Udon is one of Japan’s traditional noodle dishes. Whether served in a hot soup or cold with a side of dipping broth, the thick and chewy wheat noodles are a staple of classic Japanese cuisine. Just about anywhere you travel in the country, you can almost always count on finding an udon shop.
However, if you’d like to try out a novel style of udon in a laidback atmosphere, it’s highly recommended that you pay a visit to udon specialty restaurant, “Tsurutontan Roppongi” (referred to hereafter as “Tsurutontan”).
A new style of udon that fuses creativity and tradition!
Tsurutontan is just the place for foreign visitors to try udon for the first time.
Even if you’ve had udon before in your own country, you’ll rediscover the deliciousness of having it for the very first time all over again within the wide variety of dishes available at Tsurutontan.
Tsurutontan’s exterior
The restaurant itself is quite spacious with a total of 100 seats! Depending on the needs of your party, you can choose from a seat at the counter, table seats, private rooms, and traditional tatami mat rooms. If you’d like to enjoy the restaurant’s tatami mat rooms, please be sure to store your shoes in the available lockers before entering. Another appealing point is that Tsurutontan has plenty of space to store luggage such as suitcases if you’re in the middle of your travels.
Some travelers to Japan may have an image of udon restaurants as small and cramped, and perhaps a bit intimidating to enter. That isn’t the case with Tsurutontan. The restaurant’s fun and casual atmosphere should be quite the pleasant surprise.
The menu boasts over 100 kinds of udon dishes alone! Apart from noodles, customers can also enjoy a wide variety of Japanese dishes such as sushi and tempura, both as a la carte plates or as part of course meals.
In addition, the portions of the udon dishes are generally quite generous, so those looking to eat a lot should find their appetites satisfied. Toppings are plentiful in both quantity and quality, leaving diners with a very fulfilling meal.
The tablet menus provided at each seat display menu items not only in Japanese, but also in English, Korean, and Chinese. Tablets display photo menus with easy-to-understand pictures of each dish, so even travelers who don’t understand Japanese can order easily.
Menu order tablets are available with English, Chinese, and Korean language
Enjoy the true taste of udon with “Udon with Tempura”
Tsurutontan’s noodles are served freshly made, cut, and boiled, so you can savor the authentic taste of udon.
One of the appealing dishes that lets you do just that is the “Udon with Tempura.” You can choose from two different thicknesses of noodles, but if you want to really get a feel for the quality of the noodles as you eat them, we recommend the “thin udon.”
“天ざるのおうどん,” Udon with Tempura 1,680 JPY (tax included)
Umami bites staff writer Steven, an American residing in Japan who’s crazy about Japanese food, sat down to give the noodles a taste test.
Right away, he dipped his udon into the dashi-rich broth and took a bite…
DELICIOUS!
The tempura served on the side is also exquisite, including two huge shrimp tempura dipped and fried in a crispy batter!
Those who want to try out a Japanese traditional-style udon can’t go wrong with this dish. Keep in mind, slurping noodles, even noisily so, isn’t considered to be rude in Japan, so feel free to slurp to your heart’s content as Steven did if you’d prefer.
A menu of over 100 exciting udon varieties to try!
Tsurutontan offers a wide variety of udon dishes.
Not all of them are available at the Roppongi location (where we ate for the purposes of this article), as some are seasonal, store-specific, or region-specific, but there are so many flavors to choose from that you can find the one that’s just right for you.
Here’s the recommendations Steven came up with from the many udon options on the menu!
“カレー三昧のおうどん,” Pork Katsu Curry Udon 2,180 JPY (tax included)
A hearty bowl of curry udon topped with a fried shrimp and whole serving of tonkatsu pork cutlet. The curry sauce, which has a recipe unchanged since the restaurant’s establishment, includes beef tendon and is as filling as it gets.
For such a rich but pleasantly mild curry, Steven recommends opting for the normal thickness udon noodles. They soak up and retain the curry flavor really well!
Tsurutontan is particularly known for its really creative dishes. Many fans of the restaurant often say “this is the only place you can taste something like this,” so we definitely recommend you try this item.
“カルボナーラのおうどん,” Carbonara Udon 1,680 JPY (tax included)
Carbonara is a classic dish that usually uses spaghetti and other pasta. This novel menu item, however, combines it with firm udon noodles.
When you spread the egg in the center of the bowl, mix it with the udon and take a bite…
It’s udon like you’ve never had before!!
Steven, who’s been living in Japan for over 10 years, gave it a huge stamp of approval. “In a good way, my understanding of udon has been completely overturned. I hope a lot of people give this udon a try.”
A flavor you can only experience in Japan!
“月替わり籠盛前菜７種,” 7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers 1,500 JPY (tax included)
At Tsurutontan, if you make a reservation, you can request a serving of “7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers” (non-cancellable). The seven small potted appetizers change according to the season, but each is an elaborate dish in its own right.
“うざく,” Grilled Eel with Cucumber in Vinegar (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers) 1,500 JPY (tax included)
“湯葉,” Tofu Skin (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers) 1,500 JPY (tax included)
“いわしの生姜煮,” Sardines in Boiled Ginger (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers)
“ミニ野菜ディップ トマトマヨネーズ,” Miniature Vegetable Dip with Tomato Mayonnaise (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers) 1,500 JPY (tax included)
“もずく酢,” Vinegared Mozuku Seaweed (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers) 1,500 JPY (tax included)
“もろこし豆腐,” Tofu made with Corn Meal (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers) 1,500 JPY (tax included)
“蛸（タコ）のマリネ,” Japanese-style Marinated Octopus (7 Assorted Seasonal Appetizers) 1,500 JPY (tax included)
International visitors can definitely enjoy the essence of Japanese culinary culture at Tsurutontan. If you’re planning on stopping by Tsurutontan, be sure to make a reservation via online or over the phone.
Information
| Store name | 麺匠の心つくし つるとんたん 六本木店 Tsurutontan Roppongi |
|---|---|
| Address | Roppongi 3-chome Building, 3-14-12 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
|
| Access |
Roppongi Station 3-minute walk from Roppongi Station Exit 5
|
| Phone number | 03-5786-2626 |
| Reservations | Accepted Phone, official website Reservations are limited to 2 hours; please ask staff if you wish to stay longer |
| Payment |
|
| Service charge/Table charge | None |
| Hours | Mon-Fri. 11:00-8:00 (AM)（last order 7:00 AM） Sat. 10:30-8:00 (AM)（last order 7:00 AM） Sun. & nat’l holidays 10:30-23:00（last order 22:00） |
| Closed | No holidays |
| Seating | 100 seats 10 counter seats, 44 table seats (including 3 private rooms), 50 tatami room seats (including 1 private room) |
| Smoking | All seats are non-smoking A smoking room is available |
| Official website | https://www.tsurutontan.co.jp/ |
| Other information |
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※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of October 2023.
