Anyone who knows about Japanese noodle culture would know that the udon of Kagawa Prefecture are the most famous in Japan. If you can’t manage to go to Kagawa, you can still enjoy the most authentic Kagawa udon (also known as Sanuki udon) in Tokyo. The number one udon noodle restaurant in Tokyo as per Tabelog, the most well-known and trusted restaurant ranking website in Japan, is Maruka (丸香), located in Jimbocho.
Its popularity means there is always a queue at lunch time. So make sure to avoid peak lunch hours.
The large noren at the entrance is quintessentially Japanese while the interior is reflective of the food, warm and simple.
The owner of this restaurant is from Kagawa Prefecture, and was able to create authentic Kagawa udon in Tokyo through generational knowledge about the craft of making udon. There are various ways to eat udon and everyone has their own preferences.
We chose the signature dish, which has the simplest soup base in order to enjoy the deliciousness of the udon itself.
Once you order, you will be served very quickly. We barely settled into our seats and our food had arrived. Look at the shiny noodles. Each day, the udon are made freshly in the restaurant which gives them a lovely chewiness.
The set we ordered came with tempura: an assortment of prawn, eggplant and sweet potato.
Although this is an udon restaurant, the side dishes here are made with just as much attention as the udon. High-quality ingredients with excellent culinary skills results in such scrumptious dishes.
Look at how crispy this prawn tempura is! Each bite is super satisfying, crunchy yet succulent.
The eggplant is also crunchy and juicy. The taste easily surpasses what you would expect for such a reasonable price. Most dishes here are under 1000 yen.
Each table has a few seasonings such as chili powder, soy sauce and so on. You can add these based on your flavor preferences and enjoy different tastes. If you order the signature dish, then a little bit of chili powder enhances the overall flavor.
We also ordered udon with wakame (kelp) and as you can see, the udon are completely hidden under the wakame.
If you are a fan of udon, don’t miss this place when you visit Tokyo. Even if you can’t go to Kagawa Prefecture, the home of udon, you can still taste the best udon from the region in Tokyo.
Download the Ikidane Nippon App: iOS / Android
Let us know if there is something that needs to be fixed: Feedback Form
