Amsterdam’s first udon restaurant
Ramen bars are springing up like mushrooms, but the real trendsetter is already starting a new noodle bar. Is udon the new ramen? At Fou Fow, they certainly think so, and they’re opening a restaurant with nothing but udon on the menu.
By now, it’s clear that the Japanese are masters of noodles. The chewy ramen noodle has conquered the entire world, and soba has also been available in the average supermarket for years. In Japan, you’ll find restaurants everywhere that specialise in thick, hearty udon noodles, and Amsterdam couldn’t be left behind, of course. Fou Fow Udon on the Prinsengracht is open for business.
Greasy and porky
Fou Fow Ramen (with locations on the Elandsgracht and Van Woustraat) was already known as one of the best places to get your bowl of ramen. They were years ahead of the ramen trend, serving Japanese noodle soup long before it was hip. Their tonkotsu is irresistible—so greasy and porky. You can’t stop eating, and once that bowl is empty, you’re so full you think you’ll never be able to eat again. Now that they’ve mastered ramen, it’s time for a new noodle.
Thick noodle
Udon noodles are much thicker than your standard noodle and are sometimes eaten with broth, but sometimes dry (without broth). At Fou Fow Udon, the most basic version is a light broth with spring onion, but you can also add toppings. You can choose curry udon, cold udon that you dip in a sauce, or udon with tempura.
Carbonara
Carbonara purists, steer clear: there’s even udon carbonara on the menu. Exactly the same as an Italian carbonara, but with udon. All the noodles are homemade, by the way, using a machine that stands in the middle of the restaurant. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. Tip: go early if you want to get your hands on a bowl of udon, because if it becomes as resounding a success as Fou Fow Ramen, there’s a good chance of queues.
Fou Fow Udon
Prinsengracht 411
Amsterdam
Also read:
