Ethan M.
Yelp
Udon Lab isn't a bad place for udon in the slightest. However, it's far from being good compared to the udon I've had from other places. It's a small restaurant, crowded most of the time given its location.
The sautéed Brussels sprouts were tasty, but by no means mind blowing or special. They were wonderfully charred, almost had a smoked flavor to it. Overall, it was a mighty fine Brussels sprouts, no complaints. Honestly, probably one of the better tasting Brussels sprouts.
The fried takoyaki was like any other takoyaki you can find at Japanese restaurants. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and a surprisingly generous amount of octopus that you can actually feel and chew on! The takoyaki are rather small, though.
Alright, udon time.
Cold tan tan udon - get it. Cold, refreshing, and a nice balance of nuttiness and soy sauciness.
Katsu curry udon - pass. Curry tasted like your standard curry packet you can find at Hmart, and the pork katsu itself was dry. Fried pork over heavy curry; not a good balance.
Himokawa udon - 100% get if it's still available! It was a summer special. Immediately, you'll notice that the noodles are exceptionally thin and wide. Served over a bed of ice, the texture of these noodles are unmatched - velvety, elastic, chewy to an immensely satisfying degree. The shape of the noodles also do a great job at clinging to one of the two sauces that come with the set: a sesame peanut sauce, and a zesty yuzu soy sauce. The sesame sauce was nutty, thick, rich, and spicy; the soy sauce served as the perfect palette cleanser to cut through the heaviness of the sesame. Overall, an extremely fun dish to eat as others watch in amazement as you pull the long, wide noodles into the air and dip it into the sauces. Oh, and the sushi roll was a nice addition.
In summery, Udon lab has great dishes that far overshadow some underwhelming ones. It gets a 3.5/5 for that, also taking into account that the texture of the regular udon wasn't as good; not chewy enough.