About Sanuki Udon
Sanuki Udon is a fast-casual udon shop at 31 West 4th Street, at the corner of Greene Street in Greenwich Village, across from NYU's Stern School of Business. Since January 2024 we have served handmade Sanuki-style udon, tempura and rice bowls from a cafeteria-style line that gets you from ordering to checkout in a couple of minutes.
What is Sanuki udon?
Sanuki is the old name for Kagawa Prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku, the part of Japan most famous for udon. Sanuki-style noodles are thick and square-edged, with a firm, springy chew the Japanese call koshi. They can be eaten hot in broth, cold with a dipping sauce, or simply tossed with soy sauce.
Who we are
Sanuki Udon started in Taiwan in 2012. Hank Hung has two Sanuki Udon restaurants there, in Taichung and Kaohsiung, and the brand's Taiwan restaurants have been featured on FTV News, TVBS News and USTV's 非凡大探索. The West 4th Street shop is the brand's first in the United States and a partnership between Hank and Billy Wang. Hank has made udon since 2012 and has traveled to Japan every year to keep refining his technique. Billy graduated from NYU Stern in 2011 and grew up in his family's restaurants, Ollie's, which have served Chinese food in Manhattan since 1989. The two met at a restaurant convention in Japan and set out to bring real Sanuki-style udon to New York at a price that fits a student's budget. Opening across the street from Billy's old school made it personal.
How we make it
- Flour from Kagawa. Our wheat flour comes from Kagawa, Japan. It costs about six times as much as common wheat flour and has a protein content of about 8 to 9%.
- Dough made every day. The dough is kneaded hard, rested for about 12 hours and cut in a noodle room with a glass wall, so you can watch it being made.
- Never sitting around. Cooked noodles that aren't served within 30 minutes are thrown out.
- Four-hour stock. Kelp and bonito are simmered for four hours for a sweet, clean broth.
- Soft water. Our filtration system brings the water down to 0 to 1 ppm for making and cooking the noodles, so they stay springy instead of breaking or swelling.
- Soy sauce from Kansai. Thick, low-salt soy sauce from Japan's Kansai region is mixed with mirin and sugar and left to ferment naturally for 7 to 14 days.
How ordering works
Grab a tray, order your udon or rice bowl at the start of the line, add tempura and sides as you go, and pay at the end. Every bowl is made to order, and bowls start at $6.95. We're open every day from 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM, and you can order online for pickup or delivery.
Where to start
Billy's favorite is the cold zaru udon, which is chewier because it isn't sitting in broth. The beef udon is a crowd favorite, shrimp tempura and chicken karaage are popular add-ons, and the Japanese A5 wagyu udon is the splurge.