Bukkake Udon

Get your mind out of the gutter, you silly Americans. In Japanese, "bukkake" simply means "pouring," as in the soup is poured over the udon as opposed to noodles being dipped in.

Lonely Planet suggests Sakata (さか田) as the one restaurant you should go to if you visit Tokyo and eat one meal, so I dutifully ventured there. Unfortunately, it was gone. After some googling, I figured out that the restaurant had moved .5 km west, so I stopped by for lunch on a second attempt. The menu is entirely in Japanese, so you need to know some hiragana to figure it out. My server did speak a little English, so they might be able to help you order.

Sakata's specialty is udon, particularly bukkake udon. Above is the lunch set (¥1000) that I ordered, with a bowl of warm udon (you can get it cold), topped with grated radish, green onions, sesame seeds and a dollop of ginger. The noodles were fat and silky smooth, in a simple broth designed to showcase the udon. This came with tempura (jumbo shrimp, green pepper, eggplant) over a little rice. Freshly fried, with a crisp, thin coating, this tempura is miles above popcorn shrimp. Accompanying all this is the obligatory small dish of pickled vegetables, some fermented beans, and a mini salad.

Sakata (さか田)

3rd Floor, Dai 2 Hibiya Building

1-6-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo

Metro: Chiyoda, exit A4, head around the corner in a counterclockwise fashion

Entrees start at ¥700, cash only