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Best Sanuki udon in New York

“Square noodles with flat edges, chewy texture. Broth made from local niboshi dried sardines.”

Sanuki udon

What the real thing tastes like

Sanuki udon (讃岐うどん) is an udon noodle dish most popular in the Kagawa prefecture in Japan, but is now easily found throughout the neighboring Kansai region and much of Japan. It is characterized by its square shape and flat edges with rather chewy texture, and in an authentic sense, ingredients should be from among those local specialties as wheat flour, Niboshi dried young sardines to cook broth for soup and dipping sauce. Many udon shops now specialize solely in sanuki-style chewy udon, and are usually identified by the text "sanuki" in hiragana (さぬき) appearing in the name of the shop or on the sign. It is usually served as noodle soup or kamaage (udon) in which the noodles are served in plain hot water and eaten with dipping sauce. Originally popularized in the Kagawa Prefecture of Japan, nowadays various types of dashi is applied to the broth outside of Kagawa which varies in strength and flavor across Japan, such as made with more costly Katsuobushi. Sanuki udon are named after Sa

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Sanuki udon arrives as a study in restraint and texture—noodles cut into squares with flat edges, chewy enough to push back when you bite. Born in Kagawa Prefecture, it's served either as soup or kamaage, noodles in plain hot water with dipping sauce on the side. Authenticity means local wheat flour and niboshi, those small dried sardines that anchor the broth with quiet umami. What began as a regional specialty has rippled across Japan, each territory bending the broth toward its own tastes—some adding the expensive bite of katsuobushi.

Order it here when it has

  • characterful chew
  • square geometric shape
  • versatile service styles
  • ingredient-driven authenticity

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