I visited after a long time and had the burdock tempura udon. The burdock tempura was fried in a ring shape and looked beautiful. The udon noodles were also unique and delicious as always. However, the burdock tempura udon had increased to 1000 yen, so having udon for 1000 yen is not something you can easily eat without feeling the price. With various factors like wheat flour, oil, labor costs increasing, it's understandable. Thank you for the meal.

I ordered the chicken tempura udon at the most delicious Hakata udon place! The broth was indeed golden in color, made mainly with kombu and with a light flavor of salt and soy sauce. The noodles were thin, soft, yet had a good chewiness to them. The chicken tempura was crispy and the meat was tender and very delicious! The thinly sliced green onions added a nice aroma and texture. I could feel the owner's dedication in every detail. Next time, I want to try the zaru udon!

This is my number one udon in my life! It's near my office, so I go there for lunch once every two weeks. The noodles are thin and soft, and slide down smoothly. When I have time, I want to get the large serving. Especially the tantan udon in the photo is the best, I highly recommend it to those who love soft udon. It's not crowded at night, so you can eat slowly.

It's been a while since I visited Buden-san. When you come to Buden-san, you have to eat this huge Gobo Tempura. The Gobo Tempura Udon costs 1,000 yen. Udon for 1,000 yen... in today's high cost of living, it's not an easy price range. However, I bravely added an extra 210 yen for meat. The smooth medium noodles in the clear broth make you want to slurp up every last drop. When you're tired, this is what you crave. I will definitely visit again.

I arrived at the restaurant on a regular night around 7pm. About 70% of the tables were occupied, and most people were calmly enjoying their drinks. I ordered a udon with burdock tempura and a chikuwa tempura. The udon noodles were thinner than I expected, more like Inaniwa udon from Akita. The portion of noodles was generous, and the delicious broth was very comforting. The most impressive part was the large burdock tempura. Although it was a bit pricey, it was a good place to leisurely enjoy some drinks and udon. I enjoyed the meal, thank you.

On this day, I felt like eating something refreshing, so I decided to go for udon noodles and visited this place. Before entering the restaurant, I quickly glanced at the menu placed outside the entrance, then went inside. I chose the refreshing umekatsuo bukkake udon (1,000 yen) at the ticket machine on the right as I entered. I was also interested in the tempura, but I decided to try that next time. It was 2:00 pm when I visited, and inside the restaurant, there were 3 office workers and 1 couple with a child. I was guided to a table for 4 in the back and handed over my meal ticket. After waiting for 10 minutes, my udon was served. When it was brought to me, the server explained the shichimi spice on the table. The shichimi spice ranges from mild to spicy starting from the black one on the right. I poured soy sauce over the noodles and started eating right away. The thin noodles were firm and quite chewy, which was different from what I had imagined. When I think of Kyushu udon, I usually imagine the soft noodles of Hakata udon, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. As I mixed the noodles, I crushed the plum and carefully mixed it into the noodles. It refreshed my mouth and was truly refreshing. The portion was on the smaller side, so I felt a bit unsatisfied in that regard, but the taste exceeded my expectations. After finishing my meal, as I left the restaurant, the kitchen and floor staff energetically thanked me with a "Thank you very much."

I felt like having some udon for lunch, so I visited the restaurant. I remember having delicious udon at the Shinbashi branch about 10 years ago, but it seems like the branch has closed down now. It used to be a member of the Tsudaya-style Bizen Uchiawase Association, but it looks like they have left the association at some point. Interestingly, the Musashi Fukuoka PARCO branch is now a member of the association. I had the burdock tempura udon. It was quite filling, and the burdock tempura looked great for social media, but it was a bit hard to eat (laughs). The broth had a gentle flavor and was tasty. The noodles were thin and had a smooth texture. Personally, I prefer thicker noodles with more chewiness. Overall, I think this udon is decent, but there are more affordable udon restaurants nearby, so the cost performance is not the best.

On February 17, 2023, I visited a restaurant called "武膳" in Tokyo, which serves udon noodles from Buzen City, Fukuoka. I purchased a ticket for a warm "kake" style udon with "gobo tempura" and an additional ticket for shrimp tempura. The gobo tempura was surprisingly large, covering the udon bowl. The udon noodles were soft and thin, different from the firm udon noodles I am used to. The broth was clear and not soy sauce-based, with a hint of bonito flavor. The shrimp tempura was unnecessary as the gobo tempura was filling. Overall, I enjoyed the unique texture and flavor of the udon noodles from Buzen City.

This is a very light and thin udon. I wonder if this is what Fukuoka's Buzen udon is like. It's delicious, but it feels a bit lacking in flavor. The tempura udon comes with a separate plate of assorted tempura. The prices are a bit high. It can be a bit hectic during lunchtime.

Visited the restaurant again on February 6, 2023. My boss, who is from Fukuoka, suggested going to a nearby restaurant called "Buzen" for lunch, which I thought was a good idea. We arrived around 12:30 and the restaurant was quite busy. I ordered the Golden Curry Tsukemen with a side of rice. The dish arrived in about 5 minutes. I had been curious about the curry tsukemen since trying the tempura soba last time, so I chose it without hesitation. The curry came out slightly thick, but when you add the broth it becomes thin and easy to drink. It had onions and finely chopped meat inside, and the spiciness was just right. It went well with the noodles, and even tasted good when mixed with the rice at the end. By the way, my Fukuoka-born boss ordered the tempura udon but wasn't completely satisfied (lol).

I didn't know what Buzen Udon was, but judging from the name, it must be udon from Fukuoka. I ordered the sesame onion meat udon. The udon noodles were quite thin, which I liked, and had a good chewiness typical of Fukuoka udon. The broth was incredibly delicious and paired well with the sweet meat. There were three types of chili peppers on the table for some reason, so I tried sprinkling a little of the mildest one, but it ended up being insanely spicy (laughs).

I felt like having Buzen Udon, so I bought a meal ticket from the vending machine near the entrance. I purchased the "Gobo Tempura for 980 yen," which seemed a bit pricey, but there was a notice of a price increase due to rising costs, so it was understandable. The Gobo Tempura was a large piece of deep-fried burdock root, which was very satisfying to eat. I made sure to eat the crispy parts first and saved the softer parts for later, but eating a large amount of burdock root did get a bit monotonous. Next time, I'll try the chicken or bamboo shoot tempura instead. The noodles were smooth and had a good texture, different from the soft noodles in Hakata style ramen. It was delicious and I thought it was a nice change from the usual. They also offer curry dipping noodles, which I heard are popular, but I was intrigued by the spicy seven spice seasoning. There were three levels of spiciness, and the medium level was quite spicy. I've been eating a lot of Sanuki Udon recently, but I realized that it's nice to try different types of udon once in a while.

○ === Summary === ○ - Probably a backstroke meeting in Ogawa-cho's Buzen udon - The broth is super delicious♥ - Wait time 10 minutes (July/Tuesday 11:25~) ○ === Today's Menu === ○ - Sesame onion meat udon 950 yen ○ === Greetings === ○ - Hi, good morning, good evening! Here's a review on Tabelog with a rating of 3.43 (July 2022) for some noodle adventures in Ogawa-cho♥ Searched for [Buzen] and found several stores. Is this also a backstroke meeting? The [Fukuoka Parco store] is listed on the official backstroke meeting website. Visited the branch in Ogawa-cho in Tokyo♡ ○ === Visit Experience === ○ - Arrived at 11:25, no wait outside, one customer already inside. More customers started coming in around 11:30. The two staff members were lively and efficient in serving. ○ === Serving Experience === ○ - Ordered the "sesame onion meat udon" at 11:35. Lots of green onions! The gluten-rich Buzen backstroke meeting noodles stood out with a warm noodle experience. Opted for meat udon♥ ○ === Taste Experience === ○ - Enjoyed the meal. The soup was delicious, with sweet simmered beef, plenty of green onions, and a gentle yet flavorful broth. The noodles had a unique chewy texture, but didn't quite match the backstroke meeting style. Maybe warm noodles have a different effect? It didn't quite meet my expectations of transparency and a unique sticky, chewy texture... ○ === Conclusion === ○ - Thank you for the meal~ (๑°༥°๑) ŧ‹"ŧ‹" The soup was tasty, but the noodles didn't quite match the backstroke meeting style I had in mind. If they could achieve more transparency and a unique sticky, chewy texture, it would be even better... ┐(´〜｀)┌ Not quite there yet. -==========

Gobo Tempura Udon for 900 yen. It had been about four years since my last visit. I came to the restaurant once during the midst of the pandemic, but they were closed for evening hours at that time. It was quite a long time since I last visited. It was a weekday around 6:30 pm. There were plenty of seats available at this time. I ordered my usual Gobo Tempura Udon. After a while, the freshly fried tempura arrived. The soup was piping hot with a gentle and just right dashi flavor. The tempura was crispy on the outside. It was a bit firm, but personally, I like it that way. The part soaked in the soup also softened the batter, which was also good. Although I didn't use it, having shichimi spice on the table was a nice touch. I should come here more often. I would like to try a different menu next time, but it's hard to resist the Gobo Tempura once I have it.

I occasionally visit a restaurant that serves Hakata udon. While it doesn't have as much firmness as Sanuki udon, it still has a good chewiness and a great texture. I love Hakata udon because of its refreshing taste. This time, I tried the cold udon with burdock tempura and grated radish for the first time. It has a striking appearance and tastes good. Cold udon is also delicious! However, I couldn't help but think that the burdock tempura would go better with dashi broth.

There are more and more restaurants in Tokyo that follow the tradition of the Tsudaya-style Urauchi-kai originating from Kokura, but the first to open was "Buzen" in Kanda Ogawamachi and Chitose-Karasuyama (although both are not listed as members of the Urauchi-kai). I hadn't been to this restaurant in a while, and when I tried to go last year, it was closed for the day, so it had been a while since my last visit. It was a weekday night, and while in the past the place would be filled with about 60-70% regular customers, this time there were only two groups and the rest were customers like myself, just there for a meal. The menu offers kake udon for 580 yen, zaru udon or tamago bukkake udon for 680 yen and up. Compared to Sanuki udon, the prices are not cheap, but that's because Sanuki udon is priced unusually low. However, compared to ramen, the prices are reasonable. The menu is selective, with options like mentaiko cream udon and tantan udon catching the eye, but I decided to go with the gobou tempura udon for 850 yen. At night, you order at the table instead of using a ticket machine. When they found out my order was non-alcoholic, they asked if I wanted my tea cold or hot, showing their attention to customer service. The background music was jazz piano at a low volume. The udon is cooked after you order, so it takes a bit of time. The gobou tempura was large, and the presentation was three-dimensional, a common sight in Urauchi-kai restaurants. The udon was first-rate, with a firm texture and transparency, quite different from the typical Hakata udon, which is known for its soft and plump texture. When you lift it with chopsticks, it stretches satisfyingly. The gobou tempura had a nice earthy flavor, but the portion was a bit too much to handle. It might be better to dip it in the broth halfway through eating. The clear broth was rich in flavor from small fish and kombu, with a clean and elegant taste. The negi and wakame were nice accents. While the udon is delicious on its own, it's best enjoyed as a finishing touch after a drink or two. The restaurant offers a variety of alcoholic beverages, and the thinner udon slides down the throat more easily after a few drinks. The different levels of spiciness of the chili peppers on the table, a common condiment in Urauchi-kai restaurants, can also be fun to experiment with. Overall, it was a great meal.

I arrived in Ochanomizu around 13:00 for a business meeting at 14:00 in Jinbocho, after being delayed by work in the morning. I realized I wouldn't make it to the meeting without eating lunch, so I decided to find a nearby restaurant after checking the location of my appointment. Originally, I had planned to have Nepalese cuisine, but ended up choosing udon instead. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, but you had to purchase meal tickets. I wanted to try curry udon, but it was sold out, so I ordered plain udon with chikuwa tempura. The food arrived in about 3 minutes. The bowl looked like it was made of Tobe ware, but the color of the clay seemed slightly different. The udon was thin and soft, with a clear and gentle dashi broth. The thinly sliced green onions were a nice touch. Drinking the soup from the wooden lotus blossom scoop was even more delicious than I had imagined. The soft udon paired well with it. The chikuwa tempura was cut in half vertically and was crispy and enjoyable at 17 cm long. I savored the crunchy texture before dipping it in the soup to soften it, enjoying the contrast in textures. The soup was so delicious that I drank every last drop, something I hadn't done in a while.

I had some errands to run in the direction of Tokyo Station and had some time, so I visited the restaurant right after it opened. There weren't many customers at first, but they gradually increased as time passed. It seems to be quite popular. I had assumed it was an uradashi-kai (udon noodle made by kneading and rolling the dough by hand) shop because it was called Buzen Udon, but when I took a bite of the udon, I thought, "Huh? The noodles are different." That was my initial impression. Nevertheless, it was delicious in its own way, but since I had completely associated it with uradashi-kai, I was a bit confused by the difference in front of me. There may be others like me who go there thinking it's uradashi-kai udon. I just wanted to let someone know that it's different, so I'm writing this review. As for the restaurant, the broth is very tasty. This is the delicious udon broth from Fukuoka. The noodles are thin and have a good texture. I would like to go back again once the pandemic is over.

On July 30th, I visited a recommended Kyushu udon restaurant with my boss for the first time. We arrived just before lunch, so there were only two other customers. I ordered the Koboten Udon (900 yen), while my boss ordered the Cold Udon with curry sauce, which came with a mini rice bowl. The Koboten Udon may look surprising at first, with 5-6 round, log-shaped tempura toppings, but it is a common sight in Kyushu, especially in Kokura. The taste was excellent, and the noodles resembled Goto Udon, although my boss mentioned that the texture was adjusted to suit Tokyo preferences. As we were leaving, I asked an elderly female staff member if the noodles were Goto Udon, to which she replied, "We use Buzen Udon here." It was then that I realized I had misunderstood the restaurant name during the conversation. It seems that the staff member thought I was referring to the region, not the specific type of udon. The restaurant is located in the Kanda Ogawamachi area, so it was understandable.

Golden curry dipping udon for 970 yen with free large size, comes with rice. I opted for the hot option. First, I tried the noodles alone... Smooth texture, subtle saltiness, personally I really like it. Then I dipped it in the curry... Delicious! The first bite was unexpected with a hint of spice in the broth, but from the second bite onwards, it was incredibly tasty. Halfway through, I poured the hot broth that came with it into the curry! Now it tasted like the traditional curry broth! Equally delicious! Lastly, I mixed the leftover curry with rice (maybe the other way around would have been better) and finished it all. I recommend getting it hot so the curry doesn't cool down too quickly.

Located in a side street of Ogawa-cho, I stumbled upon a Hakata udon restaurant that caught my eye. I decided to go in and purchased a ticket for the "Tempura Rice Bowl Set with Zaru Udon" at the ticket machine near the entrance. The udon noodles were medium thickness with a slightly soft texture, and the broth was on the sweeter side. The tempura rice bowl had a hint of egg flavor. Thank you for the delicious meal!