Tucked away on a quiet section of Street 288, Udon Café Green Bowl is only identified by a sandwich board on the sidewalk. With the front of this property still serving as a residential home, a walk down the side produces a quaint outdoor area and a small, cosy café. As the name suggests, the folk here do udon – and they do it very well.
The menus (there are several) can be a little confusing the first time you visit, but the friendly wait staff are quick to explain how it works. Each person is provided with their own order form and, just like you do in hospital, it’s a matter of ticking what you want as you work your way down the list (you won’t see boiled vegetables or jelly, though).
The first decision to make is whether you want hot or cold udon. The broth used in the hot udon is a classic Japanese soup called dashi topped, while the cold zaru-udon is served chilled with a soya dipping sauce, fresh grated ginger and spring onions on the side.
Would you like to add egg or some sukiyaki braised beef? The beaten egg is added into the hot broth and creates a lovely swirl around the noodles. The udon noodles themselves are made onsite by a Japanese chef using the traditional recipe of whole wheat, salt and water. These noodles are fat, soft and chewy, and when slurped from the bowl slide into your mouth with the ease of a lubricated oyster.
That’s the udon and broth sorted. Next come the toppings that complement the soup. These arrive in little bowls separate to the noodles and it’s up to you whether you toss them into the broth or keep them on the side. The seaweed I find is best added into the soup, as is the grated radish. A friend once ordered the kim-chi, which I would suggest is best kept on the side.
Once you have chosen the little extras you desire, it is time to ‘Umm’ and ‘Ahh’ over the type of tempura to order. There really is no questioning whether to order. Why would anyone say no to seafood and vegetables that are crispy and battered and flash fried? It’s always nice to see okra on a menu: here it’s available as a topping or tempura style.
The two generous-sized prawns go perfectly well with the hot udon broth. The mixed vegetables consist of two large balls of grated vegetables (sweet potato, green beans, onion and carrot) evenly coated in batter and fried to crispy perfection. Dip them in the tempura sauce or in the broth. Delicious.
The complete package is a cacophony of textures: smooth slippery noodles, warm broth and crunchy tempura that softens in the mouth. The dinner menu is more extensive, with sets that are really great value and a selection of classic Japanese dishes including agedashi-tofu, karage and sushi rolls.
Udon Café Green Bowl, #29b Street 288 (between Streets 57 and 63); 089 831007.