Some friends came over for the weekend, so we went together to Sumita, a Sanuki udon specialist and one of the good spots in my neighborhood. Even in the heat there was a line. We waited about 20 minutes.
Assorted oden, 500 yen
Always the best choice. It’s lightly sweet, just right as an appetizer. It was hot and I was craving a beer, but I held back.
Ten-zaru udon, 1,000 yen
Not many places do tempura this well in both quantity and quality. My only small regret is that the noodles lack a bit of springiness for Sanuki udon.
Ika-ten zaru udon, 750 yen
This is udon with squid tempura. I didn’t steal a bite, so I can’t really say how it tasted.
Ebi-ten oroshi bukkake udon, 850 yen
This is what I ordered. In summer, nothing suits the season better than bukkake udon eaten cold. This shop’s style is quite unusual for bukkake. Bukkake comes from pouring the sauce over the noodles, so the tsuyu is usually on the strong side, but here it’s mild enough to drink as is. The bowl has a wide bottom too. Just as it looks different, it tastes like its own thing. But I was very satisfied. The crisply fried shrimp, chicken, sweet potato and so on, with the smooth, slippery noodles, go really well with the cold broth with grated daikon stirred in. The noodles here seem made specifically for bukkake. I’ve been a few times now, and this was the most satisfying dish so far. The rainy season is over, it’s hot, and summer has properly arrived, so I think I’ll be coming here often. ^_^