Last Updated on 2025年10月12日 by saitama-j
My long-cherished wish came true and I was able to go to ‘Asobi.’ We drove along the mountain road and arrived just after 11:30 on a Sunday. Since it is a popular restaurant that regularly appears in Tabelog’s top 100 listings, I was prepared for a line, but there were only a few people waiting inside. However, the turnover at this restaurant is slow, so even with few customers, there is a wait. Closed on Mondays.
The floor inside the store is tatami.
Meat Soup Udon
Although I was tempted by cold udon because of the intense heat, since it was my first visit to this famous shop, I went with the meat soup udon, medium serving (1,140 yen)! The regular serving is 400g, medium is 550g (+50 yen), and large is 650g (+100 yen), so medium and large seem like a good deal.
We also had shiso and myoga tempura (300 yen). It’s delicious when eaten with salt.
It took just under 50 minutes from entering the store to get served, which is quite a long time considering it wasn’t extremely crowded. The noodles are extra-thick with an extremely firm texture, rugged in nature—exactly the kind I like. The firmness is almost surpassing that of Yoshida’s udon. The dipping soup is also well-equipped with ingredients: large pieces of pork belly, fried tofu, and plenty of green onions are included. The soup itself is quite strong in flavor.
Since it has a lot of meat, the 550g of this udon is quite satisfying to eat! For most people, a medium portion is more than enough. It was an udon shop that I hadn’t encountered in a while, and it’s a place anyone can enjoy without fail.
Meat and eggplant udon
On my revisit on October 10, 1995 (R7.10.10), I had the meat and eggplant udon (1,090 yen). I was the first customer when the restaurant opened, but compared to the height of summer, it seems that the crowds have settled down considerably.
It’s packed with chunky eggplants, but that doesn’t mean there’s little meat.
Here is the summary article
Handmade Udon Asobi
473-6 Masuo, Ogawa Town, Saitama Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Closed: Mondays31 seats
