Schnitzel
This is a restaurant located on the 13th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, serving Sanuki-style creative udon from Osaka. The founder, originally from Kagawa Prefecture, combined the Sanuki udon production method with Osaka culture and opened a shop in Osaka's Muneemon-cho. I had been curious about this place as I had seen it in various locations like Roppongi, Haneda Airport, and Karuizawa. So, I decided to visit for a late lunch while in Shibuya. My friend had been wanting to eat kitsune udon with a large piece of fried tofu, which was the reason for our visit. It was around 3 PM, and although there wasn't a line outside, the stylish restaurant was almost full inside. The space in front of the restaurant was set up with about three turns for waiting, so it might get quite crowded during lunchtime. After waiting for about 10 minutes, we were seated at a table inside. There were many inbound customers, which was noticeable. We ordered using a touch panel, and the udon was priced the same for up to 3 servings. My friend ordered the kitsune udon for 880 yen, and I ordered the curry udon for 1180 yen. Although the udon was not cheap, considering the high rent in this location, the prices were surprisingly reasonable. After waiting for about 10 minutes, our udon arrived in oversized bowls with large wooden lids. The curry udon had chunks of meat and what seemed like hormone in the soup, with thick noodles sinking in it, and sliced green onions placed in the center. When I tasted the soup, it was creamy with a moderate level of spiciness. Personally, I would have preferred more traditional dashi flavor and more heat. I felt like there was a hint of beef tendon flavor. The noodles were smooth and chewy, which I enjoyed. Overall, it was not exactly to my taste, but it was satisfying. My friend was very happy with the kitsune udon, as the broth was delicious. However, I found the overly stylish interior and oversized bowls a bit too much. I now feel like I want to eat authentic Sanuki udon in a simple shop with a high level of self-service.