Top Restaurants in Sanuki
Sanuki Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Sanuki
Discover the best restaurant in Sanuki, Japan including Itsukaku Dokigawa-branch, Yamagoeudon, Hinodeseimenjo, Tanigawabeikokuten, Kamaageudon Nagatainkanoka, Sakaeda, Okasen, Honetsukidori Ikkaku, Udon Honjin Yamadaya Sanuki Honten, Gamoudon
Things to do in Sanuki
1. Itsukaku Dokigawa-branch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By Geoffrey G - Singapore, Singapore
We drove into Marugame Prefecture and TripAdvisor pointed us to this No.1 ranking restaurant.
The Oyadori (see attached English menu photo) should not be tried by anyone wearing denture, it's just too tough.
The Himadori, on the other hand, is really tender and less oily and less salty.
However after I have eaten, knowing what I now know, I would not have entered in the first place.
If you find this posting helpful, please click HELPFUL. Cheers!
2. Yamagoeudon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 207 reviews
Reviewed By jeni_hk - Hong Kong, China
Yamagoeudon is an extremely popular udon place with a long history, located in a small quiet town, next to some farm land and fields. It has raving reviews and have been listed in various travel guides and blogs as the must-go place for Sanuki Udon. I think there is no other way to get there other than driving as it is quite out there, but regardless of its location, there was a queue to the shop, of which mostly are locals (always a good sign).
There is a menu board outside the shop with pictures, and samples of the different portion sizes (no English). Note to take a picture of the menu and decide what you want to eat first. You will realize the queue moves quite fast, and by the time you are in the shop, someone will ask you what you to order, and there is no menu for you to point at. No one speaks English, so we pointed at our phones to order the food. Another way is to study their website beforehand.
The sequence is as follows: Decide what you want to eat -> enter shop and grab a tray -> call out your order -> receive your udon -> move forward to the cashier where you can pick up tempura items -> pay -> free Seating (indoor and outdoor).
The udon is amazing - texture is the perfect chewiness! The meal is also really good value for money, a single portion ranges from 200yen to 300yen. The sitting area is very relaxed. We saw locals pouring in some sauce into their udon and we tried some too – tasted good, I believe it is some sort of soy sauce.
It is indeed very worthwhile to try this place! Do note they are closed on Sundays. Two parking lots available - if you go on busier days, there is someone directing parking.
3. Hinodeseimenjo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 95 reviews
4. Tanigawabeikokuten
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 50 reviews
Reviewed By richgus - Japan
If you want to know what Udon is supposed to be then this is the place to come and experience. Don't expect to order your favorite dish - here you have basically 2 choices - hot or cold noodles, and a big or small portion. Then you can season your noodles however you want with the condiments on the tables and fetch your own water glass. If you order the small bowl you can get a free noodle refill after you finish. After you finish you can also order Soba noodles to top off the meal.
I had the "Dai" (big size) hot noodles and seasoned with equal parts of soy sauce and white rice vinegar with a touch a Yuzu lime. I also added a few spoons of Banno Negi (green onions) from the bowl on the table.
The quality of the noodles is perfect and the intent of "high end" places like this is for nothing unnecessary to take focus away from the noodles. Occasionally in Kagawa you will see signs for "Shoyu Udon" which is not to be confused with Udon served in a soy sauce based soup like in Tokyo (which tastes terrible) but rather refers to this style of eating just the noodles with a light touch of flavor from some soy sauce etc.
Tanigawa Udon is absolutely a purists heaven and if anywhere within the prefecture it is worth the trip there. Get there early because they will close down after lunch and you don't want to miss out. While we were there many people were turned away who came a little too late.
This place is a total winner and probably one of the best in the country and world.
5. Kamaageudon Nagatainkanoka
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
Reviewed By kazuhi-w
金倉寺そばにある人気店、どの時間でも混みあっていますが駐車場も広く店内の座席も多く回転もよいので思っているほどは待ちませんでした。
カウンターで注文して茹で上がりを案内された席で待っていると順番に番号で呼ばれます。
シンプルな釜揚げうどんですがたれをつけずに食べてもおいしいです。
好みに合わせてたれをつけながらおいしくいただきました。
6. Sakaeda
Overall Ratings
4 based on 140 reviews
Reviewed By KennethIM - Tokyo, Japan
Since I had to catch the early morning Jetstar flight from Takamatsu Airport, I needed a really quick Udon place.
One place recommended by my friend in college was this Sakaeda place.
Open from 7:00AM, by 7:30 you could find many locals and tourists eating in.
The choice is hot or cold, with my choice always being cold, at 200yen.
Reasonably price as free Negi and Goma.
Great taste, but couldn't enjoy it so much since I had to hurry to eat it.
Around 25minutes walk from Takamatsu Station, but the Risturin Kouen station (栗林公園) seems to be closer.
The nakashin -machi (中新町）bus stop for the airport limo seems to be rather close.
Arrived safely walking there for the 8:00 bus
Not so many places of Udon which is good AND open from early morning, so it's a great way to try the last minute udon
7. Okasen
Overall Ratings
4 based on 98 reviews
Reviewed By sugarmountain2016 - Brussels, Belgium
It's very good "Sanuki udon" restaurant. "Sanuki" means the old name of this region. The most popular dish is "Hiya-ten (Cold udon with tempra). The price is 972yen and it's quite reasonable price. It was very nice for us and we believe it suits your taste even if you haven't experienced Japanese udon. I recommend another kind of udon, Kama-ten(straight-from-the-pot udon with tempura). The price is same. You must be prepare for the line to eat because it is a very popular restaurant and you can't book the seat. Enjoy !
8. Honetsukidori Ikkaku
Overall Ratings
4 based on 134 reviews
Reviewed By pooky503is - Tokyo, Japan
According this restaurant’s home page,
HONE-TSUKI-DORI (the spicy grilled whole chicken leg) has been served here.
This HONE-TSUKI-DORI matches very well with beer !
Since I had it for the first time, I love it with beer.
This restaurant is located just near to the north entrance of JR Marugame Station.
It’s about 5 minutes walk from the JR Marugame Station.
Very convenient.
If you like chicken,
I recommend this restaurant.
In the restaurant, a credit card is accepted.
9. Udon Honjin Yamadaya Sanuki Honten
Overall Ratings
4 based on 188 reviews
Reviewed By CLau888 - Hong Kong, China
I found this garden restaurant at the guide book and since I am driving a car, getting there is not a problem. And you do need a car to get there. I drove for about 20 minutes from Takamatsu city to the restaurant. If you take a taxi from Takamatsu city, the taxi fare would definitely cost more than your meal. I also saw some tour buses taking many guests to the restaurant.
The restaurant was originally a part of the wine brewery. It has both inside dinning and garden dinning area. I arrived at around 1230pm for lunch and chose to eat outside. The menu comes with pictures, so no worry and you are sure what you will have. I had a udon in soup with chicken and egg. It comes with much vegetable. The soup base is perfect and everything taste excellent. Tea is self service and cost no more. My bowl of udon costs Yen 620, great deal.
Guests siting next to us have udon with dipping sauce and tempura set. I hearsay they praised the tempura very much. So I and my wife decided to come back the following evening (The restaurant closes at 8pm). We made a reservation at the front desk and to our surprise the lady there speaks fluent English.
We came back the following evening at around 6:30. There are only a handful customers in the evening. This time we took a table inside. We had the udon with chicken and egg again, and a dipping udon with tempura set. Yes the tempura is perfect, no doubt about it. The only problem with dinning inside is that smoking is allowed and people do smoke.
Kagawa Prefecture is famous for its Sanuki udon so basically every udon restaurant in Kagawa offers excellent handmade udon, you can't go wrong with it.
10. Gamoudon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 111 reviews
Reviewed By Lara N - Takamatsu, Japan
In the past this restaurant was considered a hidden treasure, but over time the quality had dropped to average. Tucked in a small building, there is little space to sit and eat. There are usually long lines waiting to be served, with very little shelter from the weather. When the noodles run out, the restaurant closes. This happened to me several times before I got to try the udon, which was fairly soft and had a soup that was primarily salty. A Kagawa resident, I have been to many small udon shops, but this is not one I will be returning to any time soon.
