Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo, a new Japanese noodle house in midtown
Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo, a new Japanese noodle house in midtown
Name: Bushi Udon Kappo
Neighbourhood: Yonge and St. Clair
Contact info: 1404 Yonge St., 416-323-9988, bushiudon.com
Owners: Koki Oguchi and Don Suzuki
Chef: Koki Oguchi, formerly chef and owner of the Danforth’s shuttered Sakawaya
The food: House-made udon noodles, as well as an extensive assortment of Japanese sharing plates. The udon—thick, chewy wheat noodles—can be ordered plain ($6.50) or with vegetable or meat toppings ($8.50–$10.50), and is served either in a hot soy-bonito soup, or cold, for dipping. Other items include chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard, $7), unconventional tempura ($1.50–$2 each), grilled dishes ($9–20), shabu shabu ($31.50) and original creations like a tuna salmon spring roll ($10).
The place: Along the north wall of the spare, 34-seat dining room are bundles of Japanese charcoal, which is prized for its detoxifying properties (Suzuki also owns an alternative medicine business). Bushi Udon’s hot kitchen is tucked behind a large traditional red doorway curtain, in front of which is the sushi counter where Oguchi works.
By the numbers:
• 30 seats in the dining room (plus four at the sushi bar)
• 3 types of green tea: genmaicha, premium sencha and hojicha
• 2 months, the time it took for Oguchi to develop the flour blend he uses to make his udon (he had to compensate for the high gluten content of Canadian flour)
• 1 udon noodle machine, hidden in the basement (there are only three in all of Canada)
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- Udon kinako maple syrup ($6): chewy and fried udon, black sugar syrup, vanilla ice cream, soybean flour (kinako), mixed berries and maple syrup (the dish is inspired by the traditional Japanese confection warabimochi)
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Grilled whole squid served with an uni-mayo sauce ($12.50)
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Various pieces seafood and vegetable tempura ($1.50–$2 for 2 pieces), including squid with seaweed, chikuwa (tubular fish cake), shrimp and vegetable pancake, and shungiku (garland chrysanthemum). Served with a bonito-based dipping sauce
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Tuna salmon spring roll ($10): tuna, salmon, avocado, crisp daikon and leaf lettuce, all wrapped in rice paper and liberally drizzled with kewpie mayonnaise
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Every day, Oguchi makes his fish-based udon broth from dried anchovies, bonito flakes and mackerel. In fact, the restaurant’s name, Bushi, comes from “katsuobushi,” which is the Japanese name for the dried bonito used in the soup base
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Two different house-made udons: white wheat-based noodles and brown spelt noodles, which will be available starting in April. Udon is purported to be healthier than ramen which is usually served in a heavier, fattier soup
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Cold Tsuke Udon with pork and onions, served Musashino-style with a hot soy-bonito dipping soup ($10.50)
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Bundles of binchōtan charcoal that Suzuki brought back from Japan. Suzuki teamed up with designer Banri Nakamura to create the spare, 34-seat dining room
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- Chef and co-owner Koki Oguchi works behind Bushi Udon’s sushi bar. Oguchi previously worked in a sushi restaurant in Japan, where he also learned the art of noodle making
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
- Introducing: Bushi Udon Kappo
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 or with vegetable or meat toppings ($8.50–$10.50), and is served either in a hot soy-bonito soup, or cold, for dipping. Other items include chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard, $7), unconventional tempura ($1.50–$2 each), grilled dishes ($9–20), shabu shabu ($31.50) and original creations like a tuna salmon spring roll ($10).
The place: Along the north wall of the spare, 34-seat dining room are bundles of Japanese charcoal, which is prized for its detoxifying properties (Suzuki also owns an alternative medicine business). Bushi Udon’s hot kitchen is tucked behind a large traditional red doorway curtain, in front of which is the sushi counter where Oguchi works.
By the numbers:
• 30 seats in the dining room (plus four at the sushi bar)
• 3 types of green tea: genmaicha, premium sencha and hojicha
• 2 months, the time it took for Oguchi to develop the flour blend he uses to make his udon (he had to compensate for the high gluten content of Canadian flour)
• 1 udon noodle machine, hidden in the basement (there are only three in all of Canada)
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This is a great addition to the average (at best) dining scene at Yonge & St. Clair. I had one of the hot Udon dishes and while very simple, it was fresh and very good. Good luck to the new owners!
Thank you for the recommendation! It’s a great find that is close to my office. The curry udon was delicious.
The desserts were easily the best surprises: cold noodles with green tea ice cream drizzled in maple syrup, and fried sweet potatoes with red bean ice cream. Weird and wonderful.