Udon holds a special place in my family.
Growing up on the Prairies, sushi was never part of the family diet. Any order of tuna sashimi in small-town Alberta would come with a free visit to the emergency room.
Living here now for many years, I’ve grown to grudgingly accept sushi in its West Coast abundance. It’s never, however, my first choice. My B.C.-born children, however, devour it. They were raised on rolls, weaned on wasabi.
There’s a disconnect there, and udon is the bridge.
Traditionally, udon is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, prepared and served in a variety of ways in Japanese cuisine. In my house, udon is the bone that the rest of our family throws me to fill the hunger hole that a Dynamite Roll just can’t quite satisfy when we order takeout sushi. It adds a rib-sticking element to any order, warming my heart in ways that mayonnaise and imitation crab can’t.
My two boys like udon too, and so we decided to try out a few dishes from North Vancouver restaurants and pick a favourite. These were all ordered takeout, and so the dine-in experience didn’t factor into our equation, but packaging and takeout presentation did. Let’s get to the tasting.
Hachi Hanna
From this popular Central Lonsdale spot we ordered Chicken Yaki Udon. Hachi Hanna’s yaki udon came topped with a pop of vibrant colour thanks to a load of fresh diced carrots and peppers on top, alongside some dark purple string beets. Under the veggies – which were perfectly cooked – came a generous helping of tender chicken, lovely big mushroom slices and tasty udon noodles.
The ingredients in Hachi Hanna’s chicken yaki udon all blended well together, offering a subtle yet rich flavour in an attractive dish. The nice variety of fresh vegetables complemented the chicken and noodles well, elevating the entire package to a darn good takeout meal. The dish was $17.80 after tax.
Sushi Umi
Up a few blocks from Hachi Hanna you’ll find another bustling spot, Sushi Umi. We ordered the Chicken Yaki Udon here as well and received a container packed full of noodles and tasty chicken. The vegetables in the dish were a bit on the sparse side, with a solitary carrot slice and one piece of broccoli looking pretty lonely beside all those noodles.
The noodles themselves were a bit greasier than those from Hachi Hanna, and the sauce had more of an oniony flavour. Chives and sesame seeds added some fun to a meal that starred the tasty chicken. The dish was $17.85 after tax.
Sushi Kumo
For our third contender we changed it up a bit and ordered a chicken udon soup. Sushi Kumo sits In Lower Lonsdale on the corner of Second Street and St. Georges Avenue. Of the three takeout meals, this one came in the nicest packaging, with the noodles and soup packed separately to ensure that the soup was fresh when you put it together at home.
Big chunks of chicken came in the salty broth with onions, mushrooms and other vegetables. The chicken chunks were a bit on the dry side, but the noodles and broth blended nicely together for a classic slurping experience. The soup was $14.91 after tax.
Verdict
While all three dishes did the trick of providing a hearty boost to any sushi order, the Chicken Yaki Udon from Hachi Hanna held a slight edge for me. It provided the richest flavour with the freshest ingredients. There were more and better quality vegetables on offer, making it feel like the healthier of the three options.
The udon soup from Sushi Kumo was a tasty option too, with broth adding a satisfying punch of salty goodness to the noodles. If this vote were left to my kids, they would have picked the soup. But they were spoiled by the sushi, and so final vote goes to me, with Hachi Hanna winning the udon duel.
In our recurring Food Fight column, we compare the fare at North Shore establishments and pick a winner in categories ranging from espresso to udon to light beer and more. All samplings are conducted anonymously with food paid for by the North Shore News.
