The udon restaurant “Sanuki Udon Kawahara” (hereafter, Kawahara) has been loved for many years in Mabi, Kurashiki City.
It is a popular restaurant bustling with customers, known for its udon, including Bukkake udon.
However, it was damaged by the Heavy Rain Event of July 2018.
It rebuilt about three months later and has supported Mabi’s recovery ever since.
In May 2021, Kawahara relocated, built a new restaurant, and made a fresh start.
Let’s take a look at the features and special touches of Kawahara’s new restaurant.
The information listed was current when this article was published in May 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Kawahara is a long-established udon restaurant rooted in the community
Sanuki Udon Kawahara is an udon restaurant in Mabi, Kurashiki City.
In 1993, owner Kawahara Yukio became independent from an udon restaurant in Mizushima, Kurashiki City, and opened this restaurant in the Arii area of Mabi.
Since then, the owner, his wife, and staff have run the restaurant together. As an udon restaurant rooted in the community, it welcomes many local customers.
It was damaged in the Heavy Rain Event of July 2018, but rebuilt at the same location in October of that year, about three months later.
Yukio’s son Ryo also joined the business, and with “Bringing vitality back to Mabi” as their motto, they have supported the local recovery as a restaurant.
We also covered it for Kurashiki Tocotoco after it was rebuilt.
Then, on May 19, 2021, it reopened in a newly built location in the Kawabe area of Mabi.
After relocating, it has continued to operate with the same concept as before: “a community-rooted restaurant serving delicious udon with a cheerful, welcoming spirit.”
Inside Kawahara’s new restaurant
Kawahara’s new restaurant is about 600 meters east of the former location.
As with the former restaurant, it is just off Prefectural Route 278 (Shisou-Mabi Line).
One distinctive feature of Kawahara’s new restaurant is that the atmosphere differs between the entrance and the back of the dining area.
The restaurant has counter seats, table seats, and a tatami-mat seating area.
Kawahara’s menu
Prices include consumption tax. Information current as of May 2024
Kawahara offers a wide variety of udon.
Bukkake udon is especially popular, with five varieties available.
The types of oden available are as follows (121 yen per item).
- Konjac
- Tsukune
- Goboten
- Hiraten
- Egg
- Beef tendon
Kawahara also offers takeout.
If ordering takeout, please place your order in advance whenever possible!
Takeout is available in containers or bags.
Containers incur an additional charge. For bags, each set costs 22 yen (tax included).
Recommended Menu Items
Kawahara's menu features a wide variety of udon.
We've picked out some recommended items from the extensive menu.
“Bukkake udon with squid” is the most popular, with a generous serving of squid-tentacle tempura!
The most popular item on Kawahara's menu by far is the “Bukkake udon with squid.”
Each Bukkake udon can be ordered hot or cold!
During our visit, we ordered it cold.
The Bukkake udon is generously topped with squid tentacle tempura.
It's a very generous portion!
The broth is rich and sweet.
The tempura batter is wonderfully crisp and fragrant, and the chewy squid tentacles release an irresistible squid flavor as you bite into them.
It's also delicious to dip the tempura generously into the broth.
The thick udon noodles are firm and pleasantly chewy.
They also soak up the broth beautifully, making them delicious.
“Squid Tempura Udon” is tempura udon topped with squid-tentacle tempura
Tempura udon topped with tempura is popular at Kawahara.
There are several kinds of tempura udon, and the most popular is the “Squid Tempura Udon” (770 yen).
Other options include “Small Shrimp Tempura Udon” (682 yen) and “Shrimp Tempura Udon” (902 yen)!
Like the Bukkake udon with squid, this is kake udon topped with squid-tentacle tempura.
The squid tentacles are cut into bite-sized pieces, making them easy to eat.
The crispy batter is delicious, but we also recommend letting it soak up the udon broth.
The broth is clear with a slight milky hue.
When we tasted it, the deep flavor of the dashi and a refreshing saltiness spread across the palate.
It leaves a very clean finish.
The noodles are thick, chewy, and satisfyingly firm.
“Kitsune Udon” features fried tofu infused with rich flavor
Kawahara also serves “Kitsune Udon” (627 yen), one of the classic udon dishes.
The fried tofu had thoroughly absorbed a sweet-and-savory flavor.
As soon as you bite into it, the sweet-and-savory flavor bursts from the fried tofu and fills your mouth.
It is also delicious to soak the fried tofu thoroughly in the dashi broth before eating it.
The dashi soaks into the fried tofu, while the fried tofu infuses the broth with its sweet-and-savory flavor, letting you enjoy a new taste in both the tofu and the broth.
“Meat udon” comes loaded with beef!
Kawahara is popular for its various Bukkake udon dishes, including squid bukkake udon, but one of its most popular dishes outside the bukkake range is “meat udon” (825 yen).
The meat udon is only available hot, but it’s popular all year round!
As its name suggests, it comes with plenty of beef, as well as a generous amount of tempura bits.
The beef is lightly seasoned.
That lets you really savor the flavor of the meat.
This udon is recommended for meat lovers.
“Meat bukkake udon” stands out for its beef and sweet-and-savory sauce
Among the Bukkake udon dishes, the most popular after the squid version are “beef bukkake udon” (874 yen) and “small shrimp bukkake udon” (737 yen).
So I ordered the beef bukkake udon hot.
Like the meat udon, it comes topped with plenty of lightly seasoned beef.
The beef is delicious on its own thanks to its light seasoning, but it’s also recommended to coat it thoroughly in the rich, sweet sauce.
With a fresh start in a new place and building, Sanuki Udon Kawahara has embarked on a new chapter.
We interviewed staff member Kawahara Ryo.
Sanuki Udon Kawahara details
| Name | Sanuki Udon Kawahara |
|---|---|
| Address | 1810-3 Kawabe, Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 0866-98-8286 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday If Monday is a public holiday, open until 3:00 p.m. |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Reservations may not be available during busy periods Advance reservations are recommended for takeout |
| Seating | 56 seats total ・10 counter seats ・2 tables seating 2 ・4 tables seating 4 ・3 tatami tables seating 2 ・2 tatami tables seating 4 ・2 tatami tables seating 6 |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Families with children | Strollers allowed Children’s tableware available Children’s chairs available |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair access available Restroom is not wheelchair accessible |
| Website | Sanuki Udon Kawahara Official Website |
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Some of the most popular items overall are “Squid Bukkake udon,” “Small Shrimp Bukkake udon,” “Beef Bukkake udon,” and “Beef udon.”
Various tempura udon dishes, such as “Squid Tempura udon” and “Small Shrimp Tempura udon,” are also popular!