Udon Studio - うどん工房 横須賀

Udon Koubou or Udon Studio. It's a great name for this little place that seems carved out from the underside and between their neighbors in the same building.

Indoor alley - storefront - plastic food - inside

It's a small place, perhaps just 12 feet by 12 feet not including the kitchen. Along one side of the counter are some chairs and at the right side and head of the counter you just stand.


My friend Marshall introduced me to this place and I'm glad he did. He helped since he can speak Japanese, but you can survive Udon Studio just fine without speaking the language. 

Menus are just about everywhere you look but those are all in Japanese. Although the menu is quite large, it can be simplified into several basic tempura or udon dishes plus different fixings to go along with it.  On a later visit it was discovered that they have an English menu. It is the best English menu I've come across because it's the "homemade" type and since it also provides entertainment. Recommended reading.

Udon Studio is one the highest ranking Udon restaurants in the area according to Tabelog, a Japanese restaurant review site. In 2010, they took top honors. After a visit, it's not hard to understand why. The dishes that came out were works of art, as far as udon and tempura presentations go.  On the spectrum of restaurants, this one falls along the lines of a "salaryman's place" though. A no nonsense get in, eat, get out kind of place, but if you avoid the peak lunch time crowd you should feel more relaxed. At lunch there was a mix of individual office workers, a few couples, and high school students on lunch break.

The walls are covered with their menus and there is a lot of "interesting-ness" on and behind the counter to keep you entertained and occupied. In the back kitchen you can see the cooks going about their work. Cold oolong tea is self service from dispensers located around the counter.

Udon Studio is hidden away in a tunnel of sorts underneath and between a building. Find it by checking the blog map (part II) or the location link below.  The tunnel is found half way between TGI Fridays and Blue street.

The add-on vegetable tempura options are quite reasonable and the size is very large. The sets shown above were about 700 Yen and the extra shrimp tempura on the left an extra 150 yen or so. A very satisfying meal to say the least.

For those that like a challenge, they have what is called the "Udon Hell" bowl and "Mega Udon Hell" bowl. Both of which will earn you a 300 Yen discount if you can eat it within 30 minutes.  An eating challenge! - not seen very often in Japanese restaurants and the first I'm aware of in Yokosuka. 
The double bowl (or maybe the Udon Hell) is on the left and the Mega Udon Hell bowl on the right. Wow...No way it can be done...The Mega-Udon Hell is 2.2kg.

The owner takes pride in making fresh udon using only the best ingredients. His website can be viewed here.

From http://eatravel.blog.shinobi.jp/

This would be a great place to try with your friends or family if there are not too many of you. There seemed to be some jockeying for position at lunchtime whenever a spot opened up. Have to be quick and decisive, yet respectful, or just avoid the peak time between 1145 and 1230. 

Owner and cook on the lower right

Udon Studio English Menu. Voted best English menu in Yokosuka.   Note: they recently upgraded to a tablet for the English menu. Either way you'll have an easy time ordering!