Food & Drink

One street away from the bustling Takamiya-dori sits Udon Komaru, which is celebrating its first anniversary this month. Owner Nobuhiro Araki is an udon pro, having spent nearly 10 years honing his craft at a popular Sanuki-style udon shop in Yakuin. Although Araki’s udon is based on the Sanuki style, which is typified by its chewy noodles, he opts for a thinner, suppler noodle instead of the typical thicker one. He makes the noodles from specialty flour sourced direct from Kagawa Prefecture, the home of Sanuki udon. One bite and the subtle flavor of wheat will fill your mouth, mixing in with the flavorful soup broth made from iriko (baby sardines). He offers seven kinds of udon including the standard kake (hot udon) and bukkake (with toppings and soup served over the noodles) as well as a range of toppings, like grated daikon radish. For a reasonably priced bowl of udon, why not stop by this cozy udon shop the next time you’re out?

Menu: Kake udon ¥390, bukkake udon ¥440, soy sauce udon ¥390, zaru udon ¥440, kamatama udon (w/ raw egg) ¥390, kama-age udon (unstrained hot noodles), Komaru kamatama ¥680, chicken rice ball ¥120, plain rice ball ¥100
Toppings: raw egg ¥50, wakame seaweed ¥100, beef ¥300, grated daikon radish ¥50, picked plum ¥50
Tempura: burdock root ¥120, kakiage (mixed vegetables) ¥120, chikuwa ¥100, chicken ¥150, shrimp ¥200, soft-boiled egg ¥100, chicken & chikuwa ¥130, combination ¥550~
Drinks: beer (bottle) ¥500, shochu ¥350, sake ¥500, cola ¥200, orange juice ¥200
Weekday lunch set: Wani set (half-size kake udon, chicken rice ball, 2-piece tempura) ¥500, Komaru set (kake udon, chicken rice ball, 2-piece tempura) ¥600

*Foreign language menu: None / Cash only / Reservations not required / No smoking

Originally published in Fukuoka Now Magazine (fn233, May 2018)