Local Eats Japan

Uchitateya is located in the heart of Ikebukuro, and is a shop that specializes only in Udon.

But it isn’t just your normal udon, it is handmade, super thick and chewy, and instead of slurping them, it’s more like you have to chew your way to the end – a very unique way of eating noodles and a first for me. 

There are various flavored soups you can choose from, and they are all on a touch screen outside of the shop with pictures. 

Also, perhaps the most famous part about this shop is the fact that you can choose the size of your noodles all the way up to 1kg (which I actually ordered). 

Surprisingly however, I was able to finish them all! Though it took me a while… 

If you line up, then you go up to pay at this machine first, and then go back to your spot in line – generally a staff member will be there directing people so don’t worry. 

Japanese people also don’t cut in line generally so even if you leave your spot it will be secure (is it that hard for the West to replicate this?). 

After you have paid you will give your tickets to an employee who will also tell how big your party of people is.
The amazing part about this is because when you go inside to sit down, your udon will come out extremely quickly because they’ve been preparing it for you while you wait outside. I love this about restaurants in Japan – complete and utter efficiency. 

Your noodles are served in these brown wooden box-like things, and the soup separately – so you are essentially eating tsukemen (dipping noodles) udon, which is unique in and of itself. 

You can choose for your soup to be either hot or cold, and I went with the hot curry soup – it was amazing. 

It was quite thick, as Japanese curry tends to be, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to soak up any of it because there was so much, but the thickness actually helped attach to the elasticity of the noodles. 

Additionally, the brown watering bucket looking thing had hot water in it which you could add to the soup incase it was too strong, or you simply wanted to extend the amount you got.

While the number of noodles might not be that many, you are not getting scrimped out on the portion size, because some of the length of the noodles I remember were double the length of regular udon.

With every bite of the noodles you get a nice handmade, wheat, slightly salty taste to them, and the velocity they have make them so addicting. 

I could have probably just had the noodles on my own if I could (but maybe not 1kg).

They had table seats, but since I went on my own, I got to sit at the counter and watch the chefs prepare the udon – always nice when you can see the chefs in action and how your food is being prepared. 

Overall, this is an extremely unique and delicious udon place I highly recommend if you are in Ikebukuro.

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