Tanga Udon / 旦過うどん

2023.01.31

INFORMATION

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, some of the restaurants might have taken various measures such as reducing business hours or temporarily closing their doors. For more information, please check the relevant facility's official website or social media account.

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A popular Udon store within the Tanga Ichiba-market!

Have you heard of a traditional market called Tanga Ichiba? It is loved by many Kitakyushu citizens and only a 2-3 minute walk from Tanga station on the Kitakyushu Monorail from JR Kokura station (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). Also loved by many is the Tanga Udon restaurant within the market. Since its founding in 1989, it has been serving homemade udon noodles and dashi made from natural ingredients such as dried sardines.

They offer a wide classic range of udon dishes such as burdock tempura udon, meat udon, kitsune-fried tofu udon but on the top of the list is the kayaku udon-dish with lots of different toppings. In general, with all dishes, the Tanga Udon style of making udon dishes is to lightly simmer the udon noodles in the soup broth before serving them. This way, the noodles soak up the soup stock that they are proud of and then served with more soup stock to be enjoyed together.

My personal recommendation is the udon-teishoku (udon set meal). It comes with nukadaki (sardines boiled in salted rice-bran paste), a local speciality of Kokura (Kitakyushu City). Recipes for this speciality have been passed down since the Edo period, and it is made from mackerel and sardines and other fish cooked in rice-bran. Enjoy nukadaki and rice! It will even enhance the flavor of your udon noodles!

▲ Photo above: Nukadaki, a local dish of Kokura, Kitakyushu City

I also highly recommend the oden-dish which is prepared in a huge pot at the entrance of the restaurant. They offer a wider range of oden, such as beef tendon, daikon radish and several varieties of fish paste items. It is a wonderful experience to drink beer from noon while eating oden, enjoying the lively atmosphere of the market.

The local Kokura population loves and values this well-known store in the Tanga Ichiba market. Please try these delicious dishes when you're in the neighborhood next time!

TEXT & PHOTO BY: Yuichiro Yamada

INFORMATION

Tanga Udon / 旦過うどん

- Address: 4-1-36 Uo-machi, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken Jepang
- Tel.: 093-521-5226
- Capacity: 12
- Opening Hours: 11:00 - 18:00
- Closed: Sunday (Public holidays: Might be closed)

* Please Note: Business hours and closing days may differ due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

* All information correct as of January 2023.

WRITER PROFILE

山田祐一郎 (Yuichiro Yamada)

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture 1978. Moved into the Fukuoka-based editing industry in 2003, and then began a career as a writer. Contributes articles for food and drink magazines, as well as informative Fukuoka publications. Established "KIJI" in August 2012. Became a noodle writer and started a web-based series called "Sono Ippai ga Tabetakute (lit. trans: I want to eat that bowl)" in the same year. Yamada uses the online resource to record the various kinds of noodles he samples on an almost daily basis. Published a book titled "Udon no Hanashi Fukuoka (lit.: Udon Noodle Talk Fukuoka)" that delves deeper into Fukuoka's udon culture and the local area's role as a pioneer of the food in July 2015. Also released "Noodle Writer Hizou no Ippai Fukuoka (lit.: Noodle Writer Treasured Bowl Fukuoka)" in March 2019. The book introduces the reader to a wide range of noodles (such as udon, ramen, and champon) and recommends some of the best places to find tasty dishes in Fukuoka city. Has developed the motto "One Day One Noodle a day." Now seeks out delicious noodle dishes both at home and abroad. His work has gained a considerable amount of attention from noodle fans. Currently, Yamada has taken over his father's noodle-making business and works on making noodles as a representative of the noodle factory "Yamada Seimen".

■ Related sites
- KIJI: http://ii-kiji.com/
- Web-based noodle magazine "Sono Ippai ga Tabetakute (lit. trans: I want to eat that bowl.)": http://ii-kiji.com/sonoippai
- App version "KIJI NOODLE SEARCH": http://ii-kiji.com/app