I went to Marugame Seimen, as I have been to one of their other branches and I had a hankering for kamatama udon.
The great thing about this place is that it works the same way as in Japan - you go along the line picking what you like. Well - I am not a huge tempura eater - I like it, but I don't go crazy about it, so I opted for a medium kamatama and an inari.
After getting my food, paying and sitting down, I began to dissect my meal. First, I got my teeth into the inari (Inarizushi). These were originally spiritual things. Inari, the god of rice, is honoured by wrapping seasoned rice in a sweet fried beancurd sheet (his favourite). The beancurd is the same as is used on kitsune udon; the fox (kitsune) is the messenger of Inari. Well, symbolism aside - I liked it. The vinegar and sesame rice played nicely against the sweet golden tofu. I could eat countless quantities of these.
The udon was the star of the show. Kamatama udon is udons in a small amount of soy sauce that has been flavoured with katsubushi (bonito flakes). It is then topped with an onsen egg. What is not to like - a rich half boiled egg yolk bursting onto thick chewy noodles and a salty, savoury sauce. Each mouthful is a pleasure.
My only issue really is that I am sure they put MSG in it. A few minutes after eating it, I got that tell-tale wave of heat - a kind of prickly sweat sensation. It only lasted about 30 seconds, but it was a bit of a give away for MSG overload. Ah well - it was minimal, as it didn't affect my actual meal.
Anyway - I like this place, but I am sure there are better ones. It is a good, cheap go to for udon cravings.
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