Sanuki Udon, Taman Bukit Desa, Kuala Lumpur

Udon noodles are one of my favorite Japanese noodles. A type of wheat noodles, udon are fat, white, unctuous, slippery and utterly delicious.

House special with egg (RM5)

The origin of udon in Japan is credited to two Buddhist priests who travelled to China, Kukai and Enni. Sanuki Province claimed to have been the first to adopt udon from Kukai. Sanuki udon is well known for its strong body and smooth texture. Along with Gunma's Mizusawa Udon and Akita's Inaniwa Udon, Sanuki Udon is recognised as one of the three most famous udon noodles in Japan.

In KL, we have our very own Sanuki Udon, a humble eatery opened and run by one Seiji Fujimoto. The udon is made daily in the shop. The menu is small, with only 8 udon dishes, but all executed well.

The noodles here are cooked simply, but there is an ethereal quality about the noodles, producing a delicious and healthy bowl of noodles.

It all lies in the texture, firm and slightly chewy.

Additional toppings are available at RM1-2 each, from poached egg to kitsune to prawn tempura. There are also side dishes such as edamame (soybeans), karaage (Japanese fried chicken), mini salad and chinmi moriawase (assorted appetizers).

Big mugs of hot green tea (RM1)

This is simplicity at its best.

The Unc had the House Special with Egg (RM5). The egg was poached beautifully. Break it and envelop each strand of noodle with the runny yolk. A dash of shichimi (seven-spice pepper) completes this udon dish.

Slurplicious

Mum had the Original Udon Soup (RM5) while I had the Wakame Udon (RM6). The only difference was that mine had wakame (seaweed). The udons were served in a light, nicely flavoured soup with some choy sum.

Original Soup Udon

Wakame Udon

We ordered some ebi tempura (RM2 each) and karaage (RM3 for 3 pcs). Both were not oily despite being deep fried. We also ordered the chinmi moriawase, but there wasn't any available that day.

Ebi tempura - fresh prawns in a light batter

Bite-size karaage - moist meat in crunchy batter

Not content with just 1 bowl of noodles, The Unc ordered another, the Dry 'Cha Cheong' style (RM6). The udon noodles were topped with yellow bean sauce (very similar tasting to Chinese taucu), spring onions and julienned cucumber.

This had a more intense flavour compared to the other 3 that we had here.

Other udon dishes available here are kitsune udon, kakiage udon, curry udon and tsuke men. There is also freshly made udon that you can buy to cook at home (sold in 1kg packs for RM20). We liked the noodles here very much, so we bought some home.

Japanese steamboat (RM15 per person) and yakitori (RM2-3) are also available in the evenings.

Verdict: The food here is unpretentious, allowing the noodles to shine on its own merit.

Opening times: 11.30am to 3.00pm & 5.30pm to 9.30pm. Closed on Mondays.

Service: Efficient.

Price: Reasonable.

Location: Sanuki Udon, 9 Jalan Bukit Desa 5, Taman Bukit Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-7980 3704

GPS Coordinates: 3.11074, 101.68479