Yaki udon set + chocolate soufflé pudding ($12.40)!
Japanese cafe yaki udon set: stir-fried udon with karaage and takoyaki topped with dancing bonito flakes, plus a chocolate soufflé pudding. $7.90 + $4.50.
Lunch at a Japanese cafe: yaki udon set + chocolate soufflé pudding, $12.40 total ($7.90 + $4.50). 😋
What was on the table:
- Yaki udon plate: thick udon stir-fried in a dark savoury sauce with cabbage, topped with karaage chicken and takoyaki (the bonito flakes waving on top from the heat), garnished with red pickled ginger and green chilli
- Chocolate soufflé pudding: a risen baked dessert in a ramekin
Yaki udon (焼きうどん) is the stir-fried udon dish, the noodle cousin of yakisoba: thick, chewy udon wok-fried with vegetables in a soy-based sauce (sometimes with a touch of Worcestershire-style sauce), giving it a savoury, slightly sweet, wok-seared character. The thick udon takes on a satisfying chew when stir-fried, the sauce caramelising at the edges.
The set comes loaded: rather than just noodles, it stacks two sides on top, karaage (the crisp Japanese fried chicken) and takoyaki (the octopus dough balls), the latter crowned with bonito flakes that “dance” as they wave in the rising heat, the classic takoyaki theatre. Three Japanese street foods on one plate.
The bonito flakes are the detail worth noting: shaved dried bonito (katsuobushi), so thin they move with the warmth of the food beneath, adding a smoky-savoury umami as they melt slightly. It is a small piece of Japanese street-food showmanship.
The chocolate soufflé pudding is the warm dessert close: a risen baked pudding, soft and warm, the kind of light-but-indulgent ending a set wants.
At $12.40 for a loaded yaki udon set and a soufflé pudding at a Japanese cafe, this is fair value.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. 😋👍🏼 The wok-seared udon with the karaage and the dancing-bonito takoyaki was the standout plate. Solid Japanese set, would re-order.
