Interview with Kura representative Keisuke Nakagawa
Kura is an udon restaurant that continues to make traditional “handmade” udon and broth-rich dipping sauce.
We interviewed Keisuke Nakagawa, representative of Keishin Co., Ltd., which operates Teuchi Udon Kura.
We spoke with him about the restaurant’s opening, how he took it over, its features, and his plans for the future.
This article presents the interview conducted during our initial visit in October 2020.
From noodle factory to handmade udon restaurant
First, could you tell us how the business got started?
Nakagawa (surname only)
We started in 1974, the year I was born.
At first, it wasn’t an udon restaurant but a noodle factory specializing in udon.
Apparently, they mainly supplied supermarkets and similar businesses.
It was in northern Tamashima.
My parents founded and ran it.
My father worked at the noodle factory in the morning, and also worked as an employee at an udon restaurant during the day.
Later, taking changes in the industry into account, we made use of the fact that we had been a noodle factory and that my father had experience working at an udon restaurant, and switched to a handmade udon restaurant.
We opened the udon restaurant in 1987.
It was in the Oshima district of Tamashima, where the restaurant is now, but a little farther south than its current location.
Taking over the udon restaurant was a natural progression
What led you to take over the udon restaurant?
Nakagawa
Honestly, I never really thought about whether I would take it over or not.
I’d been helping out at the udon restaurant since I was little, so following in my parents’ footsteps and working there felt like the natural thing to do (laughs).
After graduating from high school, I went to a culinary school in Kagawa Prefecture, but I chose it on the assumption that I would work at my parents’ udon restaurant.
While I was studying, I also trained by working part-time at an udon restaurant in Kagawa Prefecture.
After that, I graduated successfully and started working at Kura right away.
That was in 1995.
Where did the restaurant’s name come from?
Nakagawa
My parents chose it when I was little, so I don’t really know.
This is just a guess, but Kurashiki City is generally associated with the Bikan Historical Area.
Perhaps they came up with the name from the storehouses in the Bikan Historical Area.
Continuing to make udon the traditional way
What are some of Kura’s distinctive features?
Nakagawa
One of our defining features is that we have a great many regular customers.
It’s generally said that the ideal for a business is 20 percent regular customers and 80 percent new customers.
But we’re the complete opposite.
We have a great many regulars.
We’re very grateful that so many people have come to like our restaurant and become repeat customers.
For a while, I thought about various things and tried them out, but nothing really worked.
After a lot of trial and error, we went back to our roots, so to speak, and returned to the way we used to do things.
Our regular customers were really pleased.
That made me realize how important it is to keep doing things the old way.
It’s very difficult to keep doing things the old way.
It takes effort and time, and it can’t really be called efficient.
That’s why we continue to serve “genuine handmade udon,” made using traditional methods.
We also take our time making the broth from kombu, bonito, mackerel, sardines, and other ingredients.
Making both the noodles and broth is hard work, but we continue to make udon that our customers enjoy.
There are many kinds of udon. What do you recommend?
Nakagawa
The first things I’d like people to try are “zaru udon” and “kake udon.”
They’re simple, so you can really taste the quality of the noodles and broth.
I’d like people to start with simple udon and savor our noodles and broth.
Some udon enthusiasts order zaru udon and kake udon at the same time to enjoy both (laughs).
Another dish I’d like people to try is “niku udon.”
Actually, the way the meat in niku udon is prepared differs from restaurant to restaurant.
That’s why niku udon best reflects each restaurant’s individuality.
When I go to other udon restaurants, I also order zaru udon and niku udon.
At our restaurant, we simmer the meat in udon broth.
It’s common to simmer the meat in a sweet-and-savory sauce, but we do it differently.
Simmering the meat in udon broth brings out its umami, so you can really taste the meat.
That’s why we get lots of comments that our niku udon is delicious, and have many repeat customers.
Other dishes I’d like people to try are our signature “Torigaraku,” “niku-toji udon,” and “beef offal nabeyaki udon.”
Torigaraku is udon with a slightly rich seasoning that lets you savor the umami of chicken.
Niku-toji udon was inspired by a customer who told me, “In Kansai, they have something called tanin udon.”
Beef offal nabeyaki udon is a limited-time menu item available from October through May of the following year.
The sweetness of the beef offal is delicious.
Conversely, what’s popular with customers?
Nakagawa
Tempura-topped “ten-zaru” and “ten-kake” are popular with our customers.
The niku udon I mentioned earlier is popular, too.
Our “daily set meal,” which is filling and good value, is also well liked.
And there’s “yamakake udon.”
It has lots of toppings and is a unique dish at our restaurant; it has been popular for a long time, since the previous generation ran the restaurant.
By the way, most of our menu items have been around since the previous generation.
I noticed you also have a lot of side dishes.
Nakagawa
That has to do with our location.
The Oshima district, where our restaurant is located, is just north of the Mizushima industrial area.
There are factories belonging to large companies, and company housing for the people who worked there.
So in the past, many factory workers came to our restaurant.
The factories operated on a three-shift system, so many people finished work while our restaurant was open.
That’s why we used to have many customers who drank alcohol.
To cater to them, we added more side dishes to go with drinks.
We have fewer customers who drink now than we used to, but we’ve kept some of the old favorites, such as individual dishes.
I noticed that the oden and rice dishes include some local specialties.
Nakagawa
Basically, we serve things I like (laughs).
I used to like the torimeshi at a certain bento chain.
One day, I learned that torimeshi is a bento dish found only around Okayama.
So I thought I’d put one of my favorite local foods on the menu.
Torimeshi is quite popular with our customers, too.
“Tamago kake gohan” is another favorite of mine.
Misaki Town in the prefecture was promoting itself through tamago kake gohan, so I thought I’d add it to the menu as well.
“Staff meal rice” is, as the name suggests, something we used to eat as a staff meal at the restaurant.
It’s simply rice topped with udon broth, but we take great care with our broth, so it’s delicious even though it’s simple.
It seemed a shame for only the staff to eat it, so we added it to the menu.
We added “oden” to the menu because the Tamashima Chamber of Commerce and Industry was promoting it as a local specialty.
The most distinctive feature is the “castella” in the oden.
For us people from Tamashima, castella in oden is perfectly ordinary, but we thought customers from other areas would find it intriguing.
So we thought it would be interesting to add it to the menu.
Future plans
Finally, what are your ambitions for the future, or things you’d like to try?
Nakagawa
I’d like to continue making things in the future.
I’ve always liked making things, not just udon, but also plastic models and other small things.
At the udon restaurant, I come up with new menu items by combining various ingredients.
I added dishes such as “Torigaraku” and “niku-toji udon” to the menu.
We come up with a new menu item about once every three years.
Some have caught on, while others haven’t (laughs).
I’d like to keep making new menu items and enjoy coming up with ideas, while preserving the methods for making our udon noodles and broth that have been passed down since the restaurant was founded.
Kura’s appeal lies in the taste of traditional handmade udon
When I think of udon restaurants, I’ve always pictured “handmade udon.”
But when I think about it, as owner Nakagawa explained in the interview, surprisingly few restaurants still use the original, traditional “handmade” method.
After much trial and error, Kura continues to faithfully make “genuine handmade udon,” passed down since its founding.
Many customers visit the restaurant seeking Kura’s handmade udon.
Be sure to visit Kura and enjoy the taste of genuine handmade udon made the traditional way.
Teuchi Udon Kura details
| Name | Teuchi Udon Kura |
|---|---|
| Address | 7283-1 Oshima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-522-7178 |
| Parking | Available ・First parking lot: 12 spaces ・Second parking lot: approximately 6 spaces |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. ※Closes when sold out |
| Closed | Tuesday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 40 seats ・Two four-person tables for shared seating ・Two four-person tables ・Four four-person booth tables ・Two four-person tatami rooms |
| Smoking | Non-smoking (smoking permitted only in designated areas) |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Families with children | ・Strollers permitted ・Children’s chairs available ・Children’s tableware available |
| Accessibility | Ramp Wheelchair access available |
| Website | Teuchi Udon Kura |
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