Specialising in Artisan Udon handmade daily, Haruyama Udon has opened its first restaurant at Tampines 1. Its commitment to quality udon ensures a dining experience that truly captures the essence of Japanese culinary tradition. The menu features four Artisan Udon from all around Japan, namely Himokawa from Gunma Prefecture, Sanuki from Kagawa Prefecture, Inaniwa from Akita Prefecture, and Hoto from Yamanashi Prefecture.

While we are generally familiar with udon as a type of thick wheat flour noodle, the texture and characteristics of udon vary from region to region in Japan. Himokawa udon is extremely wide and flat and is very smooth and slippery, with a chewy consistency. More commonly seen in the local food scene, Sanuki udon is thick and chewy with a firm texture.

On the other hand, Inaniwa udon is thin and smooth, soft and silky, with a slightly chewy bite. Dense and chewy, Hoto udon is a thick and flat, roughly cut noodle — much like our ban mian or pan mee.

If you enjoy the chewiness of udon, you have to try the following dishes from Haruyama Udon.

Inaniwa Udon

Yasai Ten Udon ($14) features assorted vegetable tempura along with the thin Inaniwa udon, wakame and naruto in a flavourful hot broth. This is a classic but simple dish that lets you revel in the freshness of the ingredients.

Himokawa Udon

If you prefer to have more protein in your meal, Tenzaru ($16) has prawn tempura in addition to the assorted vegetable tempura. As it is a cold udon, it comes with garnishes like spring onion, wasabi and tempura flakes, and two dipping sauces: mentsuyu (the typical udon dipping sauce) and goma dare (sesame sauce).

For those that like their udon in Japanese curry, you can go for the White Curry Udon ($14). It features the wide Himokawa udon in a sea of Japanese curry, under a thick layer of potato mousse. The creamy mousse, when mixed with the curry, lends the dish a mellow taste, which can even be enjoyed by people who don’t take spice.

Hoto Udon

Topped with minced chicken in spicy miso, bird’s eye chilli and basil, the Spicy Basil Chicken ($16) may remind you of our local dry pan mee, except it is made with the thick and flat Hoto udon. This dish comes with a small bowl of dashi (clear broth soup), presenting it with more Japanese flavour. As this flavourful udon rendition may better appeal to our locals’ tastebuds, it is easily one of the most popular dishes.

Sanuki Udon

Unlike all the other dishes mentioned, Ebi Yaki Udon ($16) is pan-fried and delivered with a smoky, fragrant wok hei. Much like the street food yakisoba, this dish is cooked with cabbage, carrot and egg, with the addition of succulent prawns. The flavour and texture may also remind you of our stir-fried bee tai mak.

Small Bites

If you need some side dishes to complete your meal, you can try the Sriracha Mayo Tako Karaage ($10). The chewy, lightly battered, fried octopus goes well with the rich flavours of the sriracha mayonnaise. You can also warm up your body with the Oden ($10) that features egg, fish cakes and daikon in a savoury broth.

Lunch Promotion

Starting from 5 August 2024, every udon ordered will come with free sides including House Cabbage, Chicken Karaage (two pieces) and hot or iced Ocha. This deal is available from Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm, excluding public holidays.

Final Thoughts

Haruyama Udon is a must-try if you are a fan of udon. Instead of travelling to the different Japanese regions to try the udon, this is where you can get all four udon types in one place, especially those that are not so commonly available. Haruyama Udon is also in the process of getting the Muis Halal Certification, which means more people can savour the goodness of udon.

Haruyama Udon
Location: 10 Tampines Central, #B1-09 Tampines 1, Singapore 529536
Opening hours: 11am - 10pm
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*This was an invited media tasting.

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