Udon @ Ichiban Udon, Motohama, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka

 

I think you all know by now I love noodles. But ramen is not the only noodle dish I enjoy. I really like udon too. Seeing that it has been severely underrepresented here, it is time to put that into the spotlight. 

A night shot during one of my dinner visits. The ticket machine at the yonder. 

Tucked away in the middle of suburbia, is this gem of a noodle place called Ichiban Udon. And for the uninitiated, it means No1 Udon. That sounds like a bold name to live up to, but the food here is seriously top notch and is a hidden gem in my eyes.  Like most noodle shops, they use a ticket system. Slot in your money into the machine, press the button of the food you like, and then pass it to the staff. And like most noodle places, the food comes swiftly and you will be fed in no time. 

The bare essentials

So how does it taste? Really good if you ask me. Unlike ramen, the udon noodles takes more of a presence. Well, it is much larger than ramen noodles. It had a bouncy and chewy bite to it, yet slightly slippery. This is good if you are a slurper. By the way, that is the right way of eating noodles. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Clean and clear!

The soup is a basic dashi done right. The soup has that present bonito base, but with some hints of dried mushrooms and anchovies. It was full bodied, well packed with flavour and yet, surprisingly clean. Unlike ramen broth, this one has a texture more akin to tea. So if you want a low fat version of noodles, this is your choice. 

Crunchy!

When it comes to customization, there are alot of toppings that you can choose from. The classic is of course, prawn tempura which I had for my first try. This is a common choice for most people and you cannot really argue with that. Deep fried seafood always goes well with udon. However, if you want something really traditional you should opt for the gyuu-suji, which is braised beef tendons. 

Star maker!

The braised beef were chewy and tough. I mean it in a good way though, as it provides that textural contrast to the dish. The meat has a deep sweet soy flavour and has a garlicy kick back. Yet, the clean profile of the soup help to mellow down the strong flavours of the meat, creating balance. You can insert an Avengers reference here if you like. 

The chillies gave it a lot more personality. 

If you want to go really basic then you can have it with a round fish cake. But even that is good, Well, when the basics are great, the only way you can go is up, I guess.  And speaking of customisation, this great establishment has a lot of condiments to offer. From tempura croutons, spring onions and even dried whole chillies, there is something for you to make your bowl your own. The chillies is a recommendation of mine. Malaysian after all. 

Condiments galore!

This was an easy recommendation for me. The food is good, service is fast and it is actually pretty reasonable. Bowls range from 400 to 650 yen, where the prawn tempura being the most expensive. They do have soba, but I have yet tried it since this is an udon place after. Perhaps I can have that for my next visit. So if you are ready for a good round of noodles, then the address is as follows:

〒819-0386 Fukuoka, Nishi Ward, Motohama, 1 Chome−27 −3

Front of the house.