Kombu water dipping noodles are an innovative dish where the noodles are soaked in kombu water, resulting in a smooth texture and rich wheat aroma. Various dipping sauce options are available, allowing for different flavors with every bite, especially the spicy Sichuan-style sauce, which is particularly popular.
🍜 A popular ramen series is venturing into the trending "kombu water dipping noodles"! Is there already a line before opening?!
I had added this place to my list after seeing friends go there! Recently, many new "kombu water dipping noodle" places have opened in Japan, which are different from traditional dipping noodles— the noodles are slightly soaked in the kombu-cooked water, making them smoother and also balancing the typically salty dipping sauce.
This shop originally had 5 variations of dipping noodles. I ordered the special kombu water dipping noodles with 4 different sauces, so nearly every bite had a different flavor!
Restaurants specializing in kombu water dipping noodles usually have confidence in their noodles and recommend enjoying the first bite plain. Their noodles are a bit thinner than traditional dipping noodles and have a smooth texture with a hint of wheat flavor. The second bite enhances the flavor with a bit of seaweed salt, and honestly, it's almost enough to just eat it like that!
Next, I enjoyed it in the typical dipping noodle style. Because the noodles are wet, the dipping sauce becomes diluted towards the end, but there’s additional concentrated sauce on the table.
The little dipping sauces include traditional Tokyo dipping sauce, spicy dandan sauce, and silky mushroom radish puree. I particularly enjoyed the spicy sauce and even finished the dipping sauce. I ordered a small portion of noodles, so it was a shame to have leftover sauce.
After finishing the noodles, there was a pot of hot broth available at the table. Adding it to the dipping sauce creates a bowl of hot soup, which is a classic way to enjoy dipping noodles. The warm, comforting flavor at the end was delightful.
If you haven’t tried kombu water dipping noodles yet, I highly recommend giving them a shot. The turnover rate is high, and if you go during off-peak hours, you might be able to get a seat in just 10 minutes!