Oudon Yomogi

Proprietress Miyamoto Yukiyo from the famed double-Michelin-starred Oryori Miyamoto wanted to show the gentle beauty of dashi, the ubiquitous lifeblood of Japanese cooking, through her udon. Steeped konbu, dried mackerel and round herring form the base of her stock, which she seasons with both light and dark soy sauce. Drawing on the tenderness of traditional multi-course meals, she avoids adding sugar to allow the soup to carry only delicate flavor. Bamboo walls and blonde-wood counters in the dining space create an ambiance steeped in tradition reminiscent of a high-end sushi bar. Adjacent to it is the noodle dough maturation area, where Miyamoto and her staff make fresh batches twice a day. She applies her training from Kagawa Prefecture, taking great care not to overboil the thick noodles; instead, she allows them to finish cooking in the warmth of the dashi soup. In the evening, the menu expands beyond udon into a wider variety of Japanese-style dishes reminiscent of a classy kappo. The hassun set, which might feature sauteed maitake mushrooms, shrimp potato buns, fried burdock, lotus root mochi and egg custard, encourages her patrons to slow down. Diners fall in love with the wild boar cutlets and playful kaiseki iterations made with the udon stock, like the Tsushima-caught conger eel and tamagoyaki. Everything, from the spirit of hospitality to her choice of crockery, made by Nakazato Kenta from the Saga-based Ryutagama kiln, demonstrates her eye for the exquisite. Michelin Guide accolades: 2024 - Bib Gourmand