[Temporary location] Saruya Hand-Made Udon — An udon shop operating from a home in Mabi, with the goal of returning to “everyday life”

Mabi, Kurashiki City, was hit by the torrential rains of July 2018, and most of its urban area was flooded.

More than three months have passed since the disaster (October 2018). Reconstruction work is progressing, but naturally, your own home comes first.

Many large chain stores have reopened, but the reality is that restaurants, many of which are independently run, have been particularly slow to reopen.

We introduce “Teuchi Udon Saruya,” a restaurant that resumed business by setting up a temporary shop on its own property, even though the owner’s home and original shop had also been damaged.

Teuchi Udon Saruya: aiming for a flavor everyone will love. A Mabi udon shop making a fresh start

Near Kibinomakibi Station, in the center of Mabi, is an udon shop loved by people of all ages. The shop is called “Teuchi Udon Saruya.” In 1991…

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Exterior of the temporary “Teuchi Udon Saruya” shop

The temporary shop is the home of the owner, Yuki Shibata.

The original shop was about a 10-minute walk from here.

However, the shop was also damaged, so a tent has been set up on the grounds of the owner’s home to serve as a temporary shop.

The original shop apparently had part-time staff, but they were affected by the disaster, and the shop is currently run mainly by the owner, his older sister, and other family members.

I visited at around 2 p.m. on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Although it was after the weekday lunch rush, customers kept coming in.

As it is currently a temporary shop, its business days and hours are irregular.

Generally, it is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I happened to strike up a conversation with a customer who was dining there.

“I used to come here often before the disaster, and when I heard they’d reopened, I came right away.”

They told me happily as they slurped their udon.

Since the shop is operating temporarily, most customers seem to be from the local area and nearby.

Owner Shibata also chatted often with customers who came in.

Menu at the temporary “Teuchi Udon Saruya” shop

The menu included the following items.

Apparently it was different before, but the temporary shop is now “self-service.”

Trying the “meat Bukkake udon”

The vegetable kakiage was sold out that day, so I ordered the meat Bukkake udon (¥600).

This is a classic Bukkake udon, coated in a rich broth.

I mixed it together and dug in.

The noodles were originally handmade, but since this is a temporary shop, they are currently sourced from Manju Seimenjo.

The broth, however, is different.

1. Get up at 4 a.m. every morning
2. Prepare the broth in an apartment in temporary housing
3. Travel to the home in Mabi (the temporary shop) around 8 a.m. and prepare to open
4. Open at 11 a.m.

With so much still to do, including demolishing the home, the owner has been managing daily life while preparing to reopen the shop, and this is how things are now.

Since July 7, 2018, I have visited Mabi several times to help out at the disaster volunteer center and in other ways.

But I had never eaten in Mabi, so this bowl was especially meaningful.

I was able to take some time to interview the owner, Yuki Shibata.

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