Eating in Takamatsu

[MoGa]

Thankfully you don't need to be rich in Japan to enjoy all of this country's culinary highlights.

I'll be taking an overnight bus from Okayama late on the 7th June, this gives me the opportunity to visit Takamatsu in Shikoku.

Although I am drawn to Ritsurin Park, there's another compelling draw: Udon!

This area is famed for the quality (and the cheapness) of its udon and I very much want to try some fine examples of this locally venerated noodle.

I understand that there are a huge amount of restaurants offering this speciality in the area, and I'm at a loss to know which are well regarded by connoisseurs.

The Takamatsu city pages give a link to a Japanese website

http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/englis...nkou/index.html

Finding reliable recommendations in English is tricky, few of the mentions offer more than a romanised version of the restaurant name. I guess there is less of an international following for this than there is for ramen.

Does anyone have any personal recommendations for Sanuki Udon in this city (or which can be reached using public transport) or know of any Japanese websites with trustworthy recommendations?

I can usually decipher information in Japanese once I know what I'm looking for, figuring it out from scratch is way beyond my capabilities, certainly this time

I'm hoping to try some outstanding examples, especially as I've heard so much about this kind of noodle. And having tried excellence, I hope this will help me improve my own udon making skills.

[helenjp]

I've forgotten the name of "the" udon shop in the city itself (quite a small restaurant, a bit away from the station area), but one of the most picturesque is the restaurant on top of Yashima hill.

You need to get to the popular shops early - they make their noodles in the morning, and when it's all used up, they shut up shop...

Kama-tama is hot noodles mixed with raw egg yolk, and if you really like slippery stuff, try kama-tama-yama, which has grated raw yam as well.

Curry-udon is also popular (udon in a curry flavored soup), though I just can't see passing up a bowl of regular udon to try it.

Here is an udon map of Takamatsu - click each restaurant name (Japanese) too see a representative udon dish from that restaurant.

Number 20 on that list is Waraya, which is in an old thatched house on Yashima, the flat-topped mountain overlooking the city. There may be better udon restaurants (but it's a good one) but this one has a great location.

Here is a blog entry about Yashima and Waraya, and here is a Japan Times article..

At Waraya, try kama-age udon - served in the water it was cooked in, with condiments and soup (dip the hot noodles in) separate. I think this is the best way to enjoy the flavor of the noodles themselves, but if it's too austere, by all means try other types! As the noodles are served directly in hot water, they are a little softer than other types (except kama-tama with egg is often served straight up without being cooled/firmed too), but all types of sanuki udon are firmer than in other parts of Japan.

Kama-kake means the noodles are served in seasoned soup (not in hot water). Often they are firmed up in cold water before being put into the soup.

Bukkake-udon is boiled noodles served cold with a stronger-tasting soup to pour over plus condiments (also tipped straight over the noodles).

Zaru-udon is cold noodles with a stronger-tasting dipping sauce plus condiments to add to the sauce.

If you're serious about udon, you could even call up the "udon taxi" (usually from Takamatsu airport, tel for the udon taxi is 0120-33-2370 ) and for 14,700 yen plus cost of udon, parking, road tolls, you can have a 3 and a half hour noodle tour, including 4 noodle stops and a visit to an old folk theater at Kompira (so maybe you get to see Kompira too, and walk off a few noodles??).

Ritsurin is really lovely, one of my favorite big gardens in Japan. Or it was back in 1979, anyway...

Ikkaku in Marugame city is a great place to eat chicken if your bus passes that way.

Their main shop in Marugame is along the road that runs in front of Marugame station, on the NE of the station.

However, they have several Takamatsu branches, plus two in Yokohama and one in Shinsaibashi in Osaka.

Takamatsu - in Festa II, 5th floor, Kajimachi

And another Takamatsu branch on Yashima, next to the Kotoden Yashima station

[MoGa]

I'm already creeping over my budget by going to Takamatsu in the first place, so I'll need to give the udon taxi a miss. This time round anyway. It's great to know it exists, and who knows, I may return with my husband and a friend (it's in the planning stage) and, split three ways, the price starts looking reasonable.

Thank you for your very helpful suggestions (I'd seen that you'd mentioned udon in this region before so I did cross my fingers that you'd have some advice )

I'll certainly give kama-age a try, I will in all certainty give the curry udon a miss (the stuff reminds me of English school dinners.)

Kama-tama-yama sounds heavenly. Hiroyuki helped me work out how to add egg to my own udon and I've been grating nagaimo onto the result - it would be wonderful to find out how it should be done. I had this dish in mind when I decided to go to Kagawa in the first place, I just had no idea what it was called! That's another problem you've solved for me.

And the map link is great - I tried to glean some goodies from the web site it comes from but there is so much information there I felt swamped and couldn't get anywhere.

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The Ikkaku chicken suggestion I'll save for my husband as it's his favourite kind of flesh. I've picked on poor old fish and their cousins as the boundary to what I myself will eat, I don't consume any other kind of meat. Not knowingly anyway.

And if you do suddenly remember the name of "the" udon restaurant, do please share. I'll be able to refer to this thread until 26 May.

Thanks again!

[Kuma]

Kama-tama is hot noodles mixed with raw egg yolk, and if you really like slippery stuff, try kama-tama-yama, which has grated raw yam as well.

Kama-tama-yama sounds heavenly.  Hiroyuki helped me work out how to add egg to my own udon

Does anyone have a recipe for Kama-tama or Kama-tama-yama that they can post here? I'd love to try to make it at home !

Also, we may be going by Takamatsu on our March/April 2009 trip to see Ritsurin garden as well, and I will make sure I keep this thread in my bookmarks !

Many thanks, Helen !

[JasonTrue]

Saveur's current (or within last month or two) issue has a profile of "the" Takamatsu udon place.

[MoGa]

Saveur's current (or within last month or two) issue has a profile of "the" Takamatsu udon place.

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Thanks, but I'm in the UK. This is not a particularly easy magazine for me to buy or read. And no mention on the Saveur website about Takamatsu recommendations.

Can any Saveur readers give me a hint? (Even if it's a PM). I'm going in just a few days and won't have internet access once I'm gone.

[prasantrin]

I don't know if this is it, but on their website, they have a recipe for soft-boiled egg udon from

A specialty of the Chikusei udon shop in the city of Takamatsu is its tempura made of soft-boiled eggs.

Perhaps it's Chikusei?

(That recipe was from the November 2007 edition, so it may not be the one to which is being referred. Their website sucks, as an aside, or at least it does on my computer.)

I found a blog that talks about udon in Takamatsu (and it's in English!), and they talk about Chikusei, too. It's a bit difficult to read (the font is grey, and not even very dark grey!).

Edited May 21, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[helenjp]

Sorry I can't help, but don't forget this is the town where they have office udon ladies, not office tea ladies! (Well, actually, udon deliveries to offices, and yes, I've seen it happen right before my very eyes...) So there are plenty of good places to eat udon.

Also, it tends to be that one shop is best known for kama-age, another for bukkake, etc - so locals gravitate to the best shop for their favorite style, rather than a universal "best".

If you actually enjoy fish, some of the best sashimi I've eaten has been in Shikoku. I just don't find Tokyo sashimi compares, at least at the prices I can afford. (That's true of many parts of Japan, not just Shikoku.)

Sudachi and green yuzu are popular in summer in Shikoku, but you will be a little early for the new harvest I think - probably they are just blooming and setting fruit right now.

Citrus honey is made here and there in Shikoku.

Another Takamatsu speciality is "shouyu-mame". I haven't found anywhere else that makes them quite the same way - big dried broad beans, simmered in soy sauce. They are pretty salty - good with a beer - and not sweet/salty like those from other areas. Really a taste for "native sons", but worth sampling if you get a chance.

[JasonTrue]

In my relentlessly increasing age, "the last month or two "seems to mean something different than it used to. I apparently can't remember that I received this issue 6 months ago. It was the November 2007 one.

The online edition is rather minimalist, but they mention the restaurant name, Chikusei. It's 2-23 Kameoka-cho, Takamatsu, Closed Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday according to the magazine. Phone (087) 879-2204.

They also suggest Waraya, which serves tarai-udon out of a wooden tub, which sounds interesting to me.

The owner of Ikegami was also featured, which has over a thousand customers a day and looks pretty tempting. Ikegami moved to an area near the airport probably just outside of town. I haven't seen the movie yet, but the owner may have had something to do with it based on my cursory rereading of the article.

http://www.saveur.com/food/classic-recipes...pura-54839.html

Saveur's current (or within last month or two) issue has a profile of "the" Takamatsu udon place.

←

Thanks, but I'm in the UK. This is not a particularly easy magazine for me to buy or read. And no mention on the Saveur website about Takamatsu recommendations.

Can any Saveur readers give me a hint? (Even if it's a PM). I'm going in just a few days and won't have internet access once I'm gone.

←

Edited May 21, 2008 by JasonTrue (log)

[MoGa]

Another Takamatsu speciality is "shouyu-mame". I haven't found anywhere else that makes them quite the same way - big dried broad beans, simmered in soy sauce. They are pretty salty - good with a beer - and not sweet/salty like those from other areas. Really a taste for "native sons", but worth sampling if you get a chance.

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I assume that the taste won't be a million miles off from the black dried natto soya beans I've enjoyed in Kyoto (quite pungent, not like stringy natto though). And considering my current obsession with whole broad bean douban jiang, I'll certainly be hunting these out. Only a small pack though... some things are best in moderation.

prasantrin, thank you for the blog link. I find it interesting that Sakaeda was mentioned as this name has cropped up a few times. Thanks to the map link from helenjp, I even know how to find it: http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/sakaeda/index.html

さか枝 - On Google Maps

And here's the embarrassing part

I misunderstood about "The" Udon place in Takamatsu

I failed to take the advice literally

Here it is: http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/don/index.html

And its name is ＴＨＥ どん (THE Don)

Chikusei is this one: http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/tikusei/index.html

(Is that tamago tempura? - a couple of shops have photos of similar eggs) I just put this page through an electronic translator and the accompanying report is extremely complimentary. I'll definitely give this place a try.

----

I think I'm starting to get a feel for this, as helenjp has suggested, it seems each shop has their own speciality. I now have a wonderful head start, invaluable as I'm only there for such a short time and only a limited physical capacity for ingestion. I'm sure I'll be able to make every choice I can fit in my belly count.

Thanks again! I'm thrilled with all the information that's been given here.

Edited May 21, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[helenjp]

A shop called THE Don...who knew?

Have a great trip, anyway! I find it a little hard to imagine getting to Shikoku on wheels ...but people traveling from Tokyo should consider using the overnight sleeper Sunrise Seto to Takamatsu (or Matsuyama on holiday weekends etc.).

Stuff in English about Kamebishi soy sauce (made using straw mats) and other products. Kamebishi make soy-sauce chocolates (Maison Kamebishi), and have a shop for traditional Japanese sweets, soy sauce ice cream etc. (Kamebishi Chaya) too, as well as an udon shop (Kamebishi-ya).

However, the shops are not in Takamatsu itself but to the west. I wouldn't be surprised if they had branches in Takamatsu, but can't spot any. I bet the products will be available in departments stores in Takamatsu, if you stroll in to the food area and ask for "Kamebishi".

[MoGa]

Oh dear me, that looks soooo good!

I was able to get a good quality soy sauce relatively recently in London which has changed my attitude to this humble sauce forever. Kamebishi Ya is one heck of a draw for me.

I found the website: http://www.kamebishisyouyu.com/

And the address on the website points to this place on google maps.

Only a few stops out from Takamatsu and less than 1.5 miles from what I assume is Takada station (高田)

So near but.... oh I just haven't the time on this trip.

But the salt and the shoyu are certainly on the menu for things to bring home, so I'll hunt them out in a Takamatsu store. Good job this will my last proper day in Japan, I'm sure I'll be broke afterwards.

This is exactly the kind of recommendation I cherish. Thank you all over again!

Edited May 21, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[helenjp]

Actually the Kamebishi udon shop seems to be the least popular of the Kamebishi ventures...not that I can speak from personal experience.

[MoGa]

Actually the Kamebishi udon shop seems to be the least popular of the Kamebishi ventures...not that I can speak from personal experience.

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Oh. Is that where I pointed to on the map? I was hoping it was the place where they matured their soy products. (I didn't even realise they had an Udon Ya)

Still, it's not on the cards for me on this visit anyway, but a tour around a soya manufacturing facility certainly seems like a worthwhile venture should it be possible - and something I'd get more out of with the interpreting facility I married in tow

[helenjp]

No sorry, their udon shop is at a different location to the west of Takamatsu - your map location is closest to Ikenobe station, looks to be within Takamatsu city limits.

[Hiroyuki]

So, have you decided which restaurant and which type of sanuki udon to try, MoGa? If you could provide such info, as well as other preferences (how far from the station, seimenjo (noodle manufacturer) vs. high-end restaurant, etc.), I think I can provide you with some additional information.

Anyway, have a nice trip to Japan!

[MoGa]

So, have you decided which restaurant and which type of sanuki udon to try, MoGa?  If you could provide such info, as well as other preferences (how far from the station, seimenjo (noodle manufacturer) vs. high-end restaurant, etc.), I think I can provide you with some additional information.

←

I'm still working my way through the list. My plan for now is to make a personal google map with some of the restaurants on the Udon Map pinned onto it. This map I'll print out and take with me. I'm pretty set on chikusei for the moment though.

I'll assume for now that I'll be covering the area between the JR train station and

Ritsurin Koen and, naturally, I'll be prepared to be flexible if someone there gives me an earnest recommendation.

If you know of any places that would allow me to see udon being made, this is something I'd be particularly interested in. And I'm not too concerned with how picturesque the udon ya is. Obviously, if the restaurant is beautiful, then that's wonderful, but if it looks like a shed, that's wonderful too. (Just to give you a hint as to my tastes, I'm probably more fascinated with accounts of the day to day lives of Shimazaki Tōson's family than with chronicles of the shogunate or the minutiae of a geisha house, and I'd rather spend the evening in a shitamachi sento than having a facial at an upmarket spa. It's more the people than any locations that make 'Beautiful Japan' beautiful to me)

Basically, I'd love to know where you would head for were you to find yourself in Takamatsu for the day

JasonTrue, than you very much for expanding on your comments. I appreciate it.

[MoGa]

Takamatsu Udon Map Link

Please bear in mind that this is just work in progress for the moment.

The speciality of THE Don seems to be Curry Noodle, so It's unlikely there will be an update or report from me on this particular udon ya.

[Hiroyuki]

I'm pretty set on chikusei for the moment though.

I'll assume for now that I'll be covering the area between the JR train station and

Ritsurin Koen and, naturally, I'll be prepared to be flexible if someone there gives me an earnest recommendation.

JasonTrue, than you very much for expanding on your comments.  I appreciate it.

←

Sorry for a late response.

I think Chikusei is a good choice. (I found that the udon ya I had in mind were not in Takamatsu city. )

Have you decipher the basic information about Chikusei? It opens from 11:00 to 14:30, and it closes on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. As someone has already mentioned, it's very famous for its tempura, especially soft-boiled egg tempura. Some blogger says it serves the best sanuki udon in Takamatsu, while another says that their tempura is great but the udon is just so-so. (Well, every review is personal and subjective.) Chukusei mostly specializes in kake (normal, light, hot broth), not bukkake, tsuke, or shoyu.

Let me introduce Ikegami Seimenjo, run by a now very famous lady, Rumi Baachan.

http://www.sanuki-ikegami.co.jp/

It's in Takamatsu city, but you have to take a taxi to go there.

This particular seimenjo (noodle manufacuturer) has become very famous since that TV show, "Docchi no Ryori Show," introduced it. One type of udon house I'd like to visit some day.

[MoGa]

Have you decipher the basic information about Chikusei?  It opens from 11:00 to 14:30, and it closes on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.  As someone has already mentioned, it's very famous for its tempura, especially soft-boiled egg tempura.  Some blogger says it serves the best sanuki udon in Takamatsu, while another says that their tempura is great but the udon is just so-so.  (Well, every review is personal and subjective.)  Chukusei mostly specializes in kake (normal, light, hot broth), not bukkake, tsuke, or shoyu.

Let me introduce Ikegami Seimenjo, run by a now very famous lady, Rumi Baachan.

http://www.sanuki-ikegami.co.jp/

It's in Takamatsu city, but you have to take a taxi to go there.

This particular seimenjo (noodle manufacuturer) has become very famous since that TV show, "Docchi no Ryori Show," introduced it.  One type of udon house I'd like to visit some day.

←

Dang! I missed that part!

No Chikusei for me.

I found Sanuki Ikegami on Google Maps (it's not letting me save the address on the Udon Google Map, I'll try again later)

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/ikegami/index.html

The address is 高松市香川町川東下字高須899-1

That is a very long way out (and about 3.5 kms from the nearest station), not something I can afford to do on this occasion. Perhaps another time.

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Waraya

http://www.shikokumura.or.jp/intro/intro_08.html#waraya

It seems to be situated inside a park. Do I have to pay admission for this park on top of the price of the udon?

[Hiroyuki]

Have you decipher the basic information about Chikusei?  It opens from 11:00 to 14:30, and it closes on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.  As someone has already mentioned, it's very famous for its tempura, especially soft-boiled egg tempura.  Some blogger says it serves the best sanuki udon in Takamatsu, while another says that their tempura is great but the udon is just so-so.  (Well, every review is personal and subjective.)  Chukusei mostly specializes in kake (normal, light, hot broth), not bukkake, tsuke, or shoyu.

Let me introduce Ikegami Seimenjo, run by a now very famous lady, Rumi Baachan.

http://www.sanuki-ikegami.co.jp/

It's in Takamatsu city, but you have to take a taxi to go there.

This particular seimenjo (noodle manufacuturer) has become very famous since that TV show, "Docchi no Ryori Show," introduced it.  One type of udon house I'd like to visit some day.

←

Dang! I missed that part!

No Chikusei for me.

I found Sanuki Ikegami on Google Maps (it's not letting me save the address on the Udon Google Map, I'll try again later)

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/ikegami/index.html

The address is 高松市香川町川東下字高須899-1

That is a very long way out (and about 3.5 kms from the nearest station), not something I can afford to do on this occasion. Perhaps another time.

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Waraya

http://www.shikokumura.or.jp/intro/intro_08.html#waraya

It seems to be situated inside a park. Do I have to pay admission for this park on top of the price of the udon?

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What a beautiful park! I browsed through the pages, they do not explicitly say so, but I guess so because the restaurant is in the park. You have to pay admission (at least 800 yen per adult).

Edited to add this link:

http://s-udon.web.infoseek.co.jp/tikusei.htm

Chikusei is open on national holidays.

Edited May 23, 2008 by Hiroyuki (log)

[MoGa]

What a beautiful park! I browsed through the pages, they do not explicitly say so, but I guess so because the restaurant is in the park. You have to pay admission (at least 800 yen per adult).

←

Edited May 23, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[helenjp]

Although Waraya is part of Shikokumura, you don't have to pay the entrance fee to the park to go to the restaurant (it's right by the entrance, so I think you can enter either from the outside or from the park).

If you have the time it would be worth going to, because the restaurant (from memory...) looks like no other.

Yes, the Shikoku-mura park has a lot of traditional exhibits, and the setting was very natural and attractive when I saw it nearly 30 years ago, but it's a park, and as a garden doesn't compare to Ritsurin.

I think there is a tea-shop in Ritsurin, where you can sit outside on those red felt-covered benches and sip frothy whisked matcha while you look at the gardens - you can get a ticket that includes tea (and maybe a sweet to go with it) as a set with the garden entrance fee - cheaper than paying separately for the tea.

Entrance to the park 400 yen, entrance plus matcha/sweet set 1080 yen, entrance plus plain green tea/sweet set/880 yen. It is difficult to get the chance to have tea-ceremony tea outside this type of tea-house, so if you have never tried it, do consider it.

P.S. While Kurashiki has some lovely art museums, you would certainly end up paying quite a bit in entrance fees one way and another. The big theme park that is there now wasn't there when I last visited, so I don't know what the city itself is like these days.

P.P.S. Takamatsu people eat a LOT of udon, and they like it their own way - so even if you walked into the first every-day udon shop you saw, you would have to be unlucky not to have an experience that's different from other parts of Japan.

[MoGa]

Thanks helenjp, it's agonising trying to figure out what I can and can't do and justifying the expenses.

I can tell you think this side trip is worth taking and that's hugely encouraging. I was starting to question myself far too much.

Apart from Himeji and Ritsurin Koen, I'm not planning on paying admission anywhere. Hence the willingness to ditch Kurashiki (I was thinking of going for the architecture rather than the Art museums).

Thanks for strengthening my resolve. I have a gut feeling about Takamatsu, I should probably trust it!

[Hiroyuki]

I have checked most of the udon houses in Takamatsu (those in the circle) on the webpage linked to by Helen

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/maptakamatu.html

I think none of them is closed on Saturdays (except Chikusei, of course) and numbers 21 and 65, which have been closed.

Some comments:

THE Don does not specialize in curry udon. They specialize in donburi. They also offer sweets

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/don/index.html

Mori Seimenjo (#61) looks good. Look at the height of the kakiage! It's only 100 yen (at the time this webpage was created).

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/moriseimen/index.html

Ichiban ya (#45) offers a variety of tempura.

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/itibanya/index.html

Anyway, every udon house is good in its own way.

And, Matsushita (#17) looks good, too.

http://www.e-sanuki.com/udon/shop/matusita/index.html

The webpage says they serve the best hoso men (thin noodles).

Edited May 23, 2008 by Hiroyuki (log)