Seogwipo Tokyo Udon: Signature Curry Udon in Jeju
While getting personal training at the gym, I asked my trainer if there were any good restaurants nearby where I could eat alone. Out of nowhere, the first thing he recommended was udon. The name of the place is "Seogwipo Tokyo Udon," which amusingly has two city names in it. There are plenty of restaurants called Tokyo Udon in Seoul, but the reason I'm writing about how delicious this specific one in Seogwipo is, partly comes down to how hard it is to find a place like this in Jeju.
It's located at the Seogwipo Central Rotary. There's a parking lot nearby (though it's paid), making it very accessible. I heard it's famous among Seogwipo locals, and it seems like a lot of people visit because it hits the mark on everything from accessibility to taste.
Since it's called Tokyo Udon, I thought their standard katsuobushi (bonito flake) broth udon would be the famous dish, but curry udon is actually their signature. I was curious about how it would taste, so I ordered it. It comes with chewy udon noodles in a classic Japanese-style curry. True to its claim as a Japanese-style udon shop, the flavor isn't as strong or overpowering as Indian curry. The mild flavor makes the curry smooth enough that you can just eat it like soup. Personally, I think it would pair even better with rice than noodles.
I was so intrigued that I visited again the next day. This time, I got the cold soba (buckwheat noodles). The noodles were soft, giving it the taste of a high-end pan-momil (cold soba served on a bamboo tray). It's a hot summer, so it's the perfect weather to crave cold soba. Even so, it's fascinating that this place makes me think of their hot curry udon even more than the cold soba. If you're a traveler visiting, I highly recommend you try the curry udon.
