[Michelin Muk-eobollang] 350-Year History of Japanese Udon, Tasted in Korea

How Delicious Is It That Reservations Are a Must♥

Editor's NoteIf you are interested in food, you have probably heard of the bestseller "Michelin Guide." According to the official website, it provides useful information for those seeking unforgettable experiences. So, the Drinkit editors took on the challenge to see if the Michelin Guide restaurants can offer flavors that move even the most ordinary and mainstream among us. Michelin Guide restaurants, here we come!

Noodle dishes are addictive with their slurping charm. There are countless types of noodles in the world, such as dangmyeon (glass noodles), ramen, and jjolmyeon (chewy noodles), but the most delicious among them is undoubtedly udon. The plump noodles have a chewy texture and a moist softness that goes down smoothly?nothing is lacking. A restaurant specializing in these udon noodles, preserving its manufacturing method for 350 years, has landed in Korea. It is "Inaniwa Yosuke," which came all the way from Japan, the birthplace of udon.

TMI) "Inaniwa Yosuke," located at Seoul City Hall. Before the official visit, the editor attempted to connect with this restaurant three times. On the first visit, without a reservation, the editor was told to wait over an hour and left disappointed, promising to return. The second time, a phone reservation was attempted but was already fully booked. Finally, the editor succeeded in making a reservation by phone three days in advance and was able to visit. Therefore, a reservation at least three days before lunch is essential. The team, already quite exhausted, visited the restaurant with the determination of "Let's see how delicious it really is!"

This place offers two types of udon: cold noodles and hot noodles. Usually, when you think of udon, the image of blowing on hot soup to cool it down is typical, but some argue that the true value of the dish is revealed when eaten cold?known as Eoljuka (literally "Ice-cold to death").

The noodles are the same. To preserve the chewiness, the noodles are boiled hot and then placed in cold ice water and removed. For hot dishes, after this process, hot broth is poured over again, which inevitably reduces the firmness compared to before. Therefore, the noodles should be tasted cold to fully enjoy their chewy texture.

The editor was moved by cold udon tasted in Japan in the past and realized that udon is more delicious when eaten cold. Having become a strong advocate of cold udon, the editor now deeply misses that taste, especially since traveling is difficult these days. Recalling that memory, the editor first tried the cold udon here as well.

Cold Udon

Inaniwa dried udon undergoes a three-day process for just one batch of noodles. The dough is hand-shaped with the palm, then aged, and each strand is carefully trimmed. The result is a product crafted with such care that it is called a master’s handiwork.

The freshly boiled noodles still retained a cold sensation visually and were neatly arranged without any tangles. Each strand showed a glossy sheen and moistness. A unique feature here is that the udon noodles are thin and flat, allowing them to glide smoothly in the mouth, which is said to be why people seek out Inaniwa Yosuke. However, the editor felt that the thin noodle thickness was rather a drawback. The texture was closer to Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) than udon, and since there were no side ingredients to accompany it, no matter how much was eaten at once, it did not feel filling. Missing the plump noodles that fill your mouth...

On the other hand, the chewiness of the noodles was excellent. The firm surface of the udon noodles created a springy texture that lasted until the last bite. Especially, they did not become soggy or mushy, so the chewiness was felt clearly in the mouth.

Cold udon is eaten by dipping fresh noodles directly into tsuyu (dipping sauce), which comes in two varieties: soy sauce and sesame miso. Unfortunately, the tsuyu did not have any special characteristics unique to Inaniwa Yosuke. It tasted as if store-bought sauces were used, which was acceptable, and the soy sauce tsuyu was rather bland despite the addition of various ingredients. If you prefer a stronger flavor, the sesame miso is recommended.

Warm Udon

When the cold wind blows and the winter chill seeps into your bones, warm udon comes to mind. Since it is udon, you must try the warm broth! The editor took the first sip of the broth. It was a clean, no-frills taste with no flavor other than soy sauce, and the finish was neat and satisfying. Slurping the springy noodles with the salty broth quickly dispelled the winter cold.

However, the soy sauce-based udon broth did not pair well with the Inaniwa noodles. Because the noodles were so thin, it felt more like eating banquet noodles. In conclusion, while the menu is attractive enough as an Inaniwa Yosuke specialty, it fell short of bringing out the original charm of udon when viewed within the framework of "udon," which was disappointing.

Additional ordered dishes

Above all, the overall portion size was very small. Three adults ordered a total of five dishes. Since additional noodles can be ordered separately, those who think the quantity might be insufficient should not forget to add noodles when ordering.

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Considering the long history and reputation of "Inaniwa Yosuke," the price of udon, which does not exceed 10,000 KRW on average, is reasonable. However, the long wait to eat this udon is enough for just one time.

Photo by Choi Jihyun

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.