Japanese Udon Noodle | Koya, Soho London

Japanese Udon Noodle | Koya, Soho London

• April 21, 2020

In Japan, there's always the debate of which noodle you love the most; ramen, soba or udon. Out of the three, hands down my favourite is udon. Thick, bouncy and silky. 

When Koya first opened in London, G and I ate there every other week and it became one of our absolute favourite restaurants. We regularly took different set of friends to try it and as their specials board was frequently packed with new and exciting dishes, we never ever got bored. 

Since the original restaurant closed down because Chef Junya left to chase other food dreams, leaving 'Koya Bar' right next door to carry on its legacy in Soho, we've barely been back to Koya. This is mainly because we had a baby and the restaurant is bar seats only, not quite baby friendly for us as new parents. 

Back in February, before UK went into lockdown, I took myself out on a foodie day out in London with no other company except for myself. I had an utterly delightful day, child free (whilst Isaac was at nursery) and with one focus only: to eat good food and eat at absolutely anywhere that I wanted. 

I'd missed Koya and knew this had to be my first stop, so I started my day with breakfast udon.

Lots of specials for breakfast, alongside their regular breakfast menu. 

Kitsune udon is as plain and clean as you can get. I was craving the simplicity and original taste of silky udon soaked in a clear, yet flavour packed soup. Taking my first sip of soup, memories of those golden Koya days came right back, although the broth lacked the magic touch of gentle flavours that only chef Junya could conjure. But still, I was happy.

The udon is still great as ever; silky and slippery, chewy and soft. The thin slice of kitsune tofu, deep fried and then braised in a sweet dashi, balanced out the savoury broth perfectly.

Koya is soul restoring. I will definitely be back for more when London opens its arms once more.

Address:
50 Frith Street
Soho
London
W1D 4SQ