Artisanal udon restaurant Haruyama Udon opens its first flagship outlet at Tampines

Foodies in the east, you’re incredibly fortunate — with a plethora of malls and dining options to choose from, there’s always something new to try or buy!

And as of late, there’s a new kid on the bustling Tampines block: Haruyama Udon, an artisanal udon spot dishing up handcrafted Japanese-style noodles.

This is its first flagship outlet and it opened its doors on Jul 19.

We were excited to give it a try, as it’s not often that we come across a restaurant specialising in authentic, handmade udon.

There are four varieties of udon on the menu, all of which originate from different prefectures in Japan: Inaniwa (hand-stretched dried noodles) from Akita, hoto (flat noodles) from Yamanashi, himokawa (wide noodles) from Gunma and sanuki (chewy, thick noodles) from Kagawa. 

All four udon types differentiate from one another by their texture, thickness and the way they’re served — some are accompanied by a dipping sauce, others presented in a classic dashi (Japanese soup stock) broth and so on. 

For our Muslim friends eager to try out Haruyama Udon’s specialty noodles, you’ll be pleased to know the brand is still in the midst of obtaining its Halal certification.

A quaint, cosy space 

You can find Haruyama Udon on the basement level of Tampines 1. 

It’s a quaint, no-frills restaurant that’s decked in wooden furnishings and plush cushion seats, which give off a cosy, right-at-home atmosphere. 

We do note the restaurant is still working through some teething issues with manpower. When we were there, we noticed that orders were taking some time to arrive. 

If you’re planning to visit the restaurant, perhaps you can swing by during non-peak hours, either for a late lunch or early dinner, to reduce the waiting time.

The menu

Before you tuck into the main dishes, why not kick start the meal by sampling a couple of small bites? 

There’s the mouthwatering sriracha mayo tako karaage (S$10), which sees golden-tinged octopus chunks served with a tangy sriracha mayonnaise. 

The nuggets of deep-fried tako are cooked perfectly, with plump bits of octopus enveloped in a light, crunchy batter. Thoroughly dip the tako karaage into the piquant sriracha mayo dressing, and the savoury dish is immediately lifted with a sapid zestiness. 

For another appetiser that’s comforting to the soul, there’s oden (S$10). It’s a hearty nabemono (a mixture of ingredients in a broth) dish comprising eggs, narutomaki (fish cake) and cheese tofu.

The spicy basil chicken udon (S$16) instantly won hearts from the first bite. It’s a creative take on the classic Thai basil chicken dish, but in an udon variation — we found it just as delicious.

The hoto udon takes the limelight here, which sees a bed of bouncy wheat flour noodles topped with succulent bits of minced chicken, wakame and an ooey-gooey onsen egg. The dish is also elevated with spicy miso, which adds a nice heat and richness to the noodles.

Remember to mix all the ingredients well, so you get a satisfying mouthful of various flavours and textures. We found this to be one of our favourites at Haruyama Udon and we’ll return just for this alone.

The chewy himokawa udon noodles take centre stage in the white curry udon (S$16), which is a velvety, slurp-worthy dish coated in Japanese curry gravy and creamy potato mousse. Tender chunks of vegetables and chicken are also embedded within the dish for added bite and flavour. 

It’s recommended that you mix the noodles, potato mousse and curry together, which gives the dish a luscious, oh-so-buttery texture. That said, while it was tasty, all the components combined were a tad jelak.

The ebi yaki udon (S$16) is reminiscent of our local stir-fried noodles dish — the type you’ll find in zi char-style eateries. It’s tossed with a mixture of ingredients such as prawns, bits of egg, cabbage and carrots.

The dish utilises sanuki udon noodles, which, if you didn’t realise, is one of the most commonly used variations in Japanese cuisine. It’s thick, springy and has a substantial bite.

It’s a drool-worthy rendition of a familiar, Singaporean-favourite dish that you can’t go wrong with.

The yasai ten udon (S$14) is a signature item at Haruyama Udon and we can see why. It’s a simplistic noodle dish showcasing inaniwa udon — thin, smooth noodles — swimming in an aromatic dashi broth. 

It’s nothing fancy nor pretentious, just good old-fashioned udon in a bowl. In our opinion, this is a dish that we’d opt for if we’re craving something hot, soupy and comforting. 

Accompanying the udon is a small, yet flavourful dish of assorted vegetable tempura. These are well-battered with an airy, crispy crust.

Last but not least, we had the tenzaru udon (S$16), which is a crowd-favourite at Haruyama Udon. It was presented beautifully in a set, with himokawa noodles neatly laid out on a bamboo strainer and an assortment of tempura and dipping sauces on the side. 

The noodles are meant to be drained on the strainer, so you can then taste the pure texture and flavours of the udon in all its glory. 

Then, it’s recommended that you dunk the noodles into the umami-packed mentsuyu (Japanese soup base) or goma dare (sesame sauce) for an extra hit of flavour. 

We prefer the latter — we often have it with shabu shabu — as it coats the udon in a tantalising nuttiness that’s very rich and addictive. Overall, it’s a classic, feel-good dish that’s worth every penny.

Opening promotion

To celebrate its opening, Haruyama Udon has rolled out a limited-time promotion! 

From Aug 5 to 9, purchase any udon item on the menu to enjoy a second bowl for just S$5.90 (U.P. from S$10).

This was a hosted tasting.

For the latest eats, read about Sun with Moon Light’s new-and-improved menu or Casa Vostra’s latest opening at Raffles City. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here.

Haruyama Udon is on the GrabFood Delivery Service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off with GrabUnlimited). 

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Haruyama Udon to try its artisanal noodles.