How to eat curry udon | Savor to the last drop, without splashing!
Curry udon is a favorite dish throughout Japan, beloved by people of all ages. It’s commonly found on the menu at noodle houses and casual, inexpensive local dining spots. But, enjoying this ubiquitous dish is fraught with peril – beware the brightly-colored broth splashing and staining your clothes. This time, we visited a specialty restaurant, Curry Udon Senkichi, to learn the smart way to enjoy this classic without any mess.
【Advised by】Curry Udon Senkichi（カレーうどん 千吉）
Table of Contents
Dress for success
Curry udon originated in the Meiji period, more than a hundred years ago. At the time, it was a novel fusion dish demonstrating the meeting of Japanese and western cultures.
Before you start, make sure you’re properly outfitted with a paper apron to protect your clothing. Most restaurants that serve curry udon will also provide similar paper aprons.
Savor Japanese flavor elements of the broth
For this article, we ordered the standard Senkichi Curry Udon with Rice and Tsukemono (Japanese pickles). First, let’s appreciate the dashi (Japanese-style broth), which is rich, creamy, and fills the palate with flavor.
Fold up a bite of udon
Now, let’s move on to the udon. To neatly enjoy this dish, it’s best to fold up the udon into a bite-sized parcel. Pick up a single udon noodle with your chopsticks, and fold it over itself about three times until it’s compact enough to eat in a single bite.
Add kona togarashi (powdered chili)
If you enjoy a bit of heat, try adding some of the kona togarashi (powdered chili) provided at the table.
A little goes a long way, so start with a light touch.
Add toppings
At Curry Udon Senkichi, there are a number of delightful toppings to choose from, such as yasai kakiage (vegetable fritters) and katsu (breaded and fried cutlets). This time, we ordered ajitama (seasoned boiled egg) and cheese.
You simply cannot go wrong with curry and cheese, so let’s start from there. It’s tempting to dump in the entire serving, but let’s save about half to enjoy later.
After you’ve enjoyed some of the udon, add the ajitama. Let it soak up the broth until it turns yellow – a sure sign of great flavor!
Finish with rice
Once you have finished your udon, the staff at Curry Udon Senkichi recommend putting steamed rice into your remaining soup.
Adding the rice transforms your soup into an experience reminiscent of zosui (rice porridge) And of course, curry and rice are a natural pairing!
Add cheese and make your own doria?
Remember that cheese we saved? Add it to the rice to create your own cheese curry doria (rice gratin)! Three distinctly delicious experiences from a single dish… what a wonderful treat!
Today, we learned the smart way to enjoy curry udon, savoring delicious flavors all the way down to the last drop – while avoiding the mess! Master these techniques, and you’ll be able to fearlessly order curry udon whenever the craving strikes, without fearing for your clothes!
* The published information is current as of September 2022. Prices and other details are subject to change.
This curry udon specialty restaurant uses carefully selected wide, flat noodles to perfectly match their signature Japanese dashi-based soup that is accentuated with over 30 spices, and milk for creaminess.
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