Rausu kombu reigns supreme in this charming restaurant where udon is life

restaurant

4 Aug

Written By Antony

DOMINION ROAD DIARIES - UDON WORKS

Fronds of dried kombu (kelp) decorate a wall in Balmoral’s Udon Works and the same thing lies at the heart of the menu. It’s rausu kombu – kombu from the cold waters off the coast of the city of Rausu on the island of Hokkaido in Japan’s northern reaches, rich in minerals from the Siberian ice flow. Among several species, Rausu is considered the ‘King of kombu’ when it comes to making dashi, the stock flavoured with dried kelp that is the foundation of so many of the dishes on the menu at Udon Works – it makes a rich, yet soft and fragrant broth. As far as the restaurant’s owner and chef Satoru Onodera is concerned, the expense (there are far cheaper kombu options around) is necessary, his menu hinges on the quality of that kombu.

Satoru, originally from Yokohama City, has been in the chef game in Auckland for several decades, having worked at bygone Rikka (Victoria Park and Newmarket – many will remember it fondly) from 1999 alongside its founder Yoshito Okadu. Yoshi opened Udon Works with Satoru in 2018 but sadly passed away in 2020 – but his influence, and what Satoru regularly refers to as the Rikka way, is still integral to the way the restaurant is run.

When Satoru was looking for an idea for a new restaurant, he noted that while ramen shops were proliferating, udon, a dish extremely popular in Japan, was lacking in representation – if it was on a menu it was never the focus, merely an obligatory inclusion in a broad selection. He and Yoshi took a leaf from their motherland’s book and opted to really hone the focus on one dish and go to town on making the very best versions of it they could.

Udon is made all over Japan but Kagawa is known as the ‘Udon Prefecture’: the spiritual home of this noodle. Kagawa was historically called Sanuki, hence Sanuki udon the term that refers to the classic representation of the dish from that prefecture. Research trips there Satoru putting away up to ten bowls of udon a day in his quest to imprint the flavour and texture of very good udon on his brain. Sanuki udon is held up as the pinnacle of udon styles.

The menu at Udon Works consists of a variety of hot and cold udon dishes in which the noodles are accompanied by sauces and toppings. The noodles are now custom-made for the restaurant using Satoru’s recipe, using wheat imported from Australia – the same wheat preferred for udon-making in Japan. In the soup versions, the broths vary to suit the dish, with that kombu dashi joined by bonito flakes and dried sardines where a bolder foundation is called for. Seven types of soy sauce go into the broth, with Satoru mixing little by little to get the taste exactly right.

And while udon is very clearly the focus, there are also myriad donburi dishes so those hankering for rice are kept happy – the teriyaki chicken or tofu donburi is particularly popular, the recipe a Rikka secret resulting in ultra juicy chicken and crisp-coated tofu. Accompanying dishes include tempura, sashimi, and tataki made with juicy Scotch fillet. The chef’s special menu is one to keep an eye on, with half a dozen dishes that change out – right now you’ll find Wagyu with spicy warm udon, a perfect wintery treat for the senses.

Satoru’s choice

-Asking this udon chef to choose a favourite is cruel, but right now he’s very proud of the tonkotsu shoyu udon – yes, that’s tonkotsu broth ordinarily seen with ramen, served with udon topped with chashu pork which is torched at the table to sizzling perfection. He also rates the sukiyaki udon (pictured here) as the perfect winter warmer.

- A few sake matches from the boss – Satoru recommends the medium-dry ginjo with sashimi. Rich pork belly kakuni, he says, goes well with cloudy sake which has a sweetness that complements the richness of the pork. In winter, hot sake is a good fit alongside any of the richer dishes.