Phrom Phong may be saturated with Japanese restaurants, but a newly opened udon specialist is garnering crowds with gigantic bowls of freshly made noodles.
Between the alleys of Soi Sukhumvit 43, Udon Sakaba Kitaro Labo not only serves delectable variations of dense noodles, but also premium-quality sukiyaki to get you out of your post-work funk.
Set in a two-story shophouse, the restaurant is decorated with simple wood furniture, with the majority of seating at traditional, low Japanese tables on the first floor. If you arrive with a large group, head upstairs to find enclosed private rooms on the second floor.
There’s an inexplicable comfort in slurping cold udon on hot days, and with the variety of options available — along with the unapologetically large, thick udon noodles — this is a go-to lunch or dinner spot for the Sukhumvit office rats.
The in-house udon menu comes with a variety of toppings. The mentaiko udon noodle (THB360) arrives with a large bowl of fat, white chewy noodles and spicy cod eggs topped with egg yolk. When cracked open and mixed, it evenly coats the noodles, giving off addictively rich flavors. The umeboshi udon (THB360), meanwhile, showcases the level of care put into each bowl. The salty pickled plum, arriving the size of a lime, accentuates the dish with a refreshing sweet-sour taste. Other toppings range from potato cream (THB280) and beef curry (THB360) to the special carbonara (THB420), substituting pasta for an Italian staple. Order mascarpone with dried sardine (THB180) and put a spoonful on top for the full sensation. The pork sukiyaki set starts off at THB1,500 featuring Okinawa’s native black pig aguu pork (180g), vegetable essentials, and udon noodles.
Japanese beers start at THB140 for Kirin, and there are also shochu options available by glass (THB160) and bottle (THB1,900).
Udon Sakaba Kitaro Labo is open 11:30am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm every day except Monday. Find it just inside Soi Sukhumvit 43, about a five-minute walk from BTS Phrom Phong.
