The essence of tourism is to experience the culture and history of the region you visit.
Among these, "food" can be said to be the greatest pleasure.
If you are going to visit for tourism, you want to eat delicious food that is rooted in the region.
When it comes to Kurashiki's specialties, it is "Bukkake udon".
The shop that popularized this bukkake udon is "Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuitchi".
Furuitchi is a shop with a long history in Kurashiki.
Many locals in Kurashiki have probably eaten Furuitchi's bukkake udon.
It is said that the late baseball player from Kurashiki City, Hoshino Senichi, often came to eat at Furuitchi.
For the people of Kurashiki, the yellow circle with the "bu" mark of Furuitchi is familiar.
Now, let me introduce Furuitchi, the taste of the hearts of the citizens of Kurashiki.
Furuitchi has stores both in and outside of Kurashiki, but I visited the Nakamise store located in the center of the shopping street in front of JR Kurashiki Station.
Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuitchi is a long-established udon shop centered on the local specialty "Bukkake Udon"
Furuitchi is a udon shop that operates mainly in Kurashiki City.
In particular, "Bukkake Udon" is famous and has become so popular that it is now referred to as a "Kurashiki specialty".
Many tourists look forward to coming to eat at Furuitchi when they visit Kurashiki, and it is also popular among customers from overseas.
The origin of Furuitchi dates back to about 100 years ago when it was founded as a flour milling business.
It is a shop with a rich history.
The Nakamise store is the central location of Furuitchi's udon shops, located in a corner of the shopping street in front of JR Kurashiki Station, and is loved by udon fans nationwide as the "holy land of Bukkake Udon".
The bukkake udon that has become a specialty of Kurashiki has distinct characteristics that set it apart from bukkake udon eaten nationwide.
Additionally, Furuitchi has several varieties of bukkake udon, which is also appealing.
Furuitchi participated in the "Udon World Championship," where udon shops from all over the country compete for the title of the best udon (the event ended in 2017).
Remarkably, Furuitchi achieved back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017!
Menu of Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuitchi Nakamise
The menu at Furuitchi Nakamise can be broadly divided into the following groups.
- Bukkake Udon
- Soup Udon
- Other Udon and Noodles
- Side Menu
- Shaved Ice
Bukkake Udon and Soup Udon are almost the same as those at other Furuitchi locations, but there are also original items on the menu at Nakamise.
Let me introduce them in order.
Menu items and prices are including tax. As of March 2022 (Reiwa 4)
▼Furuitchi is characterized by having a variety of options just for Bukkake Udon.
Photo provided by: Furuitchi
Bukkake Udon can be chosen as either cold or hot.
However, some options like Niku Bukkake are only available hot.
Cold Bukkake Udon comes with wasabi, while hot Bukkake Udon comes with ginger, but if you request it when ordering, you can have ginger with the cold and wasabi with the hot.
Of course, it is also possible to have it without wasabi or ginger.
Additionally, there are sometimes limited-time Bukkake Udon available for sale.
▼While Furuitchi is strongly associated with Bukkake Udon, there is also a wide lineup of Soup Udon.
Photo provided by: Furuitchi
Soup Udon is what is commonly known as Kake Udon.
There are also Zaru Udon, Kama-tama, and Somen.
▼The side menu includes tempura, rice bowls, and inari sushi.
Photo provided by: Furuitchi
Shaved ice, popular in summer, also comes in a variety of options. There is also zenzai (sweet red bean soup).
▼As a special service, from 3 PM every Friday, the 100 yen charge for large servings of udon is waived!
Being able to eat a large serving for the price of a regular serving is quite a bargain.
Students must be thrilled.
Popular and recommended menu items at Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuitchi
Furuitchi has a lot of menu items.
Even just the signature Bukkake Udon can be overwhelming.
Therefore, let me introduce the popular and recommended menu items.
Menu items and prices are including tax. As of March 2022 (Reiwa 4)
If it's your first time, start with the basic "Bukkake Udon"
▼If you are visiting Furuitchi for the first time, the standard "Bukkake Udon (560 yen including tax)" is recommended.
Bukkake Udon accounts for about 20% of total orders and is the most popular menu item.
It features a quail egg in the center, surrounded by plenty of tenkasu (tempura scraps), green onions, and shredded nori (seaweed).
The dashi broth poured over it is characterized by its sweet and deep flavor.
Bukkake Udon is available in both "cold" and "hot".
Our recommendation is, if you want to enjoy the flavor of the dashi, go for the hot bukkake udon, and if you want to enjoy the texture of the noodles, go for the cold bukkake udon.
The hot version enhances the flavor of the dashi.
Therefore, the hot bukkake udon is recommended for enjoying the essence of the dashi.
Said Okada, the manager of Furuitchi Nakamise.
This seems to be a common pattern, but whether to order cold or hot depends on personal preference.
Popular in summer: "Oroshi Bukkake" and "Buttoro"
While the recommendation is for hot bukkake udon, cold bukkake udon is also popular in summer.
The bukkake udon that becomes popular in summer are "Oroshi Bukkake (670 yen including tax)" and "Buttoro (670 yen including tax)".
▼Oroshi Bukkake is a bukkake udon that contains a lot of grated daikon radish.
The refreshing taste of grated daikon radish is perfect for hot summer days and encourages appetite.
Additionally, it tastes even better when the dashi is well absorbed by the grated daikon.
▼Buttoro Udon is a bukkake udon that is loaded with tororo (grated yam).
The smooth stickiness of grated nagaimo (Japanese yam) pairs well with the udon and dashi, allowing you to enjoy a unique flavor.
It is recommended to eat the udon with a bit more vigor than usual.
Popular in winter: "Niku Bukkake" and "Tempura Bukkake"
In cold winter, you definitely want to eat hot udon.
The bukkake udon that becomes popular in winter are "Niku Bukkake (680 yen including tax)" and "Tempura Bukkake (730 yen including tax)".
▼Niku Bukkake is a bukkake udon that is loaded with sweet and savory braised beef.
The combination of the umami of the meat, the sweetness of the braising liquid, and the flavor of the dashi is excellent, allowing you to enjoy a deep taste.
The kombu (seaweed) and onions, which were simmered together with the meat, also contributed well to the dish.
▼Tempura Bukkake is a bukkake udon that contains one shrimp tempura.
The large shrimp tempura has a crispy batter. After the crispy texture, you can enjoy the plump texture of the shrimp inside.
It is also recommended to submerge the shrimp tempura in the dashi and enjoy the flavor of the dashi-soaked shrimp tempura.
Additionally, there is a "Niku Ten Bukkake (850 yen including tax)" that includes shrimp tempura in the Niku Bukkake.
Also, both Niku Bukkake and Niku Ten Bukkake are only available hot.
For those who have conquered bukkake, the popular menu for soup udon is "Kizami Udon"
Furuitchi offers a wide variety of Soup Udon in addition to Bukkake Udon.
Soup Udon refers to Kake Udon, and it has been available since Furuitchi started serving udon.
Soup Udon actually has a longer history than Bukkake Udon.
Moreover, Soup Udon is also particular about the dashi, making it a proud dish of Furuitchi.
Therefore, it is popular among long-time fans and those who have conquered Bukkake Udon, known as "Furuitchi enthusiasts".
Among Soup Udon, the long-standing favorite is "Kizami Udon (660 yen including tax)".
▼Kizami Udon is a hearty udon filled with special fried tofu and plenty of ingredients.
Fans of Furuichi since it started serving udon say, "When you think of Furuichi, you think of Kizami Udon."
Large servings of shaved ice are also popular. The same sweet red bean paste as Fuman is the key point
Furuichi is also popular for its shaved ice.
Menu contents and prices are including tax. As of March 2022 (Reiwa 4)
One characteristic of Furuichi's shaved ice is that it has a large quantity.
Shaved ice piled high is something you want to try at least once.
Furthermore, the variety of flavors is also a secret to its popularity.
Among them, the most popular is the Kintoki series.
Kintoki refers to shaved ice topped with sweet red bean paste.
Furuichi's Kintoki shaved ice uses the same sweet red bean paste as Fuman.
The sweet red bean paste from Fuman has a strong following because it is made using the same method since its establishment.
Fuman is short for "Fufu Manju" and is known in other regions as "Oban-yaki," "Imagawa-yaki," or "Kaiten-yaki."
Recommended way to enjoy Bukkake Udon
Furuichi's signature dish is Bukkake Udon.
Since we are here, I asked the manager of Furuichi Nakaten, Okada, for the best way to enjoy Bukkake Udon.
The best way to eat Bukkake Udon is to mix it well before eating!
▼Let's mix it right away.
▼It is beautifully plated, but mix it thoroughly without hesitation. No compromises.
The key is to mix the udon, ingredients, and broth well.
Enjoying the complex and deep flavor created by the combination of various ingredients and broth is the essence of Bukkake Udon!
▼Once mixed well, you can eat the udon all at once from here.
It gives a bold impression, but when you eat it, you can enjoy a rich flavor that combines various tastes.
I think it's interesting how the taste changes with different toppings or whether it's served cold or hot.
I definitely want to try various Bukkake Udon.
Furuichi Nakaten retains a traditional atmosphere
As of 2022, Furuichi has 14 locations both inside and outside the city.
Among all Furuichi stores, Nakaten is the store that retains a traditional atmosphere.
Originally, it sold udon along with Fuman at the main store, but eventually separated as a udon specialty store, leading to the birth of Nakaten.
As a result, Nakaten has become known among udon lovers as the “holy land of Bukkake Udon”.
By the way, according to Okada from Nakaten, there used to be a branch a little away from Nakaten, and it was named "Nakaten" because it was located between the main store and another store.
The reason it is "Nakaten" and not "Chuten" is thought to be inspired by Asakusa's "Nakamise Street."
Let me introduce the interior of the store.
The photos of the interior were taken during the first interview in August 2019.
Currently, it has obtained the "Okayama Prefecture Restaurant Infection Prevention Measures Third-Party Certification" and is implementing infection control measures.
▼On the first floor of Nakaten, there are the register, kitchen, and table seats.
▼There are many table seats on the second floor.
▼The counter seats are located by the window on the second floor.
Bukkake Udon has now become a specialty of Kurashiki.
I spoke with the manager of Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuichi Nakaten, Okada Masakazu, who has been making Bukkake Udon for many years and enjoys immense popularity among local residents and tourists.
Data for Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuichi Nakaten
However, if you need to bring in a stroller or require children's chairs, it is recommended to use the nearest stores in the city (Nakajima Store, Horinaka Store, Aeon Mall Kurashiki Store, Matsushima Store, Mizushima Store, etc.) ⇒ Store details
We deliver selected articles from Kurashiki Tocotoco via LINE