After honing his chops at the popular Chinese restaurant Pikaichi for 15 years, Shoji Hara struck out on his own 10 years ago to open Pikamatsu. He kept many of the trademark Pikaichi menu items, but also offers an original sara udon made with a shiodare salt sauce, an homage to his father who used to run a ramen shop. The price hasn’t changed in 10 years, and it remains a popular item. The medium-thick noodles, which are ordered from long-standing noodle-maker Manabe Seimen, are shallowly fried and soaked in chicken soup, making for a deliciously chewy texture. This combined with the just-crunchy-enough stir-fried veggies and the umami-packed seafood makes for a flavorful treat. Hara says he adds fresh ginger for accent, and this happens to also feature prominently in another famous dish—the champon. Despite being very similar, the champon packs a bigger punch, while the sara udon is milder. Which will you choose?
Menu: Sara udon ¥690 (w/ rice ¥750), champon ¥690, kuro champon ¥750 (w/ rice ¥800), tantanmen ¥650, *Upsize to large +¥100 ea.
Menu from 13:00: Fried rice ¥500, gyoza (6 pcs.) ¥250, white rice ¥130, bottled beer ¥500
*Foreign language menu: None / Cash only / Reservations not required
Originally published in Fukuoka Now Magazine (fn243, Mar. 2019)
