Muteki Udon

"If you’re looking for a pre-Barclays center meal, you’re in luck. Muteki Udon is a casual udon spot on Flatbush Avenue, perfect for a quick meal after you realize you’d rather not spend $100 on stadium food. (Or just on any night when a bowl of expertly made, chewy noodles sounds like just what the doctor ordered.) There are some izakaya-adjacent small plates on the menu, but you should stick to the udon. If it’s hot, consider the tuna yukke don, served cold with tuna sashimi and matcha-infused noodles. For something more comforting, go for the mentaiko cream udon with a yuzu-laced broth and silky beef sukiyaki." - willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman

"Muteki Udon has noodles with the tensile strength to replace a basketball net, and this Flatbush Ave. restaurant—complete with a red torii gate inside—should be on your radar for a meal around Barclays Center. The handmade udon is perfectly chewy, and the mentaiko cream broth has bright notes of citrus, while a vegetarian mushroom version is fantastically savory. You can round out your order with bites like salmon tartare with chips made from their matcha-infused udon, but really, you’re there for soupy stuff. In an area without a ton of homemade food, Muteki stands out." - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim

"A little diorama of udon noodles welcomes you into Muteki Udon in Park Slope. Two tiny piles of floured, raw noodles—one standard, one green with matcha powder—sit at the front of the restaurant. Next to them are some beautiful pieces of earthenware pottery, and a wooden sign that says “homemade” in both English and Japanese. It’s like a scene from the Museum of Natural History. Give in to the pull of the diorama: Muteki Udon is a great place for a bowl of noodles that are as chewy as the vibe is casual. It’s especially great to know about before going to the Barclays Center. The restaurant comes from the same chef behind Greenpoint’s Uzuki, known for its masterful soba noodles. Muteki loses the gluten-free benefit of Uzuki, but makes up for it with chewy, slippery, slurpable udon. There are some other small plates and izakaya-adjacent appetizers here, but you should stick to the noodles. Toppings range from simple dashi broth with tempura, to more complex things, like the mentaiko cream udon, which is savory from the mentaiko, bright with yuzu and topped with tender beef sukiyaki that we’d happily eat five days a week. Add the gorgeous, hand-thrown earthenware bowl, and we’re sold. Food Rundown photo credit: Will Hartman Mentaiko Cream Udon This is our favorite udon on the menu. Savory, creamy, yet lightened with yuzu, the broth is sippable by itself. Add in an interesting difference in texture between the silky beef sukiyaki and chewy udon, and this becomes a bowl that’s worth going back for. photo credit: Will Hartman Tuna Yukke Udon Served cold with slices of tuna sashimi and matcha-infused chewy noodles, this is an excellent dinner on a hot day. Yakuzen Curry Don Full of the warm spices characteristic of a Japanese curry, this bowl leans sweet over spicy. Grab it to put something warm in your belly." - Will Hartman

"If you need a noodle-centric meal before a Liberty game, Muteki Udon is a small restaurant near the Barclays Center that specializes in udon—but also has yakitori, and things like karaage and chirashi bowls. Their noodles are handmade, and you can get them with some pretty interesting toppings, like creamy mentaiko, or a $42 option with uni and ikura." - will hartman

"A new udon spot landed on Flatbush Avenue called Muteki Udon, near Barclays." - Emma Orlow