There's practically always a queue in front of this Ochanomizu restaurant serving traditional Kagawa-style noodles. The chewy, firm udon are complemented by a light, well-balanced broth that's as good as any we’ve had in Tokyo, while the egg covering the kama-tama is super-fresh and deliciously moreish. Don’t forget the side dishes as well, particularly the juicy kashiwaten (chicken tempura).
The go-to meal for many a Tokyoite on a limited budget, udon may not have the historical prestige of soba or ramen in the capital, but this thick and chewy noodle has carved out an unshakeable niche for itself since the short-lived noodle craze in the '60s. Although varieties abound, the most popular type of udon is now the thick, flat sanuki from Kagawa, which is widely known as the 'udon prefecture' and is home to more than 800 eateries exclusively focused on sanuki udon.
We have scoured the city for the very best Kagawa-style udon joints; all these shops uphold the basic tenets of sanuki udon, although many of them have developed their own recipes on the side, expanding their range of noodle dishes to fit the wide variety of tastes in Tokyo. Eat your way through the entire list and find the bowl right for you, or skip straight to our ramen top 20 for a greasier fare.