tsuru udon the ultimate bowl of happiness in bangkok central world — *Tsuru Udon is a new restaurant that opened in February 2021*

Strolling through Bangkok’s largest shopping mall, Central World, you’ll come across a wide variety of international and local restaurants on offer. A personal favorite cuisine of mine is Japanese cuisine and Central World has no shortage of Japanese restaurants serving all sorts of dishes from casual ramen eateries all the way to pub style Izakayas. So it is no wonder that I was able to find Tsuru Udon serving up literal bundles of Udon noodles within a large bowl of soothing happiness.

I won’t lie, I have had Tsuru Udon before but that was at the Thonglor branch which is a bit harder to get to, This article and it’s pictures is referring to the Central World location which is easier for you to get to.

If yo'u’re looking for a similar dish, Tsukemen, then Kiri Tsukemen is a delicious dip ramen that is literally right next door to Tsuru Udon’s Thonglor branch.

The Story and Vision of Tsuru Udon

takrit puaariya asuzu takimoto owners of tsuru — The Thai and Japanese couple, **Takrit Puaariya** and **Asuzu Takimoto**, are the proud owners of Tsuru Udon who have been operating this establishment since February 2021 at Thonglor Road.
The restaurant started small with only 3 tables with 2 seats each with the aim of serving the best and freshest homemade udon noodles they could. At the time the restaurant is well known amongst the Japanese community but after years of hard work perfecting the arts, they managed to expand with many more branches and to many more customers throughout Bangkok.

These two’s passion have led them to strive for the best they could, with all ingredients being imported from fresh local suppliers in Japan guaranteeing that whenever you dine at Tsuru, you’ll feel satisfied and full of comfort from their bowls of happiness.

Tsuru Udon’s Menu, Cold/Hot Udon

tsuru udon menu cold hot — *The menu at Tsuru Udon is easy to understand with big pictures*

The menu focuses on two types of Udon, Cold and Hot with a wide selection of traditional dishes as well as more unique fusion dishes to try. In addition there are also a few rice bowls and some side dishes on offer.

When you order your dish you also have the option to choose from either a thinner noodle (still thick) or a thicker and chewier noodle.

Cold Udon Noodle Dishes

In the cold section, the noodles are served… cold. The dishes are designed to provide a uniquely refreshing taste with ingredients such as lime or Tsuyu, which is a sauce made from Sake, Mirin, Soy Sauce, Kombu, and Dried Fish Flakes (Katsuobushi). Some example dishes are:

Hiyashi Oroshi - Cold udon topped with tempura
Manao Ume Udon - Cold udon with a lime and plum broth
Hiyashi Ikura - Cold udon topped with ikura and salmon
Yamakake - Cold udon topped with Japanese yam paste and egg yolk

Hot Udon Noodle Dishes

In the hot section the dishes are designed to provide a more comforting eating experience that soothes your soul. Here you’ll find more interesting and fusion dishes. A lot of the items here have a huge focus on creaminess with lots of soups infusing cream or a raw egg yolk to add to the texture. Some example dishes are:

Kitsune - Classic hot udon topped with a sheet of fried sweet tofu
Mentai Cream Ikura - Mentaiko cream udon topped with ikura
Mala Udon - Spicy Szechuan style mala soup udon
Kamatama - Dry udon served with a ray egg yolk and dried fish flakes

Others

Some other dishes available are rice bowls like Tendon (rice topped with tempura) or Gyudon (rice topped with beef), there are also some rice balls or Onigiri if you want to eat rice but less heavy.

The side dishes available are Salmon sashimi, fried chicken, and corn tempura fritters.

Pricing

The price is right. Each bowl can range in price from 200 THB to 460THB (5.90 USD to 13.50 USD) depending on the ingredients and simplicity of the dish. I think this is a fair price considering the high quality ingredients that are used.

The portions are big as well so it is well worth the price.

Niku Udon

My partner ordered the Niku Udon, a hot udon dish topped with slices of tender beef sitting in a clear broth made from dried fish flakes and various other Japanese spices.

She chose the thin noodles which admittedly doesn’t taste or feel that much different in my opinion, maybe it was a little bit softer.

The broth is light and soothing with a slight salty/fishy taste, it was actually so smooth that you can almost drink it. The beef slices was also really tender, the flavor was mild and enjoyable.

This dish also comes with a side of crunchy tempura bits that you can add to your soup to give it a more crunchy texture as well as a fried oily flavor. A side of pickled ginger is also available for you to snack on to add some sourness.

The Elegance of Udon Noodles

Udon noodles are not the same as ramen noodles, they are thicker and chewier. The ingredients in a noodle are actually really simple consisting of wheat flour, water, salt, and that’s it, you could make it yourself but like all skills, you need practice to perfect the udon noodle craft.

In terms of plating, Udon is typically served in a clean and clear broth, there are some variants where it’s served with Japanese curry or a Carbonara-like sauce, giving you a more rich and creamy eating experience. The reason for the clean broth is that the main focus is the texture and taste of the noodles themselves, unlike ramen where the broth and toppings are more stronger in flavor and thus the highlight in that dish is the broth.

Carbonara Udon

While my partner likes a lighter meal, I prefer something more hearty and thus I went with the Carbonara Udon. When the bowl came out it was decorated with a pentagon of thick pieces of bacon and an egg yolk in the center.

Can we just talk about the egg yolk for a moment? The carbonara soup was already rich and creamy but breaking an egg yolk into the soup made it divine and insanely umami.

I ordered mine with the thicker chewy noodles

thick and chewy udon noodles covered in rich carbonara sauce — *You need a thick and creamy broth so that it can stick easily to the noodles*

The udon noodles themselves were thick and chewy, and covered in that buttery rich carbonara sauce, AND it’s served hot, I absolutely love it.

Some might say it is too rich, I agree, about halfway through the bowl I felt like I was already full, but nonetheless, I continued eating because I just couldn’t waste any of this delicious udon.

smokey bacon covered in carbonara — *Thick smokey pieces of bacon covered in a rich and creamy sauce? Yes please*

The bacon was a pleasant surprise for me, I was expecting the regular skinny pieces of bacon that is usually served at a hotel breakfast, but here at Tsuru, the bacon feels more like a piece of pork belly.

The bacon was a beautiful red smokey color and it tasted smokey as well, the bacon was meaty, and has a strong salty porky flavor.

Conclusion

Pros

Deliciously homemade udon noodles with the freshest ingredients.
A lot of types of udon to try, cold or hot, with interesting menu items and side dishes, I had the corn fritters before, they were delicious
The portions are big and well worth the price.

Cons

Wait times for food and queueing will be long during peak hours, if you have little time for a meal then this is not the place to go to.

Overall I would definitely recommend you take a visit to Tsuru Udon, not only will you get a delicious bowl of fresh homemade udon, you’ll also have a big portion of it. I am truly impressed with the quality and care that the owners put into their food and it shows through the presentation and the taste. Probably the absolute best bowl of udon you’ll find anywhere in Bangkok, or even the entirety of Thailand.

The only thing I’ll complain about is the long wait times, especially if you visit the Central World branch.

Tsuru Udon | 9 / 10

Phone: +66 093 454 2882

Location: 64 Thong Lo Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Opening Hours: 11 AM – 3 PM and 5PM – 9 PM || Mon - Sun

Pricing: ~350 THB per bowl (or ~10.00 USD) || $$

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