Tempura Udon At Suzu Noodle House -- Katana-ya's Prodigal Son

Suzu's udon (tempura on the side)

I headed for Japantown to check out Ramen Underground's new Miyako Mall venue, but found them unaccountably closed at lunchtime today, so I wandered over to Suzu Noodle House in the Kinokuniya Building. Perusing the menu, it occurred to me I have been depriving myself of the pleasure of udon noodles, ever since my less-than-whelming experience with Kaka Udon, and so I went for the tempura udon.

Suzu Noodle House is an ever-bustling place but the two servers on duty handled the activity with efficiency and aplomb and I had my udon in short order, tempura on  the side. (Got that, Kui Shin Bo?)*  The toothsome noodles were cooked just right, and the delicately seasoned fish broth piping hot.  The eight or so large pieces of tempura were greaselessly battered and came with a dipping sauce, which I alternated with the soup for dunking.  All in all it was very satisfying bowl for a chilly July day in Fog City, and an experience worth returning to.

Along the way I discovered, via a posted liquor license change in ownership application, that Suzu Noodle House was recently acquired by Union Square noodlery Katana-ya; according to a knowledgeable contact, Suzu was founded by a former partner at Katana-ya, so in a sense it's a matter Katana-ya's prodigal son returning to the fold. In any event, it puts two of San Francisco's busiest noodle houses under one ownership.

Where slurped: Suzu Noodle House, 1825 Post Street, Japantown, San Francisco

*Something of a personal joke, which you can guess at if you knew the former Kui Shin Bo proprietress.