3 Curry Udon Recommendations in Aichi Prefecture.

The idea of putting udon in curry

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is running a campaign asking, "What do you put in your curry?" This time, I focused on the idea of putting udon into curry.

3 Curry Udon dishes in Aichi Prefecture that I got hooked on

Aichi Prefecture is flooded with local curry udon shops. Aichi's curry udon is delicious because of its deep, rich curry soup.I became so obsessed that whenever I have the chance to go to Aichi, I think about wanting to eat curry udon.

Toyohashi Curry Udon

You can get there in about 50 minutes from Nagoya Station by JR New Rapid or Meitetsu Limited Express. If you go by JR, it costs 1140 yen, and by Meitetsu, it costs 1340 yen, so if you are west of Nagoya City, it is cheaper to go by JR.

A feature of Toyohashi Curry Udon is the use of homemade noodles.Udon shops in Toyohashi City make their own noodles in-house.

Toyohashi City has the highest production volume in Japan, and uses quail eggs.Quail eggs account for 60% of Japan's shipments and are born in Toyohashi City. The reasons why quail egg production is thriving in Toyohashi City include its location between Osaka and Tokyo, which secures a market; the abundance of related industries such as feed and equipment suppliers due to the thriving poultry industry; and the mild climate year-round.

The biggest feature of Toyohashi Curry Udon is the grated yam and rice hidden at the bottom of the bowl. It was born from a staff meal idea of "putting grated yam on udon." The concept is to enjoy curry rice at the end of your curry udon.

You put in rice, then grated yam, then curry udon in that order. You can also enjoy the curry sauce that often gets left over until the very end. To enjoy Toyohashi Curry Udon to the fullest, eat only the top half first so you don't touch the bottom with your spoon. Furthermore, adding fukujinzuke or tsubozuke pickles is also a requirement.

This time, I visited "Segawa Main Store," a famous shop founded in 1914 with over 100 years of history, located a 7-minute walk from Toyohashi Station. The thick broth, quail eggs, and firm, thin udon noodles. At first, it's a collaboration between the firm homemade noodles and the dashi-rich curry, and at the end, you dig up the grated yam and rice from the bottom of the bowl, mix it, and eat it with the curry. Curry and grated yam actually go well together.

Segawa Main Store
Business hours: 11:00-19:30
Closed: Mondays
Access: 7-minute walk from Toyohashi Station

Curry Nikomi Udon

Shachi-ichi is a sister store of the famous Miso Nikomi Udon shop, Yamamotoya Sohonten. It was developed as a flagship product for the summer when sales of Miso Nikomi Udon drop. We focused on the fact that curry is loved by a wide range of people.

The base is Miso Nikomi Udon.The dashi and noodles are the same as Miso Nikomi Udon. Since the noodles are made without salt, the texture is so unique that you might doubt they are fresh noodles when you first eat them. If you order, you can also have the noodles cooked softer. The dashi is a deep-flavored blend of bonito dashi and chicken broth. It has a flavor that can stand up to the curry roux, which combines caramelized onions and a unique blend of spices.

It is served in an individual clay pot. The heat retention of the Iga-yaki clay pot is excellent, so you can eat it piping hot until the very end. The handle of the lid is not hot and can be used as a serving plate.

The firm udon noodles and deep richness are remnants of Miso Nikomi Udon.The rich curry soup makes you want to drink it to the last drop because the spiciness plays a supporting role. Because of the thickness from the wheat dissolved from the noodles, it is different from a thin soup curry. It is recommended because you can also get plenty of vegetables.

It is good to add extra vegetables, and thanks to a part-time worker from Nepal, Tandoori chicken was also created.

Shachi-ichi Nishiki-dori Fushimi Store
Business hours: 11:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00
Closed: Irregular holidays
Access: 7-minute walk from Fushimi Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama and Tsurumai Lines

Wakashachiya

The smooth, chewy noodles, whose thickness is precisely calculated, go perfectly with the thick, rich curry broth.The curry roux is made by hand, even down to the spice blend. The broth is also made by combining Japanese dashi and chicken broth. The spiciness comes later, but because the flavor of the dashi is strong, it acts as a supporting role. The ingredients like fried tofu, green onions, and pork are also carefully selected, and everything comes together to be delicious.
Cup noodles are also sold periodically, so you can enjoy the taste of Wakashachiya at home. I especially liked the fresh noodle type from the 2010s; it was one of the best quality cup noodles I've ever eaten in my life, and it was a favorite that I always bought as a souvenir.
By the way, they also have Nagoya specialties like deep-fried chicken wings, miso kushikatsu, and beef offal stew, not just curry udon, making it perfect for enjoying the taste of Nagoya.

Wakashachiya Meieki Esca Branch
Business Hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Closed: Follows Esca's schedule
Access: 2-minute walk from JR Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit

Curry udon itself is easy to make at home by thinning leftover curry with broth, or by combining it with frozen udon without thinning it. You don't have to go all the way to Aichi Prefecture to find delicious versions at soba or udon shops. The curry udon I had at a soba shop in Nagano Prefecture is also a flavor I cannot forget. However, I cannot forget the taste of the curry udon I ate in Aichi Prefecture, which is why I applied for this project.

Why is curry udon in Aichi Prefecture so delicious?

I believe it is because of their strong commitment to things like spice blending and handmade dashi broth. I also think the influence of the birth of Oriental Curry, Japan's first instant curry created in 1946, is significant. The dashi is the star, while the spiciness of the spices plays a supporting role. The deep dashi that makes you want to drink it all, the wonderful aroma of the curry, and the noodles with a firm chewiness combine to create a rich curry udon that is so addictive you'll get hooked like a swamp.

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