I saw on Tabelog that there was a mention of the "best udon in Tokyo" and decided to check it out when I had the chance in Kinshicho. The result was indeed a very delicious Sanuki udon with a firm texture, priced at just 500 yen. It was not only tasty but also had great value for money. I had only been to Oniyanma in Shinbashi, a famous udon shop in Tokyo, before. But the udon at this place was more than ten times better than Oniyanma's. It is safe to say that this place is indeed the best udon in Tokyo. The place in question is the renowned udon shop called Junteuchi Sanuki Udon Goro, which has been selected as one of the top 100 udon shops in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. The location of the shop is a 5-minute walk from the south exit of Kinshicho Station on the JR Sobu Main Line. The shop is located in the middle of the drinking district of Kinshicho. When I arrived at the shop around 3:00 pm on a weekday, there was only a line of three people, who were ladies from nearby snack bars. The atmosphere inside the shop was great, and I felt like I could easily join them after finishing my udon. The shop was about 50% full, and I was able to enter immediately after the cleanup was done. The udon at Junteuchi Sanuki Udon Goro seems to be in the lineage of the famous shop Miyata Udon in Kotohira-cho, Kagawa Prefecture. Kagawa Prefecture is also known as Sanuki, which was its name in the Edo period. Miyata Udon is a popular shop in the mountains of Shikoku, known for its delicious and firm udon with long queues. The shop owner often appears on TV, making the shop even more famous. When I was in Takamatsu for about three years, the locals would say it was strange to wait in a long line just to eat udon at Miyata Udon. Therefore, I never got the chance to visit. Instead, I frequented a famous udon shop on Yashima or Goyashiki near Tokushima, as I knew some people there. The udon at Junteuchi Sanuki Udon Goro is priced at 500 yen for a small bowl and 700 yen for a large bowl, as indicated on the menu. The menu includes hot udon, cold udon, soy sauce udon, etc., but it may be difficult for regular people to understand. It seems that the shop has inherited the use of unique codes that only regulars or locals can understand. In the Edo period, to easily distinguish spies from the Tokugawa shogunate, they used dialects and codes that only locals could understand. This habit seems to have persisted to this day. This time, I ignored the complicated menu and ordered cold zaru udon with small bowls, squid tempura, and mushroom tempura.

I had known about this udon restaurant for a while, but due to its limited opening days (only three days a week) and short business hours during the day, I hadn't been able to visit. Today, I happened to have some errands nearby and some extra time, so I decided to give it a try. However, I was once again fooled by the business hours listed on Tabelog. Although the opening time was listed as 1:00 PM, when I arrived 15 minutes early, there was already a long line and the restaurant was full, with people even finishing their meals and leaving. After eating, I asked the staff and found out that they actually open around noon. Despite the delay compared to before, I waited about 40 minutes and finally got in. Although I should have tried the udon with strong iriko dashi broth as it was my first time at the restaurant, I prefer bukkake style, so I chose the soy sauce udon with yuzu (flavored only with dashi soy sauce and yuzu). I added spicy grated daikon radish and tempura (since the chicken tempura was sold out, I chose eggplant and egg). The eggplant tempura was crispy and the egg was runny, both delicious. The udon had a smooth surface, thick and chewy with a strong koshi (bite), truly authentic Sanuki udon texture that I love. It was quite substantial and satisfying. Topped with grated daikon radish, green onions, and tempura crumbs, drizzled with dashi soy sauce, I devoured the large portion in no time. Despite the long line, I feel fortunate to be able to enjoy Sanuki udon of this quality in Tokyo.

In the back alley of the south exit of Kinshicho Station. Before 11:30 am, there were 3 people waiting. I ordered the "Shoyu Udon Set" which allows you to enjoy both shoyu udon and kake udon. I chose kombu tempura as a topping. The shoyu udon (warm broth) was lightly flavored with a refreshing accent of yuzu. The kake udon (cold udon) was topped with shoyu and yuzu. The thick noodles had a strong chewy texture and were delicious. When you visit this shop, I recommend trying the kake udon (cold udon) with kombu tempura. The shop is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and rainy days seem to be the best time to visit.

On a hot day, I had a chilled udon set which was both refreshing and delicious. The set included both cold udon noodles and udon noodles in hot broth, so it was quite filling. The tempura topping I ordered was perfect in taste. When you visit this restaurant, make sure to order the tempura!

I arrived around 11:30 and there was about a 15-person wait. We lined up outside and had to wait for a while, but there were plenty of umbrellas provided near the entrance for shade. I didn't notice them until after I started lining up, so I couldn't grab one and ended up waiting for over 30 minutes. I ordered a set meal with two types of tempura. The food was served fairly quickly after ordering, but considering the wait time, it might be tough for a quick lunch break. I thought the udon would be served quickly due to its nature, but many people seemed to be enjoying their meals slowly. The noodles had a very strong texture, and I had to eat quickly due to time constraints, which made it a bit difficult to chew (laughs). The soy sauce and cold udon were both delicious. I added dashi soy sauce and yuzu to the soy sauce one, which made it refreshing and easy to eat. The set meal was quite large for a woman. The tempura was freshly fried and tasty, but I was quite full and it was a bit overwhelming. The prices on Tabelog were higher than expected.

On a regular basis, this restaurant can only be visited on limited days. I hadn't been able to go for a while, but I was finally able to visit after a long time! On Friday around 1:30 pm, there was a line of about 15 people. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I was able to enter the restaurant. Some of the tempura options were already sold out, and the only ones left were shiitake mushrooms and eggs. There was also kombu (kelp) and small fish cakes available. I had a hard time deciding, but I ended up ordering the soy sauce udon set for 800 yen. I chose a small portion of soy sauce udon and a small portion of cold udon. I couldn't resist ordering the kombu and small fish cakes tempura for 150 yen as well. First, I tried the soy sauce udon without any toppings. The udon had a perfect amount of saltiness and a strong chewy texture, it was really delicious. The cold udon also had a gentle and tasty broth. It was also delicious! They also offered a hot broth for 100 yen, so I ordered that as well. The broth was versatile and could be enjoyed on its own or with the leftover udon. It was a fantastic meal!

Today, I took the afternoon off to refresh myself and took a leisurely walk to Kinshicho. It's Wednesday, so I decided to try this place. Around 1:30 pm, I waited in a line of about 10 people for about 20 minutes. I ordered the soy sauce udon set (800 yen), which includes two types of udon - soy sauce broth (small) and cold udon (small). Of course, you can also choose hot or cold udon separately. I also ordered squid tempura (160 yen) and eggplant tempura (140 yen) as side dishes. The soy sauce udon is seasoned with only green onions, and you can adjust the flavor with soy sauce and yuzu citrus juice on the table. The udon itself was incredibly chewy with a great texture, not just firm but also with a nice bounce. The soy sauce on the table was from Kagawa Maruo Brewery, and the yuzu was from the Kochi Prefecture Agricultural Cooperative, giving an authentic taste. The cold udon was refreshing with a clean dashi broth. The tempura was perfectly fried with no greasiness. Honestly, the udon exceeded my expectations. It truly deserves its reputation as one of the top 100 udon shops. They pay attention to every detail, from the flour sourced from Kagawa to the water used in kneading the dough. They are only open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but I definitely want to come back for another refreshing meal. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I arrived at the restaurant at 11:45, but was momentarily daunted by the line of nearly 20 people. However, I didn't give up and decided to wait in line. I thought the udon would be served quickly because it's udon, but ended up waiting for about 30 minutes before getting seated. Just in time for lunch break. I ordered the popular soy sauce udon set with cold toppings of squid and eggplant tempura. The soy sauce udon was not the dark color that people in Tokyo might imagine, but rather a light broth. This must be the light soy sauce from Kansai. The cold toppings were served on cold plain udon with dashi soy sauce and yuzu. I hesitated on which one to start with, but decided to start with the soy sauce udon. The broth was delicious. And the noodles were very thick. I was worried if they would go well with the light broth, but the udon itself was delicious. The thick noodles didn't slide down easily, but had a good chewy texture. They were thicker and more flavorful than the Sanuki (style?) udon I've had before. It's amazing. It's clear that they pay attention to the water quality. And the cold toppings were also delicious. I love yuzu, and the flavor came through strongly, not just a subtle hint like in delicate salt ramen. So delicious. Oh no, I definitely want to come back for this. I was thinking that while eating.

Limited to certain days of the week and lunchtime, this narrow gate is one of the top Sanuki udon restaurants in the Kinshicho area. I joined the line at 2:15 PM on a Friday. Even after lunch hour, there were still 10 people waiting in line, a sign of its popularity. After waiting for 20 minutes, I was finally able to enter. Once inside, I was seated at the counter and placed my order. After a 15-minute wait, the udon finally arrived. I took my time savoring it, thinking that the time taken to prepare it must have been well worth it. I ordered the soy sauce udon set (small soy sauce udon + small cold udon), along with tempura (mini chikuwa & kombu, chicken tempura). The udon noodles had an incredible firmness, with a strong thickness and length that provided a satisfying chewiness and a rich sweetness. Even in the small size, the udon had a strong presence that made it feel filling. They use water from the Chichibu Okutama underground flow, which results in a clear, refreshing bowl of udon without any bitterness. The tempura was also unique, with the chicken tempura having a fried chicken-like texture, and the kombu tempura being a first for me. Payment is cash only.

Today I had lunch in Kinshicho. I finally got the chance to visit this udon restaurant that I've been curious about since it was listed in the Top 100 Udon Restaurants in 2022. I arrived at 1:00 PM on a Wednesday and there was a line of about 15 people outside the restaurant. It was sunny, but the restaurant provided umbrellas for those waiting in line, even though it wasn't raining. After waiting for about 20 minutes, I finally entered the restaurant. While waiting, I looked at the menu and placed my order. I ordered the soy sauce udon set for 800 yen and added a chikuwa tempura for 150 yen. I chose a small portion of the soy sauce udon and a small portion of the "hiya-hiya" udon, which is a cold noodle dish. Other options included hot noodles with hot broth, cold noodles with hot broth, and a combination of both. My udon arrived in less than 5 minutes. The "hiya-hiya" udon was delicious with its cold broth and chewy noodles. The soy sauce udon, when topped with soy sauce and yuzu, had a refreshing taste with the acidity of the yuzu complementing the soy sauce. I really enjoyed both varieties of udon. The hot chikuwa tempura was large and satisfying, especially when eaten in between bites of the chewy udon. I would love to come back to this Sanuki udon restaurant again. The udon here was truly delicious. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

The group consisted of 5-6 people, and the sun was strong but they provided parasols which was helpful. Since there were mostly solo customers, they were able to be seated in about 15 minutes. Everyone ordered the 2-item set, while the reviewer's friend ordered the set and the reviewer, who was on a diet, ordered a small single item with tempura. The reviewer accidentally poured soy sauce on the tempura without hesitation, but the flavor was strong (too salty, mistake). The noodles were firm and satisfying, but when the reviewer tried the soy sauce and yuzu set udon from their friend, they realized they should have ordered the set – it was so delicious! When they left, there was another line of 5-6 people waiting. They want to go back on a weekday afternoon.

I arrived at the restaurant around 12:20 on Friday, May 5, and it was almost full inside. By the time I left, there were about 3 groups waiting outside. I had a simple and delicious cold udon, which had a good texture. It was perfect for a hot day. The mini fish cake and kelp tempura were also tasty, with a strong flavor.

I went for lunch. Although it said it opens at 13:00, when I arrived at 12:30, it was already open. I had the cold and hot noodles with large pieces of onion and shiitake mushrooms tempura. The noodles were thick and firm. The broth was made with dried fish stock and was slightly spicy. It was delicious.

I arrived right at 11 o'clock. There are about 20 people waiting in line. Couldn't get in on the first rotation. After that, I entered in about 15 minutes. I ordered bukkake udon large and added chicken and eggplant tempura. It arrived about 5-6 minutes later. The udon noodles are very chewy. I thought the chewiness was a bit too much. The chicken tempura was different from what I imagined. Having tried many delicious udon noodles in Osaka, I felt a bit unsatisfied with this one. It's delicious, but... that's how I felt.

JR Kinshicho Station South Exit, about a 3-minute walk away, there is a Sanuki udon restaurant located on a narrow path off one street from Keiyo Street. (Visited on a weekday around 12:20 pm. There were about 15 people waiting in line in front of the store. Waited for about 20 minutes before being able to enter.) I ordered a soy sauce udon (hot) and a cold udon (small) combination. It was my first time visiting, so I was happy to be able to try different types little by little. The soy sauce udon is topped with soy sauce and yuzu. You can enjoy the straight flavor of the udon and the chewiness and texture that are the characteristics of the store. The cold udon comes with cold broth and udon, so you can feel the chewiness of the udon similar to the soy sauce udon, and enjoy the taste of the slightly acidic broth. The soy sauce udon set (hot udon) includes hot broth and udon, which is milder compared to the cold broth. The udon maintains its chewiness and texture without getting soggy due to the temperature. The Kitsune Croquette, which I thought was a potato croquette, turned out to be a potato salad. It is stuffed inside fried tofu, but it may not be the best match with the udon. The Mini Chikuwa & Konbu Chikuwa were average, with the konbu having a slight sweetness and umami flavor. Thank you for the meal.

The nearest station is JR Kinshicho Station, a store that always has long lines. Today, I thought it might be less crowded because it looks like it's going to rain, so I visited for lunch. It was just past 12 o'clock, and there were over 10 people lined up, but I convinced myself that it was on the shorter side and joined the line. After about 30 minutes, I was seated. I ordered soy sauce udon (500 yen) and a mini tempura of fish cake and kelp (150 yen). The udon was well squeezed in cold water, with a strong and chewy texture, and a good amount of saltiness that stimulates the appetite. Normally, chewing it can tire out your jaw, but today it was a bit easier to eat. Sprinkling fried tempura bits, adding soy sauce and yuzu to create a delicious flavor that blends well with the noodles. This taste is addictive, so I usually order this. The kelp tempura was very delicious. I wonder if it's possible to have two kelps instead of one kelp and one fish cake. Probably not possible. Today's udon was delicious as always. Thank you for the meal.

I visited around 1 pm on a weekday. Despite the change in business hours to start at 12 pm, the place was already full with 5 people waiting outside. I decided on my order while waiting in line as there were menus outside, and as soon as I was seated, I placed my order. The service was fast, and the turnover was good. I ordered the hot soy sauce udon set with kisu tempura. I hesitated between ordering small or large portions, but the person who ordered large said they got tired of it, so I went with two small portions, which turned out to be the right choice. The noodles were very thick, especially the cold udon had a great texture. You can enjoy the soy sauce udon with either raw soy sauce or yuzu sauce. The hot udon had delicious broth, and it was tasty to dip the tempura in it. Personally, I felt that I would have preferred the noodles to be a bit thinner. Despite the crowd, the restaurant was spacious and comfortable. Thank you for the meal.

I had a rare day off on a weekday, so I finally had the chance to visit this restaurant that I couldn't go to before due to their limited operating days and hours. We arrived at 12pm on a weekday and had to wait for about 20 minutes for a table for 8 people. I ordered the soy sauce udon set with a generous serving of tempura. The udon noodles were thick and chewy, and the highlight was the kombu tempura which I tried for the first time. It was so delicious that I couldn't decide whether to order more. Originally from Kansai, I had fewer opportunities to eat udon since moving to Tokyo, so this meal was a real treat for me. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I took a day off to come and eat here. Thank you for always serving delicious udon. The taste is truly unique. I always wonder why this udon is so delicious as I eat it. I need to take another day off to come back again...

The hand-cut, thick and square udon noodles with a slight twist, boasting the strongest chewiness, is undoubtedly a signature style of Miyata Udon. I ordered the soy sauce udon set (800 yen) with the option of hot or cold. When it comes to Sanuki udon, it's all about the smoothness and chewiness. These noodles are incredibly chewy, providing a satisfying eating experience. As a fan of noodles, whether it's udon, ramen, or tsukemen, I simply enjoyed the deliciousness of the noodles here. The broth, soy sauce, and yuzu are all well-crafted! For those who love noodles, I highly recommend trying the distinctive noodles here.

I always go to Sanuki Udon Goro, which always has a long line. I visited for the second time within 2 weeks! There were 4 groups waiting, and I think I waited for about 20 minutes. Since it was hot, I ordered a soy sauce udon set with chilled dipping sauce and shiitake mushroom tempura. The soy sauce udon, which is eaten with yuzu juice and soy sauce only, is really delicious! The chilled dipping sauce had firm noodles and a cold soup, which made my jaw tired. Lesson learned for next time, I will try the hot dipping sauce. I prefer this Sanuki udon over the one I had in the actual Sanuki region at the beginning of the year. The shiitake mushroom tempura was just okay, even though I was determined to try it after seeing someone next to me eat it last time. The tempura changes daily, but I highly recommend the "Fox Croquette," which is made by stuffing fried tofu and potato salad and deep-frying it!