Tempura udon ($29++) @ Udon Shin, Takashimaya!
Udon Shin at Takashimaya B2, Orchard: tempura udon, $29++. Handmade udon in a clear dashi broth with prawn and vegetable tempura fried to order and served on the side.
Tempura udon at Udon Shin, $29++. 🍜🍤😋
What we had ($29++):
- Tempura udon, $29++
Udon Shin is the handmade udon shop from Tokyo, and this is its first outlet outside Japan, tucked into the basement of Takashimaya Shopping Centre on Orchard Road. It arrived with a reputation for very long queues, which is what happens when a shop that people already lined up for in Tokyo opens here.
The udon is the reason to come. Thick, pale and glossy, coiled into the bowl, with that particular chew that handmade udon has: dense and springy at first bite, then smooth and slippery as you pull a strand up. They sat in a clear brown dashi broth, light and gently savoury rather than heavy, so nothing gets in the way of the noodles. A generous scatter of spring onion went over the top, and the broth came served with a little wooden spoon.
The tempura arrives on its own plate rather than in the soup, which is the detail that matters. It is fried to order, so the batter is still crackling when it reaches you: prawn tempura with the tails standing up, plus vegetable pieces alongside. Keeping it separate means you get it properly crisp and you decide when to dunk a piece into the broth and let it go soft.
At $29++ this is not a casual bowl of noodles, and you are paying Orchard restaurant prices for something that costs a lot less elsewhere. What you are getting is the noodle texture and the fry quality, both of which are a clear step up.
Overall: 4.1 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Lovely chewy handmade udon, clean dashi, and tempura that stays crisp because they keep it on the side. Worth it once.
