Udon Kyutaro
Osaka Honmachi - A locally famous udon shop, operating hours are in the morning (7-10 AM) and noon (11 AM-3 PM). Their specialty cold udon is truly delightful. The shop is small, and you need to stand and eat! You can add as much scallions and tempura flakes as you like!
Upon entering the shop, you're first guided to the counter to place your order. The display is filled with various fried items, and you can order them at the same time. You pay first (cash only) before finding a seat.
There were three of us, and we ordered the following items:
📍ABURI ¥900
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This is the most popular item on the menu! You can choose between warm or cold broth, with many locals recommending the cold broth version! On a hot midday, I was really glad to have ordered the cold noodles.
It looks very simple when it arrives, as the staff says you have to add your own soy sauce XD, suggesting to go around the bowl twice with the soy sauce (though I found it not salty enough and added another round, haha). The bowl is topped with two large slices of pork belly, each prepared with different flavors – one is boiled, and the other is seared, topped with yuzu pepper!
You add scallions and tempura flakes yourself, mixing it all together, much like Taiwanese dry mixed noodles!
The udon is wider and flatter, with a very chewy and bouncy texture that I fell in love with! The rich aroma of the yuzu pepper (which I found a bit salty) combined with the sweetness of the soy sauce makes the otherwise bland udon absolutely delicious! The fragrance of the scallions and the crispy texture of the tempura flakes elevate the whole dish even more!
No wonder this dish is highly recommended by locals in Japan! Highly recommend it!
📍Bomb no AB⚡DC (Ebi Dan) ¥950
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The noodles are called: かけうどん, which means simple udon soup that can be served warm or cold. The dipping sauce is called: 海老出汁キーマカレー, meaning shrimp broth curry.
This was ordered by a friend, and they chose the cold broth, which tastes somewhat like kombu and bonito broth. Eating the udon alone is quite plain, but the key is the dipping shrimp curry sauce! It really elevates the flavors!
The shrimp broth is packed with shrimp fragrance, and there are bits of spices that add to the texture. However, the shrimp sauce can get a bit heavy toward the end, so drinking some of the plain broth helps you prepare for the next bite! This is also a very unique dish! Highly recommend!
📍Niku Sudachi ¥950
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This was ordered by another friend, and they chose the warm broth. The main dish is beef udon, topped with lemon.
This dish tastes a bit strange! Because the lemon is in the hot broth, much of its aroma is lost, and the broth has a more sour taste, making the overall experience rather odd (it feels like the broth has gone bad XD). And having hot broth in the summer is quite warm; I wouldn’t recommend this dish!
📍Fried items (self-service)
🔹Korokke: Upon biting into it, I was surprised to find minced meat inside—much more substantial than just plain potato!
🔹Chikuwa: I thought this was just okay!
🔹Eggplant: It’s a generous piece, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the eggplant tastes very sweet! Not bad.
(The prices are not written above, totaling ¥300.)
▶️ Environment
🔹The shop is small, with only 10 seats; there are no chairs, so you have to eat standing!
🔹There is space under the seats to place bags.
🔹There’s a sauce area in front, along with scallions and tempura flakes for self-service.
🔹There’s ice water available for self-service at the seats.
▶️ Overall Evaluation
🔹A very unique udon shop that I recommend visiting if you’re in Osaka! Unfortunately, you have to stand while eating, which doesn't enhance the experience. If the hot soup is served, it can be very hot, and you need to bend down to eat the noodles! The prices are reasonable, and I'd also recommend trying some fried items!