[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 4 _ Nagata in Ka no Ka

The last stop for the Udon bus on that day, as well as the last stop for MY Udon tour was :

Nagata in Ka no Ka, well known Udon-ya as they serve the Noodles right out of the Kama, the big cauldron - in more modern word, pot - even serves in big basin for 6 or more people.

The soup was prepared separately, and since the noodle was right out of the Kama, there was the water beneath the noodle.  The soup to put the noodle in - in other words, Tsuyu - was too delicious.  That's why there is only one picture left, after eating scene.

Usually the tautness of the noodle is additionally given when it is rinced thoroughly with ice-cold water, however this has the same tautness as those rinced in water without the same process.  Which eventually means that they were kneaded very carefully - with a micro control accordingly to the temparature and humidity.  This is the art of human and food combining.  That's how I would define the culninary of Udon.

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 4 _ Tsuruya Udon

The standard of Bukkake udon can be tasted here.

On the cold noodle, it is topped with 'flower shrimp'  tempura, sliced laver sliced leek and lime.

The harmony of lime flavour and Flower shrimp tempura was exceptional.  A must go place in Kagawa-ken.

Also the interior was unique!

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 4 _ Udon Ipuku

They have the most variety of Tempuras ever.  RTher than Udon, I would like to recommend lotus root tempura -- the texture is amazing.

The simplest goes well this Tempura - Zaru.

Can you see the size of lotus root? It is huge!! 

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 4 _ Nakanishi Udon

The only one true self type Udon-ya I visited.

I cook noodle by myself!

Then pour the soup by myself (again) from a huge hot water bottle.  Add sliced leek, it's ready now !

But it seems a bit simple, then take some Tempuras to eat together.

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 3 _ Nagata Udon

No specific memory here, other than the udon was delicious but too small for my dinner.

I mean... I'm saying that this was rather plain compared to other Udon-yas I've visited in this trip.

  

just one note :  eggs in Japan are very fresh, unlike in Korea!  

I went to the Udon school where I could experience kneading, and brought it with me to Korea, made Kamatama (fresh egg on the hot noodle so that it can be cooked little and season with soy sauce, top with sliced leek) by myself the very day I got home.  It was a total failure due to the fishy smell from the egg.

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 3 _ Yamauchi

Do you remember my posting on December 2 years ago, the inspiring source of my trip to Shikoku -- Udon the movie ?


One of the most impressive Udon-ya in that movie was Yamauchi.  Up in the mountain (not the Sanuki Fuji, which looks a lot like the Fuji mountain), there stands (or collapses) a shabby house with two-hundred-year-old-looking sign 'handmade Udon' in Japanese.  It is the symbol of the Udon lovers searching more thatn 900 Udon-yas round Kagawa-ken, a hidden gem.  Just like this picture here.

Surprisingly the inside was spacious (compared to the outside) and clean.

The chefs seem fairly much practiced, quick and exposed many times to camera.

In this authentic looking Udon-ya, there are 3 types of Udon.

1) Atsu-atsu (hot noodle in hot soup)

2) Hiya-atsu (cold noodle in hot soup)

3) Hiya-hiya (cold noodle in cold soup)

My choice was Hiya-atsu, and the noodle here was softer than other Udon-ya but not without the tautness and the soup was crystal clear.  Cool.

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 2 _ Waraya

Waraya is a Udon-ya situated in the very entrance of the Folk Village -- Shikoku Mura. The literal meaning of Waraya is thatched cottage, and indeed the Udon-ya is a thatched cottage.

In the center of the Udon-ya, there occupies a huge cauldron which seems to be the Kami (God) for this store.

I ordered two Umeboshi Onigiri (pickled plum rice ball) and a Zaru Udon (cold noodle with tsuyu sauce to put the noodle in).

Add minced ginger and sliced leek (upper right in the picture below) to the Tsuyu so that you feel the fresh flavor of those two main spice used for Udon.  The Sanuki Udon is famous for its tautness and it can be best felt when you have the Zaru type.

The noodle here is reeeeeeeeeeeeally taut, it is hard to chew more than one stripe!

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 2 _ Nakamura Udon

After 60 minutes of digestion at World Glass Craft Shop (magnificent chandeliers !), we went to Nakamura Udon, where there was no sign which can show this 'house' is an udonya (By the way, 'ya (や)' in udonya means a tavern).

This udonya is situated amongst houses in a small village with wheat fields, and a flag on the mount shows us that this is an udonya.

There are 3 types of udonya -

1) Self type : you get a donburi (bowl) with a skein of udon noodle. Then you choose from soup, or soybean sauce and fries of your preference. After eating, you need to return the donburi. Most of Sanuki udonyas are in this category.

2) Restaurant type

3) Mixed type : We choose the menu specifically, but food will be served.

Nakamura udonya is self type, and famous for Kama-Tama: Kama means a big pot, as you can see in the picture below, and Tama is short for Tamago (egg).

1) Break a fresh raw egg into a donburi;
2) Put noodles right from the Kama on 1;
3) Pour Tsuyu (katsuobushi & kelp stock with soybean sauce) and add some chopped green onion;
4) Choose fries as many as your stomach can afford :)

<1>

<2>

 <3 & 4>

 (I dropped a prawn fry as I picked it up, but all the people in the store strongly refused to be paid.)


You are now ready to eat outside on a sunny day !
The raw egg has little bit cooked, but it wraps noodle softly, and the taste of green onion refreshes mouth. Turn on to squid and prawn fries - they hold the smell of sea, though slightly cooled. Yummy *_*

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 2 _ Machikawa Udon

I had been dreaming about this 'Udon Bus'.
I had thought in the worst case, I could not take the bus, since I did not book it (phone call in Japanese seemed impossible).

Gladly found Mister Donut at Takamatsu Railway Station, sipping hot, steaming black coffee (262 Yen), I asked around tourist centers:
1) Can I get on the bus without reservation?
2) (since no one at the hotel knew about udon bus) Would the company run the bus even if there is no reservation?
...with no avail.

But exactly on 9.30 am, lime-green colored bus came into the bus stand number 11.
Hooray!

On 20th December, 3 of us were going for udon tour.
Only THREE.
Little bit shocked... in my mind, udon bus was festive and full of people from all over the world, with a single desire - taste the real Sanuki udon, but what hit me was a harsh reality of 'people do not go for tour on week days'.


Anyway, in the bus was a very kind female tour guide, and while we headed for the first Udonya, she explained basic information on Udon and the region, and since 2 were Korean among 3, she spoke slowly so that I can understand thoroughly.


<Machikawa Udon>
 

 

Early in the morning, we started our glorious journey with the blessing of shining sun - (oops)

This place is famous for Kake Udon and Tengu Udon.

Kake Udon : standard type of udon, boiled noodle and hot soup of Japanese anchovy & katsuobushi - dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna (says Wikipedia).

This is what I ate for the first time, a real Sanuki Udon, so the taste has been stayed for long. Simple, but profound soup (or to say, bouillon) and chewy noodle, bouncing through my teeth and tongue - it's different from al dente. When we say al dente, it usually means that we do not cook it perfectly, on purpose, to make the noodle chewy. However, Sanuki udon is wholly cooked, and it does not have any smell of uncooked flour. This texture is originated from the extraordinary way of kneading.

 

Tengu Udon :  original menu of Machikawa Udonya. 10 sorts of vegetables including squash and paprika, sliced beef make the soup sweet, but not artificial sense of sweetness. Tasted Sukiyaki-like.

* Tengu is a famous Japanese monster, with a long red nose (you can see on the 3rd picture of this post) and body of crow.

You can see the difference in size - Tengu Udon is a lot heavier and bigger than Kake Udon, though we ordered both 'small'.

Outside the Udonya, there is a raccoon figure, typically Japanese raccoon (tanuki). I am NOT sure, but there should be a certain pronunciational similarity with Sanuki.

[Sanuki Udon Tour] All about Udon Bus

Kotosan Bus Company runs 3 types of Udon bus, as you see in the following:
(** It was really hard to translate this information from Japanese to Korean/English)

http://kotosan.co.jp/sp/

Weekly bus schedule

Reservation is not a requirement, but on weekends, it would be better to do, if you have guts to have a phone call in Japanese(+81 87 812 0500).

 

 

This 40-seat bus takes you Udonyas and famous sightseeing spots in Kagawa-ken.

On Thursday, only 3 took the bus, including me, so it was more like personalized trip.

(That Japanese guy character is saying "I'm gonna eat.")

You will be holding this name tag around your neck during the day's tour.
More specific information will be in other posts, Day 2 ~ Day 4.

[Sanuki Udon Tour] Day 1

It was the film 'Udon' which hit me so badly, with a stupefying impulse - I SHOULD GO EAT UDON IN JAPAN.

So I went.

Sanuki is the ancient name of Kagawa-ken, in Shikoku, the smallest island of 4 main Japanese islands, southwest of Osaka, one of the biggest city in Japan.

From Seoul to Osaka, it takes about 1.5 hr, and 3.5 hr from Osaka to Takamatsu, the biggest city in Kagawa-ken (state), wherein 910 udonya situated.

When I arrived at Takamatsu Railway Station, it was already 9.30 pm, so after having put my luggage in hotel, I scorched the region to find a fine izakaya.

Round the Kawarabashi (2 stops away from the railway station), there was a red-light district and lots of kushiya (all sorts of fries, skewered with thin wood sticks).

Happily went to bed with a beer, expecting Udon bus next day 9 am.