Udon Maruka

Kagawa Prefecture’s specialty is large bowls of sanuki udon, but you don’t have to leave Tokyo to try it. Udon Maruka is arguably one of the best joints in the whole country for sanuki udon! This humble restaurant is always buzzing with people inside and outside, with a long line seeming like a permanent fixture by the door. The handmade wheat noodles are thick, firm, and chewy. They blend perfectly with the light and fragrant broth made of iriko (dried fish). The standard menu item is the kake udon, served in clear dashi broth topped with grated ginger and a mound of Kagawa's best chopped scallions. It comes in both hot and cold, so pick accordingly depending on your mood and the weather. Other menu options are just as delicious. The tsukimi udon is extremely popular in late summer and early fall. The butter and black pepper udon adds a whole new dimension to your udon experience. What's popular at Udon Maruka are their tempura toppings. The kashiwa-ten, a chicken tempura, is a definite bestseller. The chikuwa-ten, which is a long hollow tube of fish sausage, is something worth trying as well. Whatever time of the year, it's always appropriate to treat yourself to a bowl of sanuki udon. Hot or cold, with or without soup, this udon-ya has it all. At affordable prices for such quality noodles, Udon Maruka is a steal.