Quality, authentic restaurant experiences from another country are promised by many but delivered by few.
Abu Dhabi’s relative newcomer, UDN, on the Old Airport Road (it’s beside the Mercedes showroom) is not the first establishment in the capital to plate up food from The Land of the Rising Sun, but it is the capital’s first dedicated udon house. And with all meals being freshly prepared, from scratch, that day, expectations are high.
Upon arrival, you’re greeted by a dimly lit restaurant where the walls are adorned with all manner of classic Japanese imagery, from cherry blossom trees to Japanese architecture and butterflies, joined by a sleek open kitchen where you can watch the chefs work their magic.
It’s almost immediately relaxing. And so is the presence of the restaurant’s staff, who are attentive without every being overbearingly so.
You’ll be offered a rather fancy, bronzed lettered bib with the UDN logo on it before you dive straight into the starters.
Where to kick off? It has to be the gyoza, packed to the perfectly steamed seams with fillings including chicken, duck and veg.
After scoffing these delicious dumplings (we’re pretty sure we’ve set records on time here), it’s on to the main event, and the restaurant’s signature dish, the udon. (Yes, there’s sushi on the menu, but the place isn’t called SHI.)
Served in big, stylish black bowls, there some 17 UDN choices to peruse, featuring noodles that, legend has it, were created by a monk more than 1,200 years ago.
That’s a lot of time to get these hearty strands of wheat flour perfected and UDN doesn’t tank the tradition, so seriously slurpable is each bowl. Our only disappointment is with ourselves, when our groaning bellies send up signals that we can’t possible scoff down another strand.
Dessert, if you have any space in the tank (props), is a choice of trendy Japanese milk cake or mochi.
With a delicious food card, reasonable prices and service to boot, UDN is one place in Abu Dhabi udon want to miss out on.
Open daily noon-11pm. Unlicensed. Showroom 1, Old Airport Road (050 648 9310).
