Did you know that there is a restaurant in Okayama Prefecture known as the "origin of self-service udon shops"?
It is a restaurant called "Meigen" located in Hirai, Naka Ward, Okayama City. That Meigen has opened a second store in the Bikan Historical Area.
That is "Kurashiki Meigen".
Like the main store, it offers udon in a self-service style.
You boil the noodles yourself, pour the broth, and add toppings.
The side menu, where you can take what you like, includes a variety of options such as tempura and onigiri. Choosing is a lot of fun.
Let's delve into the charm of Kurashiki Meigen.
The second store of the "origin of self-service udon shops" - Kurashiki Meigen
Kurashiki Meigen opened in March 2023 as the second store of the udon shop "Meigen" located in Hirai, Naka Ward, Okayama City.
The location is within the building "Achinokyo," which has been renovated from a former merchant's house, along Honmachi Street in the Bikan Historical Area.
Achinokyo houses three shops, one of which is Kurashiki Meigen.
The building where Kurashiki Meigen is located was once a separate building of a merchant's house.
The beams in the ceiling give it a sense of charm.
The main store of Meigen was established in Hirai, Okayama City in 1976.
Meigen is considered the origin of self-service udon shops and has been offering udon in a self-service style since its founding.
Even now, it is a popular self-service udon shop, attracting many visitors every day.
Kurashiki Meigen also follows the self-service style.
The interior has both table seating and tatami seating.
Having tatami seating is a nice point for families with children and elderly customers.
Additionally, there are wooden benches lined up under the eaves outside, where you can also eat and drink.
When eating at the outdoor benches, dogs are allowed to accompany you.
Kurashiki Meigen's menu
Information as of October 2024
The udon menu at Kurashiki Meigen includes four types: "Kake udon", "Shoyu udon (hot/cold)", "Zaru udon", and "Bukkake udon (hot/cold)".
In addition to the regular zaru udon, there is also a walnut-flavored dipping sauce called "Kurumi udon". Kurumi udon is an original menu item of Kurashiki Meigen.
Each udon portion comes in three sizes: small (1 ball), medium (1.5 balls), and large (2 balls).
Note that 1 ball is 200g.
Kurashiki Meigen is also characterized by its abundant toppings.
Moreover, there is a wider variety of toppings compared to the main store in Okayama.
Examples of popular toppings are displayed in the store for reference.
One of the points of Kurashiki Meigen is that you can customize your dish with toppings in a self-service style.
There is a wide variety of tempura, rice balls, and grilled chicken skewers, making it enjoyable to ponder which to choose.
Additionally, Kurashiki Meigen offers a takeout-only menu featuring cup noodles called Meigen GO.
Self-Service Style
Kake udon is served in a full self-service style, while other dishes are served in a semi self-service style.
In full self-service, you do everything from heating the udon to adding the broth, as well as selecting toppings and side dishes, while in semi self-service, you only select the toppings and side dishes yourself.
First, take a tray and pour drinking water (cold water) into it, then if you want kake udon, take a bowl of udon placed on the serving table.
If you want something other than kake udon, please call the staff to place your order.
Also, under the udon serving table, there are many toppings lined up. Please choose the ingredients you want to add as toppings to your udon.
If you ordered something other than kake udon, please receive your udon from the staff and proceed to the side menu corner.
The following are the steps for kake udon.
After selecting your udon, place it in the hand strainer and immerse it in hot water for heating.
The recommended heating time is around 10 seconds, but you can adjust it to your preference.
After heating, make sure to drain the water well and return it to the bowl, then pour the broth from the broth dispenser next to the heating unit into the bowl.
Next, proceed to the side menu corner.
Tempura and other fried foods, rice balls, and grilled chicken skewers are displayed, so please take what you like.
Additionally, there are free green onions and tenkasu (tempura scraps) available as toppings and condiments in the side menu corner, so feel free to add them.
Finally, pay at the register located next to the side menu corner.
After payment, find a seat of your choice and enjoy your meal.
After eating, please return your dishes to the return area next to the register.
Please place your order for Meigen GO at the udon serving area.
Popular and Recommended Menu
Let me introduce the popular menu items and recommended dishes at Kurashiki Meigen.
Kake Udon
Meigen is known for its "Kake udon" (small).
You heat it yourself, add the broth, and finish it off with chopped green onions and tempura scraps.
Even before you eat, the pleasant aroma of the broth wafts through the air. The thick udon noodles are quite filling.
The noodles have a chewy texture and strong elasticity, and they pair deliciously with the broth.
When you drink the broth, it has a slightly sweet flavor, and the rich taste of the broth spreads with a balance of sweetness and moderate saltiness.
While the main store offers two types of broth, sweet and savory, Kurashiki Meigen has only the sweet broth.
The broth for Kake udon (sweet) is primarily made from bonito and kombu, with three types of soy sauce added.
It is said that the flavor has not changed much since the opening of the main store in Okayama.
A significant feature of Meigen is that it does not use iriko, which is considered a standard in udon broth.
This results in a unique and refined flavor that is characteristic of Meigen.
Kurashiki Meigen offers a variety of toppings, allowing for various arrangements with your favorite ingredients, which is one of its attractions.
A popular arrangement for Kake udon is the "Niku Tamago Udon," topped with beef and onsen tamago.
The combination of the broth's flavor, the sweet and savory taste of the simmered beef, and the creaminess of the onsen tamago yolk creates an incredibly addictive flavor.
Bukkake udon (cold)
I had the cold "Bukkake udon" (small).
After ordering, the udon is served with sauce and shredded nori on top. You can add chopped green onions, tempura scraps, and condiments yourself.
Bukkake udon is one of our popular menu items, alongside Kake udon.
This is different from the main store, where Kake udon is overwhelmingly popular.
Since Kurashiki is famous for Bukkake udon, I think the image of "When you think of Kurashiki, you think of Bukkake udon" has taken root.
The sauce is served in a smaller amount, and you mix the ingredients together as you eat.
The sauce has a darker color and is characterized by a stronger sweetness compared to the broth for Kake udon.
When you thoroughly mix the sauce with the noodles, you can enjoy the marriage of the sweet sauce and the noodles.
A popular topping arrangement for Bukkake udon is the "Tori Ume Oroshi Udon," topped with ume shiso, grated daikon, and tori ten.
Since it was cold Bukkake udon, the combination of the refreshing sweet sauce and the light grated daikon was excellent.
Additionally, the sweet and sour flavor of the pickled plum brought everything together with a refreshing taste.
The aroma of the tori ten adds to the appeal and stimulates the appetite.
Tempura
I selected the top three popular tempura items at Kurashiki Meigen.
The most popular is "tori".
As mentioned earlier, it is often chosen as a topping for Bukkake udon, such as in the "Tori Ume Oroshi Udon" that I introduced earlier.
The batter is crispy and fragrant, and the chicken is larger in size.
The substantial nature of the tempura is likely one of the reasons for its popularity.
In second place is "ebi".
Ebi tempura is a classic item often seen as a topping for udon.
It is said to have stable popularity at Meigen as well.
The crispy and fragrant batter pairs perfectly with the plump shrimp.
In third place is the hearty "geso" (squid tentacles).
It is very large and has a strong impact.
The fragrant crispy batter and the chewy texture are the best.
There are special scissors in the side menu corner, so you can cut it to your preferred size.
Additionally, "chikuwa" (fish cake) is also popular, ranking equally with geso in third place.
Geso and chikuwa tempura are overwhelmingly popular at the main store in Okayama, ranking first and second in sales among tempura.
It's interesting to see the differences in preferences depending on the location of the store!
Meigen GO
"Meigen GO" is a takeout-only menu and is very popular.
Udon noodles and ingredients are packed in a container like a coffee shop cup, making it easy to carry around.
Launched in the summer of 2023, Meigen GO has been well received, and the menu has expanded from the initial two types to four types.
The types of Meigen GO are as follows.
- Yamakake Mentai GO (main ingredient: grated yam and mentaiko)
- Meat GO (main ingredient: simmered beef)
- Onsen Tamago GO (main ingredient: hot spring egg)
- Ume Chicken GO (main ingredient: pickled plum and shredded steamed chicken)
Meigen GO is a menu item available at the main store, but it was created with the intention of being sold at Kurashiki Meigen.
The Bikan Historical Area is a tourist destination, characterized by many people strolling around.
It was conceived with the thought of creating a product unique to Kurashiki that fits this characteristic.
While walking in the Bikan Historical Area, I witnessed several tourists walking around with cups from "Yamau Coffee Stand."
They were also taking photos with the cups and posting them on social media.
Seeing that made me think, "This is it!" and thus, Meigen GO was born.
While strolling, take a break on a bench and enjoy your udon.
Take a photo with Meigen GO at your favorite spot and post it on social media.
This is the concept behind the takeout-only udon, Meigen GO.
How about Meigen GO as a companion for your stroll in Kurashiki?
Meigen, known as the original self-service udon shop, has newly opened Kurashiki Meigen.
We interviewed the representative director of Kabushikigaisha Meigen, Hirai Hidekazu.
Interview with Hirai Hidekazu, the representative of Meigen
Meigen, known as the original self-service udon shop, has newly opened Kurashiki Meigen.
We interviewed Hirai Hidekazu, the representative director of Kabushikigaisha Meigen.
A pioneer of self-service udon shops that opened in Okayama City in 1972
I want to know about the background of Meigen's founding.
Hirai (no honorifics)
The idea for a self-service udon shop came from my predecessor, my father, Hirai Yoshikazu.
When starting the udon shop, he set the condition of "kake udon for 100 yen per bowl" due to funding issues and to differentiate from many competing udon shops.
At that time, offering kake udon for 100 yen per bowl was a strong impact, and I heard that he thought this was the only way to compete with the many rival shops.
To meet the condition of kake udon for 100 yen per bowl, he came up with the idea of a "full self-service udon shop" where customers would assist in part of the process of serving.
However, an unexpected wall stood in the way.
Since it was an unprecedented pattern, the health department could not grant permission from a hygiene perspective.
The issue was the hot water bath used to warm the udon.
It was necessary to separate the cooking space from the dining area, and it was not allowed to place cooking equipment like the hot water bath in the dining area.
However, there was an exception, which was for yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants.
Yakiniku restaurants have cooking equipment at each table in the dining area, and customers grill their own meat.
My father, Yoshikazu, asked the health department representative, "Our hot water bath is similar to the grill and iron plate at a yakiniku restaurant. If customers can grill meat at a yakiniku restaurant, then surely our customers can warm udon in the hot water bath as well, right?"
The representative agreed with this reasoning, and the health department granted permission.
It seems he had a hard time explaining it to his superiors...
Thus, in 1976 (Showa 51), Meigen opened along Prefectural Route 45 (Okayama-Tamano Line) in Hirai.
At first, it seems they struggled to help customers understand the self-service method. However, the fun of warming the udon themselves and choosing tempura was well received, especially by children.
Gradually, regular customers increased, and thanks to that, many customers now visit the shop.
Obtaining permission from the health department and opening as a full self-service udon shop was a groundbreaking achievement.
However, the term "self-service udon" did not exist at that time; it was not a term we created.
It became used in later times.
Opening a second store in the Bikan Historical Area to develop a new customer base
Please tell us about the background of opening a second store in the Bikan Historical Area.
Hirai
Originally, the building where Kurashiki Meigen is located had another restaurant operating.
However, that restaurant closed, and my acquaintance purchased the site. Then my acquaintance asked me, "Would you like to open a udon shop in the Bikan Historical Area?"
I also had the idea of wanting to open a branch.
Thanks to our main store in Okayama, customers visit from a wide area.
If there were a store in areas outside Okayama City, it would be helpful for customers closer to those areas.
Kurashiki was the perfect location.
However, the main store is in the suburbs.
On the other hand, the Bikan Historical Area is not in the suburbs and is a tourist destination.
The main store has many customers who are families with children, groups of elderly people, and those having lunch during work.
The Bikan Historical Area has many tourists, both domestic and international, and the customer base is quite different. It was also thought that many people might not know about the full self-service udon shop itself.
Therefore, I realized that we could also serve as an antenna shop for the main store in Okayama, to let people know about the full self-service udon shop.
The Bikan Historical Area, where people visit from a wide range of regions both domestically and internationally, is the ideal place for an antenna shop.
Thus, in March 2023 (Reiwa 5), we opened "Kurashiki Meigen" in the Bikan Historical Area.
The first challenge was the difference in "water" between Okayama and Kurashiki
What were the challenges you faced when opening the store?
Hirai
It was the dashi (broth) preparation.
Initially, we planned to make the dashi inside Kurashiki Meigen. However, no matter how many times we tried, the taste never matched that of the main store.
The ingredients and seasonings were exactly the same. We also considered temperature and humidity. Yet, for some reason, the taste was always different.
After investigating various factors, we discovered that the cause was the water.
The water at the main store comes from the Asahi River.
On the other hand, Kurashiki uses water from the Takahashi River.
It was surprising to see such a difference in taste between the Asahi River and the Takahashi River, and it was a great learning experience.
Since we wanted the taste to be uniform with the main store, we decided to make the dashi for Kurashiki at the main store and deliver it along with the noodles.
At the main store, there are two types of dashi for kake udon: sweet and savory, but in Kurashiki, we use only the sweet dashi.
This is to consider the regional taste preferences.
Pursuing flavor with unique dedication to the noodles
I want to know about your dedication to the noodles.
Hirai
The noodles at Kurashiki Meigen are manufactured in bulk at the main store in Okayama.
The flour used is domestic.
We have a milling company blend Hokkaido and Kyushu wheat in specified proportions for us and deliver it.
Additionally, during the noodle manufacturing process, we do not add gluten or tapioca flour. This is to ensure that the noodles have the original flavor of the wheat.
By not adding gluten or tapioca flour, the chewiness and firmness are slightly reduced. To compensate for this, we introduced a machine that mixes flour and water in a vacuum state. By mixing in a vacuum, air does not enter the noodles, allowing for a chewy texture and firmness.
The noodles are periodically minorly changed and refined.
We are constantly pursuing a more delicious noodle.
Unique characteristics of Kurashiki
Are there any characteristics of Kurashiki that differ from the main store?
Hirai
The main store has a variety of menus including the main kake udon, curry udon, and ice udon.
In Kurashiki, we focused on four types: the main kake udon, soy sauce, bukkake, and zaru.
In addition, we have added the Kurashiki original menu item, walnut udon, making the basic menu five types. Walnut udon has a strong fan base.
Also, when you think of Kurashiki, the "bukkake udon" is a specialty.
Therefore, bukkake udon is ordered very frequently in Kurashiki, and kake udon and bukkake udon are like the two main attractions. This is a feature not found at the main store.
Furthermore, we have prepared a wide variety of toppings in Kurashiki. While there are toppings at the main store, Kurashiki offers more variety.
On the other hand, side menu items like tempura and onigiri are quite limited in Kurashiki.
The main store is characterized by its abundance of side menu items. However, in Kurashiki, we have picked popular items from the main store.
This is because the main store, located in the suburbs, has many customers who enjoy a full meal, while Kurashiki has the opposite situation where customers do not eat as much. Being located in a tourist area like the Bikan Historical Area, many customers prefer light meals or desserts and enjoy walking around while eating.
Another difference is in customer service.
Since many people are not familiar with the full self-service method, if we sense that customers are confused after entering, we immediately approach them to explain how the store works.
We also display instructions on how to use the self-service system, and for international customers, we provide explanations in English.
International customers particularly enjoy the self-service method, and we often see them happily taking photos and videos.
Additionally, international guests tend to eat a lot of tempura.
Many people pile on the tempura rather than the udon.
Future Prospects
Please tell us about your future prospects, things you want to try, and challenges.
Hirai
The biggest challenge is in human resources.
I want to operate the store in a way that increases the number of people who think, "I want to try running a restaurant" or "I want to work at a udon shop."
One thing I want to try is to open more branches.
The second store, Kurashiki Meigen, is located in a tourist area, but I also want to open a store that is easily accessible by car in the suburbs, just like the main store.
Another thing is that I want to create menus and projects unique to the Kurashiki store.
Menus that reflect the regional characteristics of Kurashiki. For example, menus that boldly incorporate local specialties.
I also think it would be interesting to collaborate with local people and organizations on projects.
Since we have opened in the Kurashiki area, I want to incorporate the local characteristics and culture.
The Second Store of the Original Self-Service Udon Shop: Kurashiki Meigen
There are few udon shops offering self-service near the Bikan Historical Area.
Therefore, the opening of Meigen, the original self-service udon shop, in the Bikan Historical Area is noteworthy.
The charm of the full self-service method is the enjoyment of being able to heat the udon yourself, add the broth, and choose your favorite side menu items.
Why not experience the charm of self-service udon at Kurashiki Meigen?
Data on Kurashiki Meigen
| Name | Kurashiki Meigen |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-12 Honmachi, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-441-0707 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | None |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Seating | 48 seats in total (36 seats inside the store) ・5 tables for 2 ・3 tables for 4 ・4 tatami mats for 4 ・2 outdoor benches for 2 ・2 outdoor benches for 4 |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets |
| Childcare | Strollers allowed Children's utensils available |
| Barrier-Free | Wheelchair accessible (requires assistance due to steps at the entrance) |
| Website | Official Instagram of Kurashiki Meigen |
When my father, the previous owner, started the business, he forgot to add iriko when making the udon broth.
As a result, it turned out to be incredibly delicious!
That’s why we decided not to use iriko.
By chance, a flavor unique to Meigen that is still loved today was born.