Ikazuchi Udon

I went to a restaurant called Ikazuchi Udon in the Ginkakuji area of Kyoto, because the reviews on the internet were so good, and I was curious about how good the udon was. The noodle shop is relatively new, having been established in November 2018, and the owner has the unusual background of having been an obi craftsman in Nishijin in the past. However, it is not just a restaurant with a buzz, but it is also highly regarded for its ability. In 2023, it was selected as a Michelin Bib Gourmand along with Yamamoto Menzou and Okakita, which are well-known as famous restaurants in Kyoto.

I was prepared for a certain amount of waiting time and headed for the restaurant just before opening time on a weekday, imagining that there must be a huge line for Ikazuchi Udon. As I walked toward Ginkakuji Temple from Hyakumanben side, I saw a crowd of people in the distance…

A café or a hair salon, the atmosphere is quite casual for an udon restaurant… Ikazuchi Udon is such a restaurant.

I arrived at Ikazuchi Udon at around 11:25 a.m., five minutes before opening time, and at this point there were only eight customers, which was unexpectedly small. The number of customers did not increase until the opening time, and all the customers who had lined up before the store opened were able to enter the store on the first round. I guess it is not like this normally, since Kyoto University is nearby…well, at any rate, I was lucky that day.

The restaurant has 13 seats on the first floor, including 5 counter seats and 3 tables, plus seating on the second floor, so the total seating capacity is probably about 30 people. However, it was a little surprising that the interior was so casual that it was hard to believe that it was made by a traditional Nishijin craftsman. The atmosphere of the shop could have passed for a café, and could have been used as a beauty salon as well. Perhaps the udon noodles will also be “something that is quite a departure from the orthodox style?” It gives me a sense of anticipation.

Ikazuchi Udon’s standard menu item, also known as “ikazuchi udon”…how does it taste?

What I ordered at Ikazuchi Udon this time was “ikazuchi udon,” which is the restaurant’s standard menu item and is named after the name of the restaurant. After about 10 minutes of waiting, the udon was brought in front of me…

It is topped with wakame seaweed, chopped green onion, and hana-katsuo (dried bonito). From the way things have been going so far, I wondered if the standard menu would also have a strong personality, but that was not the case. If I had to say something strong, it would be the inazuma made of fried egg.

That aside, let’s take a sip of the dashi broth first… It is a thin broth with a kombu and dried bonito flakes type aroma, and does not have the same sense of dried fish broth as Sanuki Udon. Or rather, the dashi broth as a whole is thin and, at best, elegant, but frankly speaking, I felt the impact of the dashi broth was weak.

The noodles were thick and slightly thinner than Sanuki udon noodles, so there was a bit of a mismatch between the thin broth and the noodles. If they were thin noodles like Inaniwa udon, I think this broth would go very well with them…but then I took a bite of this udon and thought, I thought, “What? “The noodles were not as firm as the online reviews said they would be, and were boiled quite soft. The softness is not marshmallow like Sanuki Udon Byakuan, another Bib Gourmand restaurant, but rather a light stickiness.

So this time, I did not hesitate to change the flavor at all. I finished off the noodles while adding Hararyokaku‘s black shichimi (seven spices), which is on the table, to the broth. It was not bad by any means, but I did not think it was good enough to be called “Bib Gourmand!” I hope so. Hopefully, it was just a fluke this time and they will make their original udon next time I go there…

Other examples of Ikazuchi Udon menu (prices include tax)

• Kake udon: 700 yen
• Kitsune udon 950 yen
• Curry udon 990 yen
• Meat udon 1300 yen
• Oroshi bukkake with grated radish and ginger jelly – 850 yen
• Kashiwa-ten oroshi bukkake with ginger jelly – 1,420 yen
• Meat and spicy egg tsukemen (with hot egg) – 1,300 yen

Ordering an arranged menu is recommended… To get to Ikazuchi Udon, take the 203 city bus bound for Ginkakuji/Kinrin Shako from Demachiyanagi Station on the Eizan Electric Railway line, get off at the Ginkakuji-michi stop, and walk 4 minutes.

So, for those who are going to visit Ikazuchi Udon, I would recommend ordering the arranged menu rather than the standard udon. In fact, “Kimura-kun” was on the menu that day as a “whimsical menu item”. It is a new type of udon invented by the owner of the popular Osaka udon restaurant, Kidatake Udon. After finishing it, I thought to myself, “Maybe I should have ordered this one after all…”. If you ever visit Ikazuchi Udon, be sure to check out their whimsical menu.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

P.S. If you are looking for delicious udon in Kyoto, please stop by this article below…