OSAAWAYA

Osawaya is a long-established famous Mizusawa udon shop in the temple-front town of Mizusawa Kannon, near Ikaho Onsen. Osawaya’s Mizusawa udon is known for its strong chewiness—when you lift the noodles with chopsticks, they stretch with a satisfying pull. Its smooth texture makes it easy to slurp down, contributing to its popularity. Mizusawa udon is counted as one of Japan’s three great udon styles, and an essential factor in its taste is the dashi. Osawaya’s secret dashi is handcrafted every morning by artisans, with careful attention from preparing the dried sardines to the order of adding dried fish flakes. They use domestically sourced flakes, simmer slowly to extract flavor, then combine the finished dashi with kaeshi (seasoned soy base), heat it once more, and then cool it to let flavors settle and harmonize. Enjoy Osawaya’s proud Mizusawa udon with a dashi rich in kombu and bonito flavors. It’s especially recommended to have it together with maitake mushroom tempura.