Haruyama Udon Review: New Restaurant With Fresh Udon Under $20++ In Tampines

Haruyama Udon has affordable fresh udon at Tampines 1

Easties are in luck, as there’s a hot new opening at Tampines 1: Haruyama Udon, a casual restaurant offering fresh and affordable udon under $20++. Located on Basement 1 of the mall, the new concept spotlights four types of artisanal udon that are popular in Japan: Inaniwa from Akita Prefecture, Himokawa from Gunma Prefecture, Hoto from Yamanashi Prefecture, and Sanuki from Kagawa Prefecture.

Food at Haruyama Udon

The cool thing about Haruyama’s udon is that the noodles are prepared fresh in a central kitchen every day. As mentioned earlier, the menu showcases four types of udon. These are listed according to size, from widest to thinnest: Himokawa is the TikTok-viral flat udon that shot to fame in Ginza, Hoto is fairly similar to ban mian, Sanuki is the thick and chewy udon most of us are familiar with, and Inaniwaa is the slimmest of the lot.

As there’s a pre-set noodle type for each dish, you won’t get to customise your meal.

We started with the Tenzaru ($16++), where fresh Himokawa udon sheets are served cold, paired with two dipping sauces and a side of tempura.

Interestingly, the noodles are served with a bamboo plate in the middle so you can drain off any excess water before consuming them. This contraption is similar to the one at the award-winning Godaime Hanayama Udon, which we previously featured in our Tokyo food guide.

The wide noodle sheets scored in the texture department for being silky smooth, but we found them too thick with a prominent flour taste. Thankfully, dipping them into the sesame sauce helped to neutralise some of that aftertaste.

The tempura platter, which came with two prawns and assorted veggies, was decently executed—for $16++, I thought the value-for-money aspect was there.

If you prefer your udon hot, the Himokawa is also available in the form of a White Curry Udon ($14++), where the same noodles are drenched in Japanese curry, then topped with copious amounts of potato mousse.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. While each noodle sheet clung well to the curry sauce, the potato mousse made this dish too starchy—I found it hard to continue after taking two bites. The creamy whipped potato also tempered the gravy, which was already mild on its own, drawing away some of its curry flavour.

Fortunately, the Spicy Basil Chicken ($16++), served with Hoto udon, fared much better. This udon dish reminded me of pan mee, with its ban mian-like noodles and minced chicken, crowned by an onsen egg.

The egg was perfectly cooked with a runny yolk that added a lovely richness to the overall dish.

Coated in the umami-packed meat and sauce, the springy udon was delicious. The cherry on top was the fresh Thai basil leaves we got in each bite, which added a new depth of flavour while cutting through the unctuous mix.

We also enjoyed the Ebi Yaki Udon ($16++), where Sanuki udon is stir-fried with prawns, cabbage, carrot, and egg, then topped with nori and sesame seeds.

The noodles were cooked till al dente so they’re still slightly chewy. I also liked how there was a discernible smokiness in each bite.

They didn’t skimp on the toppings either; we spotted three sizeable prawns, plus plenty of sliced mushrooms in our bowl.

If you want something simpler, consider the Yasai Ten Udon ($14++), paired with Inaniwa udon.

Similarly, these noodles were cooked well, with a silky and QQ texture. Those who enjoy light flavours will appreciate this, but I found it a tad bland for my liking, especially after trying the other more interesting items!

Ambience at Haruyama Udon

Haruyama Udon sits in the basement of Tampines 1, which tends to get crowded during peak hours. The 30-seater is small and cosy, with a generic dining area near the entrance, followed by a narrow row of seats on one side, and a segregated corner right at the end for a more intimate setting.

The restaurant is a four-minute walk from Tampines MRT Station.

The verdict

While there were some hits and notable misses, I felt that the latter could be attributed to the fact that the restaurant was still rather new at the point of our visit. With its reasonable prices and convenient location, I can foresee myself planning a second trip after they’ve ironed out these opening kinks!

For more delicious fresh udon, I recommend Umai Artisanal Udon Bar in Bugis. Otherwise, for more food in the area, read our guide to the best Tampines hawker food!

Address: 10 Tampines Central 1, B1-09, Singapore 529536
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6970 5231
Website
Haruyama Udon is pending halal certification.

Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This was a media tasting at Haruyama Udon.