Noodle restaurants in Japan
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A
Bikkuri Udon Miyoshino
A simple place that does good-value sets of typical Japanese fare. Stop by and check the daily lunch specials on display outside.
reviewed
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B
Omen
This noodle shop is named after the thick, white noodles served in a hot broth with a selection of seven fresh vegetables. Just say 'omen' and you'll be given your choice of hot or cold noodles, a bowl of soup to dip them in and a plate of vegetables (you put these into the soup along with some sesame seeds). It's a great bowl of noodles but don't stop there: the à la carte menu is also fantastic – ranging from excellent tempura to healthy vegetable dishes. It's about five minutes' walk from Ginkaku-ji in a traditional Japanese house with a lantern outside. Note that there's often a line during tourist high season.
reviewed
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C
Shinatatsu
A bit of a ramble, a bit of a gamble (if you don’t speak Japanese), Shinatatsu is a collection of seven rāmen shops and five donburi shops lining the trackside arcade beside Shinagawa Station. Shops don’t have English menus, so you may want to pick up Shinatatsu’s picture booklet or ask for explanations of the different varieties before you purchase your meal ticket from the vending machines. Among them, Tetsu serves tsukemen – plain noodles that you dip in soup, which is all the rage right now. Donburi toppings (beef, tempura, sashimi etc) are a little more easily decipherable.
reviewed
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D
Kanei
A small traditional place not far from Funaoka Onsen, Kanei is the place to go if you’re a soba connoisseur – the noodles are made by hand here and are delicious. The owners don’t speak much English, so here’s what to order: zaru soba (¥850) or kake soba ( soba in a broth; ¥900). Note that handmade soba quickly loses its taste and texture, so we recommend that you eat it quickly. The servings are small and the dishes are only likely to please real soba fans. Kanei is on the corner, a few metres west of Saraca Nishijin.
reviewed
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E
Omen Nippon
This is one of two Downtown branches of the famous Ginkaku-ji noodle restaurant. It serves a variety of healthy set meals, including a good ¥1900 lunch set that includes noodles and a few sides. It’s a small, calm place that’s a nice oasis amid the Downtown mayhem, good for a light lunch while out shopping, and it has an English menu to boot. Look for the word ‘Nippon’ on the sign.
reviewed
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F
Bakudanya
Come to this simple street-corner stall to try another famous Hiroshima dish: tsukemen, a cold rāmen-like dish in which noodles and soup come separately. This is the original outlet; the chain has now spread across the country. A nami (medium-sized) serving of tsukemen is ¥750. Look for the green awning.
reviewed
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Yabu Soba
Near the arcade, this busy, famous place rustles up top-class soba, from the simple zaru soba - plain, cold buckwheat noodles to dip in broth - to the richly filling tenseiro (noodles topped with shrimp and vegetable tempura). There's a picture menu to help you choose. Look for the black-granite sign in front that says in English 'Since 1892'.
reviewed
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G
Hinode Udon
Filling noodle and rice dishes are served at this pleasant little shop. Plain udon (thick white noodles) here is only ¥450, but we recommend you spring for the nabeyaki udon (pot-baked udon in broth) for between ¥850 and ¥1000. This is a good spot for lunch when temple-hopping near Ginkaku-ji or Nanzen-ji.
reviewed
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H
Daitō Soba
This dinky little noodle house is the perfect spot for sampling your first bowl of okinawa-soba (Okinawan style noodles). We like ours with extra shima-tōgarashi (pickled hot peppers in sesame oil). It's one block north of Kokusai-dōri on Midori-ga-oka Park (look for the red banners and plastic food models).
reviewed
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Nomugi
In Nakamachi, this is one of central Japan's finest soba shops. Its owner used to run a French restaurant in Tokyo before returning to his home town. There's one dish: zaru-soba in a wicker basket; plus kake-soba (¥1300), which is served during the colder months.
reviewed
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I
Ebisu-Honten
This Sanmachi shop has been making teuchi (handmade) soba since 1898. The menu explains the soba-making process. Go for zaru (cold) soba for the real flavour of the buckwheat, or try curry or miso-nikomi (in miso broth) style. It's on a side street and has a sign with a little roof on it.
reviewed
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J
Nishiya
An Osaka landmark that serves udon noodles and a variety of hearty nabe (cast-iron pot) dishes for reasonable prices, including a tempura udon (¥1155). Look for the semirustic facade and the food models.
reviewed
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K
Umeda Hagakure
Locals line up outside this place for the fantastic udon noodles. Take the central escalator to the B2 floor, take a right, walk 25m and take another right; it is on the left with a small English sign. There are pictures outside to help with ordering. Our pick here is tenzaru (udon served on a plate with tempura; ¥1100). Whatever you do, don't go on a weekday between noon and 1pm (this is when the local office workers line up for lunch).
reviewed
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L
Ebisuya
One of the city's best-known kishimen chains, Ebisuya has a laid-back atmosphere and tasty, inexpensive bowls of noodles, which you can often catch being made by the chefs. There's a picture menu available.
reviewed
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M
Me-n-Me
They make their own noodles at this homey little noodle joint a few minutes' walk from the castle. It's not fancy, but if you want an honest, tasty bowl of udon to power you through the day, this is the spot. There's usually an English sign on the street.
reviewed
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N
Imai Honten
One of the area's oldest and most revered udon specialists and our favourite place on the strip. Try the tendon (tempura over rice; ¥1575). An oasis of calm amid the chaos (the no-mobile-phone policy ensures quiet), it's sandwiched between two pachinko parlours. There's no English sign, but the traditional front stands out among the glitter.
reviewed
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O
West
Near the Hakata-gawa, this is a steamy noodle shop with excellent tempura.
reviewed
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P
Musashi
In business since 1916, serving hearty comfort food like kamo nabeyaki udon (duck hotpot; ¥1000); there's a big badger out the front.
reviewed
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Zendera Soba
This local institution serves its speciality namesake Zendera soba (¥1260) with a stalk of fresh wasabi root to grate yourself. It's steps from the bus station on the river side of the street, and has white and black banners.
reviewed
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Q
Yamamotoya Sōhonke
This miso-nikomi udon shop has been in business since 1925, thanks to a lot of repeat customers. The basic dish costs ¥976. It's not really close to any subway station; it's a couple of blocks east of Shirakawa-kōen.
For cheap, informal, international eats, head to the Ōsu district. Expect to hear Portuguese at Osso Brasil, a storefront serving Brazilian grills at lunchtime (all-you-can-eat on weekends, ¥1600) and snacks, while Lee's Taiwan Kitchendoes a big trade in take-out bubble tea and crackly kara-age. Other stands run from kebabs to crêpes to okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes).
reviewed
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Yakumo-an
Next door to the samurai house, this soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant and its beautiful grounds are an excellent place to sample the local warigo soba. Try the tasty soba kamo nanban (noodles with slices of duck in broth). Look for the large gate topped by a lantern.
reviewed
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West
Popular, inexpensive chain for udon (thick white wheat noodles), tempura (often served with udon; ¥280 to ¥680) and yakiniku (all-you-can-eat ¥1980 to ¥3380). Multiple locations.
reviewed
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Tsurumaru
Sit at the counter and watch the noodles being pounded by hand in this popular spot, which is busy with the bar-hopping crowd until late into the night. The delicious karē udon (curry udon) is the most popular choice here. Look for the curtain over the door with a picture of a crane on it.
reviewed
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Tsurube
The speciality here is fresh wheat noodles handmade on the premises, like sansai zaru udon (noodles with wild vegetables; ¥840) and umeboshi udon (noodles with dried plum; ¥630). It's next to the graveyard.
reviewed
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Tori-soba Ōta
The name of this little countertop restaurant is also its trademark dish: tori-soba (steaming bowls of noodles packed with chicken and served in a tasty broth). Other options are variations on the chicken, noodle and spring onion theme and even the small serve is a decent feed. Look for the big blue sign opposite Chūgoku Bank.
reviewed
