Handmade udon noodles are the star of this Seattle Japanese restaurant
6Rolling dough is just one step in the two-day process of making udon noodles from scratch for mouth-watering dishes at Azuki in the Madison Valley neighborhood of Seattle.
"This is my local food in Japan," said chef Ryuji Miyata, who worked as a sushi chef for decades.
But when he finally opened his own place, he decided to focus on the one thing that transports him home — noodles.
Even the restaurant's name honors his childhood.
"It means red bean," he said. "It's the name of the island where I was born."
Udon was a common meal growing up, and reminds him of his mother.
"Mother told me when she was a kid, she brought the flour to the noodle shops and they gave her noodles," he shared. "She liked the noodle, udon noodle. I could do it for her and for the island."
Special care goes into every recipe, including the dashi, which incorporates a bonito imported from Japan, and cooks for 48 hours.
The small space does make for tight quarters and steamy windows, but being in any kitchen comes naturally for chef Miyata.
"When I was a kid, I already liked. I don't know why. Maybe I loved eating?" he laughed.
It's hard to not love what he makes, udon, served multiple ways. There are traditional soups, stir-fried yaki udon, and kamatama, a more modern plating where the noodles are combined with an egg mixture similar to Italian carbonara.
Whatever the preparation, the handmade noodles are the star.
"Someone said it's a soul food. When I'm making noodles, I'm thinking of a lot of things and it goes into the dough, I hope," chef Miyata said. "Has to be clean, be good texture, good taste... everything goes in there, I try to think about that."
Based on people's willingness to wait, his hard work pays off. For those in a hurry, take-out is also an option.
However you dine, Azuki Handmade Udon is as comforting as it is beautiful for customers and chef Miyata alike.
"I can make something I like and they like."
Azuki is located at 2711 E. Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112. They are open everyday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch hour and 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner.
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