At Daichi no Udon Tokyo Baba branch, located a 6-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station Waseda exit, I had the Vegetable Tempura Udon for 780 yen. It's a popular udon restaurant originating from Hakata, and it was my first visit in a year and a half. I arrived before 7pm and the restaurant was about 70% full. Since I didn't have time for lunch today, this meal served as both lunch and dinner. I ordered at the ticket machine, sat at the counter, and my udon arrived in about 10 minutes. The udon came topped with tempura made of sweet potato, potato, carrot, eggplant, bell pepper, pumpkin, shiso leaves, burdock root, and eringi mushrooms. I poured the dipping sauce on the side over the udon, and the tempura was freshly fried and deliciously crispy. The udon noodles were slightly thin and translucent, with a chewy texture typical of Hakata udon. Despite a 50 yen price increase since my last visit, I was very satisfied with the quality and quantity for this price. Another delicious udon meal today, thank you!

It's been a while since I had udon and I was impressed! The semi-transparent noodles were so chewy and the balance of firmness was irresistible! While the impact of the burdock tempura tends to catch your eye, do not underestimate it. I ordered the burdock tempura cold noodles, but I thought I would have preferred it with just the noodles (though the cold noodles were also delicious!). The burdock tempura was fried crispy and seemed to be as big as a face - both visually and in terms of portion size, it was impressive. The toppings on the noodles were plentiful and delightful. I also want to try the hot meat udon. It would be great if the floor inside the restaurant was a little less sticky. My shoes were sticking to the floor. Laugh.

Dinner with children in Takadanobaba. The father, still reminiscing about the delicious food in Hakata from the previous day, leads the children to Daichi Udon. Upon entering the restaurant, they were greeted by a cheerful voice saying "Welcome." The waitress's daughter (around 3 years old) welcomed them. The central 4-person table seemed to be the designated seat for the waitress's daughter. The mother was serving customers nearby, while her daughter was studying with educational materials. Impressive. The children ordered their favorite Ebi-Ten Udon (warm), while the father ordered the Oroshi Bukkake with Gobo-Ten (890 yen). The udon is cooked after ordering, so they had to wait a bit. During this time, the children helped the waitress's daughter with her educational materials, and the staff appreciated it. The udon that arrived was transparent. The Bukkake had a firm texture, not quite like Fukuoka style. The Gobo-Ten was crispy, and when dipped in the broth and eaten with the udon, it was incredibly delicious. While simple udon is good, the toppings also add to the flavor. However, this time, the warm udon that the children were eating tasted better. When warm, the texture becomes more Fukuoka-like, with a strong umami flavor from the bonito broth, which was delicious. The combination of this with the Gobo-Ten would surely be fantastic. The staff told the father to come back again, and the waitress's daughter thanked them. The children now have a new favorite restaurant.

It's been a while since I last visited. The uniquely clear noodles were a pleasant surprise, very Hakata-style today, soft and delightful. However, the tempura seemed overcooked? The batter was too hard and it was difficult to eat without soaking it well. Maybe it's because I'm currently undergoing dental treatment... or perhaps it's because I had COVID two months ago? I feel like the flavor of the broth has changed. But this type of udon is hard to come by, so I'll definitely visit again once it cools down. Thank you for the meal.

The udon shop Daichi in Takadanobaba is a bit hard to enter from the outside as there is no menu visible, but once inside, the energetic staff make you feel welcome. I ordered the Niku Gobochan udon for 830 yen. They provide a place to store your belongings, which is a nice touch. The restaurant is almost full, and you can see them making the noodles inside. They offer two different sizes of chopsticks, which is a nice detail. The udon arrived in about 10 minutes, and the Gobochan udon was impressive! The broth was delicious! When it comes to Hakata cuisine, you can't go wrong with udon! Thank you for the meal~♪

Originating from a small shop in Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Daichi Udon has made a name for itself with its unique noodles known as Toyohama Udon, found in around 30 shops in the Minami-ku area of Kitakyushu. The noodles are made by the Toyohama Uchi-uchi Association, where the dough is stretched and freshly kneaded upon ordering, resulting in a slight wait time for the dish. Even on a weekday around 2 pm, the restaurant was nearly 80% full, showing its popularity. Although tempted by the Kake Udon, I opted for the Daikon Oroshi Bukkake Udon (710 yen) due to the heat. Topped with roughly grated daikon radish, plenty of bonito flakes, and seaweed, the dish also comes with a separate container of broth for you to adjust the flavor to your liking. Unlike typical wheat flour udon noodles, Toyohama Udon noodles are beautifully translucent, with a unique texture that is both firm and chewy, yet not too hard. The noodles, aged for three days, have a shiny surface that adds to the overall experience. The broth is slightly sweet and complements the noodles well. Mixing it all together... delicious! I was fortunate to be seated right away, but the restaurant quickly filled up afterwards. Families from the neighborhood were also seen dining there. It's envy-inducing to have such a wonderful udon shop nearby. I hope to try authentic Toyohama Udon someday.

In the midst of this scorching heat, I ordered my usual Gobo Tempura Udon, while everyone else around me was ordering cold dishes. The hot udon in the air-conditioned restaurant was delicious. The Gobo tempura was fried beautifully and remained crispy since it wasn't soaked in the soup. I didn't know there was a Hakata udon restaurant in Tokyo, so I will definitely go back if I'm in the area again.

My usual sweet potato shochu on the rocks and unique chewy udon. Today I had vegetable tempura udon. Crispy tempura freshly fried, served with cold dipping sauce. The distinct chewiness of Hakata udon stands out. Unforgettable texture and great flavor of the udon itself. Toppings are also well-prepared. Grated daikon radish dipping sauce is delicious too.

The artist recommended this restaurant, so I wanted to go. I found out on TV that it was in Tokyo. Since it might be crowded, I visited at the opening time. I arrived a little early, so I took a walk around the area. There was a park nearby, and I relaxed by the water. As soon as I opened the door, I saw a ticket machine with a wide variety of options. I could only see the burdock tempura dish, but the staff helped me find what I was looking for. I ordered the burdock tempura udon for 630 yen. The burdock tempura was delicious.

I visited Fukuoka about 10 days ago and had one regret - only having the chance to eat udon once at a chain called "Makino Udon." I knew there was a branch of a restaurant I wanted to try in Takadanobaba. When I arrived at "Daichi no Udon," there were a few groups of people waiting in line outside. I bought a meal ticket from the machine inside and was quickly seated. I ordered the "Niku Gobochan" for 830 yen, which was called "Niku Gobou Ten" in Fukuoka. It arrived - a giant gobou tempura ring sitting on top of the udon bowl. The tempura was crispy and not soaked in the broth, allowing for a unique dining experience of dipping the tempura into the broth as you eat. The contrast of the crunchy tempura with the smooth udon was delightful, and the clear broth was flavorful. I enjoyed the meal and finished it completely. I couldn't help but think that udon might be more delicious than tonkotsu ramen in Fukuoka. I noticed a poster for the movie "Mentai Piriri" in the restaurant, which is about the founder of "Fukuya." I want to watch it.

It's too hot, so I went to eat cold udon noodles! I was lucky with the timing and didn't have to wait long. It's been a while since I last came, so I forgot it's a ticket system and got flustered trying to decide on the menu. The visual presentation was overwhelming once again... The udon noodles were completely hidden but transparent and slurpy, really delicious! I feel like I've eaten about six months' worth of burdock root, haha.

In mid-July 2023, I had lunch at a place in Takadanobaba that serves incredibly smooth and slippery udon noodles. It had been a while since I last visited, so I decided to stop by again. It's about a 10-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station. I arrived right at 11:00 am, probably the first customer of the day. However, soon after, about 10 people came in. It's a popular spot, even on weekdays, although the line doesn't form immediately. You order at a ticket machine, and I chose the "Vegetable Tempura Udon" from the cold udon options. After a short wait, the dish arrived on a flat round tray-like container. For 810 yen, it was a great deal considering the generous amount of vegetable tempura topping. I didn't pour all the broth at once as it seemed like it could get too spicy, so I tilted the container towards the back and poured about 1/3 of the broth over the udon at the front. The udon noodles were as smooth and slippery as ever, unique to this place. As a fan of such texture, I must say it was excellent. The tempura vegetables were all freshly fried, including burdock, bell pepper, potato, pumpkin, eggplant, carrot, enoki mushroom, and shiso leaf. They were all crispy, allowing the flavors of the vegetables to shine through. Both the udon and the tempura were top-notch. I left fully satisfied. I will definitely come back for more of these smooth udon noodles and delicious tempura vegetables.

I've been craving udon noodles lately, even though I'm actually a soba lover. Today, my wife sent me a picture of what appeared to be burdock tempura with grated daikon on her smartphone and asked, "Do you want to go eat udon for lunch?" She pointed out a nearby udon restaurant that she had heard about near her workplace. I didn't mind, so we decided to go there for lunch. We arrived at the restaurant five minutes before it opened, and we were the first customers. The restaurant had a sign saying that they were offering a limited menu due to a shortage of staff. My wife ordered tempura udon, but they were out of vegetable tempura so she switched to mixed tempura. I ordered shrimp tempura udon, which thankfully was available. The udon was good, with a slightly thinner and firmer texture compared to Sanuki udon. The tempura was tasty, but my wife's mixed tempura seemed like a better deal because it was larger and came with an extra shrimp. Overall, the food was decent, and I felt sorry for the staff who were clearly struggling with a lack of manpower. The restaurant had multiple job recruitment signs posted, indicating their need for more help. I hope they can fully staff the restaurant and offer all their menu items in the future. Good job, and thank you for the meal.

I revisited the restaurant a week later after my last visit. During my previous visit, I had some mixed feelings about the warm noodles.--------------------------------These noodles are not kettle-cooked, but it's hard to see inside the counter, so I couldn't tell if they were rinsed with water. I think they probably weren't rinsed. However, the noodles had a good firmness to them. It was a rather strange noodle experience.--------------------------------I had some lingering doubts. I felt like they weren't rinsed with cold water, but the noodles had a good firmness and were quite long, yet not easy to cut. What could it be? As someone who is known to be addicted to reading, I often read other people's writings. After reading the reviews from the registered reviewers, I felt like I understood something, so I decided to revisit the restaurant. And I was surprised. First of all, the firmness was amazing! On top of that, the texture was more like a "hard mochi" rather than "chewy." It's incredible how much the noodles change between cold and hot.

I usually walk to Daichi no Udon in Takadanobaba, but today the highest temperature in Tokyo is over 30°C, so I decided to take the train. When I arrived, there were about 8 customers ahead of me. I purchased my meal ticket, lined up, and patiently waited for my turn for about 15 minutes. I ordered the cold noodles with grated radish and topped it with pickled plum. I shared a side dish of fried burdock with my companion. One thing that always surprises me is that pickled plum (200 yen) is more expensive than fried burdock (190 yen). Regardless, the meal was delicious as always. Thank you for the meal.

I visited in order to try Hakata udon. I ordered the Gobochan (formerly known as Gobou Ten Udon?). This was my first experience with Hakata udon on this day. [Overall View] When you look closely at the first picture, you can see that the Gobou Ten looks quite impressive. [Gobou Ten] It looks like a Christmas wreath. This type of Gobou Ten seems to be quite famous in the Hakata udon restaurant scene. I heard from reviews of other restaurants that the best way to eat it is to skillfully peel off a slice of Gobou and eat it as it is, or peel off another slice and dip it in the soup. Apparently, the tempura batter melted like in the fourth picture and it ended up messy at the end. [Noodles] At first glance, it seems like the vinegar soy sauce has penetrated a bit, giving it a soft and slightly chewy texture. It's not easy to break with chopsticks. This is not a product of kettle-cooked noodles, but since the inside of the counter is hard to see, I'm not sure if they rinsed it with water. Probably they didn't rinse it. However, the noodles have a firm texture. It was a very mysterious noodle. [Noodle Making Machine: Last Picture] The sound of the noodle making machine cutting section echoing inside the store was impressive. It seems to be a machine called the Super Wakadai Show made by Yamato Seisakusho. When I looked it up, the price for a used one was around 850,000 to 1.25 million yen.

On June 1, 2023 (Friday), I arrived at the store at 13:15. There were 3 people waiting outside (you buy a meal ticket first before lining up). This udon restaurant originates from Fukuoka, known for its soft udon, but here you can enjoy udon with a clear texture and firmness. The restaurant is a member of the "Buzen Uradachi-kai," a group of udon craftsmen based in Kitakyushu, centered around Kokura. The tempura topping, larger than the circumference of the bowl, is Gobou (burdock root) tempura with a splash of sauce. The tempura is carefully placed on top of the udon in the bowl. The broth, made with kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes, has a refreshing flavor. The udon itself has a smooth and chewy texture, different from Sanuki, Hakata, or Mizusawa udon. The Gobou tempura udon (lovingly called "Gobochan") is priced at 630 yen, a reflection of the owner's passion for their food and customers.

I visited during my lunch break at work. I was looking forward to trying the torimeshi or inari sushi, but unfortunately both were sold out. However, I did try the recommended kabocha udon. The noodles were translucent and had a great texture, and it was delicious.

It's incredibly delicious! The broth was just to my liking and was amazing. The tempura in the photo was large, freshly fried, and absolutely delicious. The kakiage tempura and gobou tempura were both outstanding in terms of presentation and taste. Now I feel like trying something different like curry udon or katsudon. I'm thinking of trying all the items on the menu!

I went the day before yesterday, but it was sold out, so I had to give up. (They apparently post on Instagram when they are sold out) I went on the last day of Golden Week, Sunday night. There were few people, so I was able to get in easily. I always have trouble deciding at the ticket machine, haha. On this day, I had kakiage udon with an added egg! It was similar to the burdock tempura udon I had before, but it was really hearty, so I got pretty full. It was so nice to have warm udon on a cold day! Thank you for the meal.

【Today's lunch】 #UdonLunch Today in Takadanobaba again. I decided to visit the udon restaurant that I've been wanting to try. Daichi no Udon Takadanobaba branch. It's a branch of a Hakata udon restaurant. Since it's the last day of the long weekend and the weather is bad, there was no line. This restaurant uses a ticket system. My friend ordered the Niku Gobou Tempura Udon, also known as Niku Gobochan (840 yen). I went for the Gobou Tempura with grated radish on top (860 yen). The most popular dish is Niku Gobochan (I really wanted to take a picture of that visual), but because it was a bit humid, I decided to go with the bukkake style. First to arrive was the Niku Gobochan. The Gobou Tempura was so big that you couldn't see inside the bowl – it wasn't mine, but I took a picture of it. Then, my Gobou Tempura with grated radish on top arrived. The Gobou Tempura was long instead of round. It came with shiso leaf tempura, grated daikon radish, nori, green onions, ginger, bonito flakes... and again, you couldn't see the udon because of all the toppings. The udon was slightly translucent and had a chewy texture. Yes, it was delicious. But the Gobou Tempura seemed to never end. It's amazing how you can get so full for under 1000 yen. I was very satisfied, but on the way back, I had to walk to the station in pouring rain... I was soaking wet from my thighs to my ankles and it was cold. Ah, maybe I should've gone for the warm Niku Gobochan after all... I thought. Next time, I'll definitely try the Niku Gobochan! #Lunch #TakadanobabaLunch #DaichiNoUdon #NikuGobochan #GobouTempuraUdon #GobouTempuraWithGratedRadish #GobouTempura #UdonStagram