Is Tokyo’s Famous Carbonara Udon From Udon Shin Worth The Hype?

Designed with a modern Japanese minimalist aesthetic, the space features blonde wood tones and an open kitchen, where diners can watch the udon being freshly made right before their eyes.

But let’s get straight to the burning question: Is the famous carbonara udon really worth all that hype and the wait?

The dish everyone’s talking about: Carbonara Udon, $24

Udon Shin’s much-raved-about carbonara udon is one of the reasons its Shibuya eatery sees queues regularly. It’s an East-meets-West bowl that swaps pasta for fat handmade udon, beautifully served with grated parmesan, butter, raw pasteurised egg, and umami-packed dashi, then topped with a generous slab of crispy bacon tempura. You’re supposed to mix the noodles up with the butter and egg to create a luxe sauce.

Our food editor who tried it says it absolutely lives up to the hype. She describes it as “insanely indulgent — leaning salty, but pure comfort food”, adding that “happiness for $24 is worth it”. 

The noodles are the real star 

The udon dough is made fresh daily in-house using two types of wheat flour from Japan. It’s compressed, rested for 24 hours, then compressed again and sliced. Then, the noodles are cooked in a two-step process: three minutes of ‘free swimming’ (where the noodles float loose in boiling water), followed by 16 minutes in a net.

Why the oddly specific timing? The brand tells 8days.sg via their PR rep: “We’ve developed our proprietary dough that provides the exact texture that we feel is optimal. It’s chewy without being stodgy, and light on the tummy. It’s artisanal and unlike commercially available ones.
Hence, our cooking method and timing was derived after much experimentation, and it gives us the desired effect.”

Our colleague agrees: the udon has “an unusually smooth but luxuriously chewy texture that’s almost pasta-like”. The noodle strands are delightfully long as well, perfect for slurping and the portion filling.

Solid bacon tempura and umami-rich carbonara

Now, about that bacon tempura — it’s not just a topping, it shines on its own. Each slice of thin pork is coated in a light, crisp batter that adds just the right crunch. Our food ed raves: “It’s excellent, not greasy at all and has more lean pork than fat. The tempura batter is expertly done as well.” She adds that you could easily eat it as a snack on its own. While the dish is inspired by Italian carbonara, it's decidedly Japanese, she adds. “Creamier, richer, and packed with umami from not just the cheese but also dashi and soy sauce”.

Our colleague also tried the chilled Tempura Zaru Udon ($28; pictured above) and hot Premium Tempura Kake Udon ($34). 

The Tempura Zaru Udon is served on a bamboo tray with dipping sauce, accompanied by light, crunchy and rather yummy tempura — two prawns and a mix of vegetables like pumpkin, bell pepper, mushroom and lotus root. The noodles here keep their springy bite, though the tempura selection is a little basic.

For something warm and with more toppings, there’s the Premium Tempura Kake Udon, available hot or cold in a kake (dashi-based) broth. It comes with two extra pieces of salmon and squid. But fair warning — our colleague notes that the noodles can become soggier and lose some of their springy texture in the soupy kake udon, so best to go for the dry versions.

“Our udon is not just food”

Udon Shin was founded in 2011 by Chef Narahara Shinji, 41. “I started Udon Shin in Tokyo out of a deep love for noodles and the joy they bring when made right,” he says serenely. “Our udon is not just food – it’s a reflection of time, care, and tradition of this timeless craft. I’m excited to share the Udon Shin experience with a new audience and bring the heart of it [to Singapore].” 

Chef Shinji will be at the Singapore restaurant to celebrate its opening. Here’s hoping the standard of the food holds up after his departure.

Udon Shin is located at #B2-32 Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Rd, S238872. Open daily 11am-10pm (last order 9.15pm). More info via website or Instagram. 

Photos: Yip Jieying, Udon Shin

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