they have no regular holidays, operating even on Sundays and holidays. I went alone around 4:30 pm. There is a ticket machine at the entrance where you can place your order. I ordered the soy sauce udon with chicken tempura and fish tempura (750 yen). There are only 11 counter seats in the restaurant, and I sat in the second or third seat from the front. You can choose between hot and cold udon, and I chose the cold soy sauce udon. There was only one male staff member working at the time (around 4 pm). I waited for about 5 minutes. The cold soy sauce udon with chicken tempura and fish tempura was served. The fish tempura that day was horse mackerel tempura. The udon looked delicious with a firm texture. You eat it by pouring either dashi soy sauce or rich soy sauce over the udon with some green onions. The taste was delicious. The udon had a strong texture that was slightly addictive and tasty. Both the dashi soy sauce and rich soy sauce were delicious, but personally, I preferred the rich soy sauce. It was a simple dish that allowed you to appreciate the quality of the udon noodles. Both the chicken tempura and horse mackerel tempura were delicious. The soy sauce udon was delicious. Thank you for the meal. I will visit again if I have the chance.

At the north exit of Nakano Station, there is a udon restaurant called Arashi in the arcade street Sun Mall. They offer authentic udon for only 500 yen during weekday mornings (7:00 AM - 11:00 AM). The toppings include half bamboo shoot, grated daikon radish, fresh seaweed, fish cake, and green onions. You can choose between soy sauce or dipping sauce, and hot or cold udon. The self-service water station makes it convenient and hygienic. The udon is made fresh and served quickly, with a flavorful broth and chewy noodles. I tried the cold dipping udon this time and it was delicious. I will definitely come back to try the hot udon next time.

Located a 3-minute walk from Nakano Station North Exit in Tokyo, Udon Arashi offers a daily special large serving for 880 yen. The udon restaurant opened two years ago in the former location of Hakata Furyu in Nakano Sun Mall. Upon arrival at 1:30 pm, there were 4 customers ahead and 5 customers behind. I used the ticket machine inside the restaurant and received my udon and tempura in separate dishes within about 10 minutes. The tempura included chicken and scallops. The noodles were topped with raw egg, seaweed, and green onions. Mixing the noodles with the raw egg, I found the flavor to be a bit bland. There were dipping sauces provided on the table, so I added my own seasoning. The noodles had a good texture due to being served cold, but the flavor of the dipping sauces was average. The tempura was freshly fried but didn't have any standout characteristics. I added some tempura flakes and ginger halfway through and finished the meal. Overall, I visited this restaurant only once since it opened, and I didn't find anything particularly appealing. Nonetheless, it was a decent meal.

On a regular morning, while walking through the arcade street called Sanmall at the north exit of Nakano Station, I noticed a white sign for a udon restaurant that was open for business. The restaurant had a nice appearance, so I decided to go in. Inside, I saw a ticket machine offering a weekday morning udon set for 500 yen, which included kamaboko, grated daikon radish, seaweed, green onions, and fish cake tempura. I selected the cold udon with soy sauce broth and took a seat at the counter. The udon noodles were firm and had a good texture, and they were served with thick slices of fresh seaweed and half-sized fish cake tempura. The grated daikon radish added a refreshing touch to the dish. Overall, the meal was delicious and worth the price. I look forward to trying other menu items at this restaurant in the near future.

It's hot, so I had udon noodles. The restaurant only has counter seats, like a ramen shop. I ordered kake cold fish tempura and chicken tempura. The fish tempura changes daily, and this time it was yellowtail. It was my first time trying yellowtail tempura. The taste was as expected for fish tempura. The chicken tempura was moist. The broth for the kake udon seemed to be based on dried fish. It had a high-quality taste without any bitterness. The standout was the udon noodles. When you chew them, they have a smooth texture that unravels. With udon of this quality, even a simple soy sauce udon would be satisfying. Thank you for the meal.

Counter seating only in the restaurant. The open door gives a liberating vibe, but it also makes the place feel cold and not very conducive to a relaxing meal. The partitions for COVID-19 precautions make the personal space quite cramped. Self-service water in paper cups felt cheap. The service was lackluster, so don't expect much. I ordered the recommended Soy Sauce Udon with Chicken Tempura & Fish Tempura (790 yen). It was served cold for the summer. You pour the "dashi soy sauce" on the udon yourself. The udon had a good firm texture, slightly on the harder side. It was refreshing for the summer. The tempura, both chicken and fish, were delicious, especially the fish tempura which felt fresh and unique for an udon place. The tempura overshadowed the udon. The price of 790 yen with tempura felt reasonable, but the portion was a bit light. It could suffice for one meal, but not very filling. It might be good for when you're craving simple udon.

Nakano Kita-guchi. I rushed to have lunch in 30 minutes before the meeting time. I entered a udon shop located in the middle of the arcade. It was a bit more expensive than I had imagined, but it seemed to have some special features. The daily special was udon with fish tempura and chicken tempura in soy sauce. The udon had a nice texture and the freshly fried tempura was very delicious and satisfying, but if it were just 100 yen cheaper... Well, that's why Japan's wage levels are not catching up with the rest of the world...

The udon noodles may have gone up in price. The cold udon had a generous portion and left me feeling full. The tempura was freshly fried and really delicious. The horse mackerel was also good, and the chicken tempura, despite being breast meat, wasn't dry at all! Among the chicken tempura at udon shops, this one is definitely top-tier. I was more impressed by the tempura than the udon.

I visited before 12 o'clock on Saturday. I had to wait a little, but I was seated soon. The sudachi udon had a nice aroma and the noodles were chewy and delicious. It was refreshing and perfect for summer. It's also great that you can eat it for around 600 yen. Thank you for the meal.

This is an udon restaurant located in Nakano Sun Mall. It seems to be quite popular but the turnover is fast so there is no long wait. I bought the Tororo Udon from the ticket machine, which had firm noodles with a refreshing yet flavorful broth. It's a satisfying and casual dining experience.

There is an udon restaurant about a 5-minute walk from Nakano Station. When I tried to order the signature kakesu daichi oroshi, they were out of daichi. I changed it to mentaiko and added a chicken tempura. The udon had a good texture and was delicious. The chicken tempura was also delicious and piping hot. The total price for this meal was 590 yen, which is fairly cheap, right? They were out of daichi, so they gave me chiku tempura as a service. Thanks.

I found out that they started opening from 7 am, so I decided to stop by right away. I arrived at 7:10 am, but there were no other customers yet. They offer a ¥500 limited breakfast menu until 11 am, with a choice of bukkake shoyu or hiyashi (cold) udon. Today, I chose the hiyashi udon. The tempura half of chikuwa and grated daikon are served separately. I enjoyed the chikuwa tempura with dashi soy sauce. They also provide crispy fried tempura bits on the table to sprinkle on the udon. It was delicious, and the portion of udon was satisfying, just like the regular menu.

Today, I was in the mood for udon and stopped by this place located in the middle of Nakano Sun Mall. I had chicken tempura and fish tempura. Chicken thigh tempura and horse mackerel tempura, no, it was mackerel. As you get older, you tend to forget things. The tempura is served separately so you can enjoy it in various ways. I sprinkled some salt on top from the table seasoning. Thank you for the meal.

I came to Nakano after a long time and found a new restaurant. I was looking for a place to eat cold ramen and stumbled upon this place. It was located in the middle of the shopping street. There were only a few recommended udon dishes displayed vertically outside the restaurant, so I checked on Tabelog to see what else they had. However, I decided to go for the daily special on the ticket machine at the entrance, which was "buri tempura, tori tempura, cold soy sauce udon with raw egg" for ¥750, which was quite a good deal. I sat at the counter and my food arrived in about 4 minutes. The tempura was served separately. The udon noodles were firm rather than chewy. There were two types of sauce on the table, one was a light soy sauce and the other was a rich soy sauce, I think. The light soy sauce was a bit thin, so I added it gradually while eating. Buri tempura is quite rare and it tasted like real buri. The tori tempura was also delicious. This time I had cold noodles, so next time I would like to try the hot udon with dashi.

Today, there was an unusually heavy rain, with rainwater flowing inside Nakano Sun Mall to the point where I didn't feel like going outside the arcade. I decided to have a meal inside the Sun Mall. The chicken tempura was made with chicken, but I was a bit embarrassed because I didn't know what kind of fish was used in the fish tempura. However, since it was a separate dish, I tried it with salt and it was delicious. I wonder if I'll be able to tell what kind of fish it is if I try it again.

Cold udon with raw seaweed and half-boiled egg. Let's have dinner early. It was not crowded today, unlike during lunchtime. I tried out a udon restaurant that I was curious about. The udon noodles had a strong chewy texture, which I enjoyed. The broth was slightly on the richer side compared to Oyakata. The seaweed added a nice touch, but a bit more would have been even better. The half-boiled egg was cooked quite well, maybe a bit softer would be nicer, almost like a flavored egg. The quality of the udon was good, making it a place to savor udon noodles.

The sunlight suddenly became stronger on a hot Tuesday, as I walked around the area near Nakano Station for business. For lunch that day, I visited a shop in Sun Mall connected to Nakano Station. In an effort to cool down a bit, I quickly purchased a ticket for cold udon without hesitation. - 'Cold Bukkake Udon' - 520 yen - This udon is served cold, both the noodles and the broth. The udon has a chewy texture with a moderate elasticity, leaning towards being on the firmer side rather than soft and chewy. While the aroma of the ingredients is not very strong, the taste was definitely enjoyable. The broth had a subtle flavor of dried bonito flakes along with a hint of kelp dashi. The umami-rich broth, reflecting the shop's uniqueness, combined well with the udon and the generous topping of green onions. I really liked it. In a bustling shopping street, it's easy to overlook this small shop with only counter seating. However, the deliciousness of the udon served here left me satisfied, and I even thought about returning to the mall just for this shop next time. Delicious udon, thank you for the meal.

On a Sunday morning, I felt like eating udon, so I decided to go to Hanamaru based on reviews mentioning its "strong texture" and ended up at Udon Arashi. I wanted freshly boiled udon, so I ordered the Kamatama with mentaiko butter and fresh seaweed. Despite the menu saying "Kamatama-style udon," I was served my dish in less than 2 minutes. When I mixed in the raw egg, I realized that the udon was not hot at all, leading me to believe it was not freshly boiled but rather just reheated. Disappointed, I found the udon lacking in texture and not at all chewy. It seemed like the noodles were just left sitting for 10-20 minutes, resulting in a soggy and watery udon. I finished my meal feeling let down and left the restaurant. The price was ¥890 for the Mentaiko Butter Soy Sauce Udon with fresh seaweed. There was no mistake in the menu description, as it clearly stated "soy sauce udon." I wanted to clarify that there is no "Kamatama (kama-agé udon + egg)" option. Considering the need for quick turnover due to the location and the time of day, I decided to swallow my disappointment. Thinking about the long wait at Daikanyama on Sundays, I can understand their approach, but in the future, I might consider going to Hanamaru Udon for a half-price meal instead. With the rising rent prices and the influx of inbound tourists, I understand that managing and operating a business in the bustling Sanmall shopping street must be challenging, and I hope they continue to do their best.

I visited this place in Sanmachi for the first time after work. You purchase your meal at the ticket machine near the entrance and then place your order at the counter. I had cold soy sauce meat udon...the noodles were smooth and chewy, slightly firm. Delicious! There were various condiments available and the tempura looked tasty too, I would like to try it next time! Thank you for the meal!

"I really like this restaurant, 'Udon Arashi,' in Nakano, Tokyo. I always go for the 'daily special,' and it never disappoints. Today's special (most popular for 780 yen) was 'Lemon and Wakame Shoyu Udon (no broth, cold)' with Ishikawa prefecture's Amberjack tempura and Chicken tempura. The staff may lack enthusiasm, but they do their job diligently. If you want to savor the noodles themselves, I recommend the 'shoyu udon' without broth. The noodles have a firm texture and stretchiness, reminiscent of Kansai-style Sanuki udon. With free toppings like tempura crumbs, grated ginger, dashi shoyu, and rich soy sauce, you can customize the flavor to your liking. It's also nice that they serve the tempura freshly fried. The freshness of the wakame today was surprising, living up to its menu name. Despite all these positives, why is it only ranked number two? That's because there is an amazing restaurant called 'Udon-ya Daimon' in Nakano Broadway, just ahead. I've always missed out due to it being sold out or closed, but my foodie friends all give it high praise. It makes you wonder just how good it must be. But being number two is still a respectable title. It's important to have a reliable restaurant that always serves delicious udon, rather than always being sold out early. I'll say it again, 'the udon here is delicious.'" #tomyamfoodwalk2023 #UdonArashi #KansaiStyleSanukiUdon #BrothlessShoyuUdon #FreshlyFriedTempura #DeliciousButNeedsImprovement #TheHighBarofBeingNumberOne #AStableAndReliablePlaceToAlwaysEnjoyDeliciousUdon #PassionateAboutNoodles #Noodlestagram #ConnectingWithNoodleLovers #yummyfile2023-046

In Kagawa Prefecture, the home of Sanuki udon, there are many udon shops that open from early in the morning. However, due to factors such as the aging of shop owners, operating hours are trending towards being reduced, and the number of shops open in the morning is decreasing. Some of the shops I remember visiting before 10 a.m. include "Sakaeda Udon Main Store" near the Kagawa Prefectural Office, "Kodawari Menya Takamatsu Store," "Teadachi Jyudan Udon Baka Ichidai" accessible from the Hanazono Station on the Kotoden line, "Yamashita Udon" in Sanuki Fuchu, "Sanuki Udon Gamou" in Kamogawa, and "Sanuki Udon Gun Ihara" in Utazu. It is heartening to see that, except for Ihara, these shops are still in operation. Sanuki udon shops have experienced several booms over the years, with chains like "Hanamaru Udon" and "Marugame Seimen" expanding nationwide. While some of these chains have a few shops open in the morning, individual shops like those in Kagawa Prefecture that open in the morning are limited. In the midst of this, our shop is one of the few precious shops that open at 10 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays. I discovered our shop about two months ago when I happened to stumble upon it while walking through the Nakano Sun Mall shopping street. I was actually aiming for "Udon-ya Daimon" inside Nakano Broadway at the time, but their opening hours were an hour later than the information I had, so I had to give up. After having lunch at a soba shop (Sarashina Sohonke Kitaguchi Store) on the way back to the station, I spotted our shop. I didn't feel like having another meal at that time, so I just bookmarked it and decided to visit another day. Our shop opened in January 2021, so it has been open for just over two years. Although there is little information available regarding the shop owner's background and the reason for opening the shop, it seems like the shop has a particular focus on tempura, especially fresh fish tempura. They promote the daily recommended fish tempura on Instagram, so it might be a good idea to check that out before going. Our shop is located in the middle of Sun Mall Nakano, and on this day, I visited around 10:50 a.m. The popular menu items and daily specials were displayed outside, with the featured fish tempura being "kisu" that day, and the most popular daily udon being a combination of kisu and toriten (shoyu udon with bonito flakes and raw egg). Upon entering, there is a ticket machine on the left where you purchase your meal ticket. Although I could have gone for the daily special, I found the vegetable tempura trio for 190 yen to be quite a good deal, so I ordered the hiyakake udon with the vegetable tempura trio for a total of 710 yen, which I thought was reasonably priced for a Sanuki udon shop in Tokyo. The seating consists of an L-shaped counter surrounding the kitchen, with a capacity of 11 seats. There were only two other customers when I arrived, so I took a seat in the middle. I could see them boiling the udon and frying the tempura after taking the order. The wait time until the food was served was about 6 minutes. The udon and tempura were served together. I added the tempura to the udon and sprinkled some tenkasu from the condiment stand. The hiyakake udon was a simple dish with udon soaking in amber-colored cold broth, garnished with green onions. The udon had a firm texture and a moderate wheat aroma, likely made from a blend of ASW flour.