Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop

The udon shop Nadai Omen has been in business for more than 50 years near Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto since its establishment in 1967. The restaurant has a prestigious impression and is positioned as a long-established restaurant among the many udon shops in Kyoto. While up-and-coming udon specialty udon restaurants such as Yamamoto Menzou attract mainly young customers,Naidai Omen attracts a slightly older clientele.

I was curious to see what kind of udon noodles were available at the Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop, so I went to the restaurant one weekend before noon. Actually, I was on my way to the restaurant thinking “I want to eat curry udon…” but it seems that I was terribly mistaken…

In fact, its roots are in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture… Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop is such a restaurant.

To explain what this misunderstanding is about, let’s start with the roots of Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop. Nadai Omen was started by the founder, Tomi Shinagawa, together with her husband who is from Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture. And “Omen” in the name of the restaurant refers to the udon dish eaten in that city of Isesaki. In other words, this restaurant serves “Omen, a local dish of Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture,” and its business style is not similar to that of a regular udon restaurant. I thought “omen” came from the masks that people wear on their faces.

So, my desire for curry udon has been crushed…but that aside, Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop has a total of 81 seats on the first and second floors. There are five counter seats on the first floor, so even an unattached customer like me can use the restaurant without any worries. Although the restaurant has been in business for more than 50 years, the interior is relatively new and has a slightly stylish Japanese style. Perhaps due to the fact that it is located a little far from the center of Kyoto, the restaurant is spacious and has a relaxing atmosphere for a leisurely meal, which gave me a good impression of the restaurant.

Cold udon noodles with condiments, a local dish of Isesaki City, at Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop

What I ordered at the Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop this time was the “Cold udon noodles with Condiments (1,350 yen per person including tax),” which is a summer-only menu item. I ordered a large portion this time, and the price was 1,460 yen including tax…

After about 10 minutes of waiting, the cold udon noodles with condiments arrived in front of me. Zaru udon noodles with cold dipping sauce and vegetables such as kinpira gobo (burdock root), grated daikon (grated radish), and myoga (Japanese ginger) came out together. I heard that Isesaki’s local dish, omen, is to enjoy the change of taste by adding these vegetables to the dipping sauce to your liking.

But first, let’s try a slice of the udon before dipping it in the broth. It is a heavy, flat noodle with a good firmness and stickiness. The udon is lightly sprinkled with yuzu peel, so the refreshing citrus aroma spreads in your mouth along with the wheat aroma, giving a boost to your summery stomach.

The dipping soup, on the other hand, has a broth made from kelp and dried bonito flakes, and as you slurp the udon, the aroma of the seafood broth spreads from mouth to nose all at once. The color of the broth is blackened with soy sauce, which is still the image of Kanto style, but it was not salty at all. Even if you feel the soup stock is salty…

If you throw in the white sesame seeds, grated radish, myoga, etc. that come along with the soup, the salty taste will be diluted, so you should be fine. I like the way the flavor of the broth changes when these are added to the dipping sauce. In particular, I feel that the aroma of myoga goes very well with the broth. I personally really liked the fact that I could enjoy the delicate changes in aroma, not to mention that it is a local dish of Isesaki, udon noodles.

Examples of other menu items at Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop (prices include tax)

• Omen and seasonal side dish set: 2,350 yen
• Omen and mackerel sushi set: 2,170 yen
• Omen and tempura set: 2,150 yen
• Omen and rice with beef and rice set: 2,050 yen
• Udon noodles with kamojiru (duck soup) and thin whole-grain noodles made of Kyoto wheat ground in a millstone 1870 yen
• Kyoto wheat whole-grain udon noodle soup with duck broth: 1,480 yen
• Omen with vegetarian broth: 1,380 yen

There is also a branch in Shijo-Kawaramachi…To get to Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop, take bus 203 bound for Ginkakuji or Nishikirin Shako from Demachiyanagi Station on the Eizan Electric Railway Line, get off at Ginkakuji-michi bus stop, and walk 6 minutes.

In addition to the Nadai Omen Ginkakuji Head Shop, there is also a branch in Shijo-Kawaramachi. The Shijo-Kawaramachi branch faces Shijo Street, and unlike the main store, it is extremely convenient. There are probably not many restaurants specializing in Isesaki’s specialty “omen” even if you look for it on a national level. It may be a very lucky thing to be able to eat such a rare local delicacy in downtown Kyoto.

Here are the details of the restaurant…