Review: Yamada Udon

Traditional, delicious, and affordable are the words that come to mind when I think of Yamada Udon, a local restaurant that centers on traditional Japanese noodles. At first glance, you’ll probably be having doubts about the quality of the dishes due to the restaurant’s simplicity, design wise.

Nothing fancy, right? But as soon as you enter the humble noodle restaurant, a welcoming warmth awaits you. I’d say it’s one of the coziest restaurants I’ve ever been to. In terms of price, all dishes will never cost you an arm and a leg. On top of that, everything’s appetizing. From the main dishes to the side sides, you pay less but you get more. If I may recommend which ones to try, here are my most enjoyed dishes.

This is their new dish that I instantly fell in love with. It’s a spicy noodle soup which has pork (domestic pig), bean sprout, and others. You can choose to have soba (そば, buckwheat noodles) or udon (うどん, wheat noodles in thick strips) in it. I’m a soba girl and I think it’s perfect with soba in it. It’s almost not spicy at all which is great! I love that it’s not oily.

Please don’t ask me why the name is such for I don’t have the slightest idea. All I know is that it’s a braised stew pork (domestic pig) that’s a perfect side dish to any noodle dishes. The meat is so tender that you won’t even know if it’s pork or not. It’s not greasy at all. It has a distinct taste, but so delightful to the taste. There’s indeed a punch! Perhaps that’s how it got its name. To be honest, I salivate at the thought of it. Have you tried Yamada Udon?

Follow my Japan adventures! Not a WordPress user? Subscribe via email. Your email address will not be published.