Having a meal at this friendly neighbourhood udon spot feels like stopping off at a good friend’s house for lunch or dinner. The space is warm and simple, featuring a handful of tables and a long counter bar accented with various books and bottles of sake. As for the noodles, the bowls of udon are comforting and heartwarming, all carefully crafted by chef and owner Katsuaki Sato.
The udon noodles here are unlike any other we've come across in Tokyo; they're a bit more on the flat side compared to your typical square noodle and are tapered off at the edges giving them a rustic feel. One of the most popular dishes is the Buzjenbo, a bowl of warm udon topped with deep-fried tofu, satsuma-age fish cakes and thinly shredded seaweed that melts into the thick broth. For cold noodles, we can’t get enough of the housei udon, a plate of chilled noodles topped with fresh lettuce, cucumber, thin pork slices and a refreshing sesame dressing.
If you have room for dessert, don’t skip Buzjenbo’s annin (apricot kernel) tofu, which goes down silky smooth and feels somehow lighter than air.