Udon Shin in Singapore: Wildly viral carbonara udon joint from Tokyo opens first local store

If you’ve been on a trip to Tokyo in the last few years, there’s a high chance that you’d come across the name “Udon Shin”, while doing your research.

Although Tokyo is notorious for its lengthy restaurant queues, Udon Shin is probably one of the most viral ones, with some people claiming three-hour-long wait times.

If you’re wondering what could possibly attract so much excitement at an udon store, it can all be traced back to its signature dish: The carbonara udon.

Sounds interesting right? Well, now you can also savour the world-famous carbonara udon at the first Udon Shin Singapore outlet!

Slated to open officially on November 13, it’s located in Takashimaya B2, taking over the unit that once housed beef tongue specialist Gyutan-Tan’s Orchard outpost.

The space is simple and stylistically not that much different from similar casual Japanese restaurants, but there’s a semi-open kitchen with a window for passers-by to peep in on the udon prep.

Yes, each strand of udon is made daily in-house — the team follows a “four fresh” philosophy (freshly kneaded, freshly cut, freshly boiled, and freshly fried) for the best texture!

Udon Shin’s carbonara udon in Singapore!

Currently, there are no exclusive items to Udon Shin’s Singapore outlet, but the menu here contains everything you can find in Tokyo. 

We all know what everyone will be flocking down for, and it’s obviously the signature carbonara udon (S$24).

This unique creation is a combination of udon, dashi, parmesan cheese, butter, pepper, and spring onion, gloriously crowned with a golden yolk.

Udon Shin’s signature dish skews more towards the Japanese-Italian style of udon that’s creamier and sweeter, but is still immensely rich and satisfying with a robust dose of egg, cheese, and pepper fragrance.

On top of that, the ensemble is finished with a very intriguing slab of tempura bacon that introduces a nice bit of additional texture and decadence.

Needless to say, the handmade noods are also very well-crafted. 

Udon Shin’s udon is wonderfully bouncy and chewy, while also sporting a delectable firmness — not at all overcooked!

Of course, not everyone wants to eat the same thing at the buzziest new opening, and Udon Shin also offers other interesting options including the feisty Szechuan pepper-laced spicy beef shoyu udon (S$24) and mentai-tamago butter shoyu udon (S$15).

For traditionalists yearning for something more stripped-down and classic, the tempura zaru udon (S$28, cold dipping udon) is a great alternative for hotter weather.

This one comes with cold and silky udon laid out upon a bamboo basket, paired with an array of tempura that includes four veggies and two shrimp.

Give it a dip into the dipping sauce for flavourful and comforting slurps.

Udon Shin’s tempura is also pretty decent — light and airy batter, and could be jazzed up with a bit of dipping sauce for more flavour.

In the case you’re keen on tempura, but not quite in the mood for cold noodles, the premium tempura kake udon (S$34) will give you exactly what you’re looking for.

This variation serves the udon in hot soup, and bolsters the tempura lineup with more premium fish and squid pieces!

For those who are convinced by the hype, but can’t find the time to fly to Tokyo, this might be the best chance to indulge in Udon Shin’s viral carbonara udon!

Just be ready: There might be a little bit of a queue.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on Shake Shack’s newest collab with a local Michelin-starred Korean restaurant and all you need to know about 3 Meals a Day, Sim Lim’s beloved salted egg chicken rice stall.