Kunitoraya

My all time favorite Japanese restaurant in Paris: it is very simple but the food is spectacular.

Japanese people living in Paris don't go to Kunitoraya because they feel that compared to the prices for udon in Japan, this restaurant is very expensive. However, the calibre of the food is so good that I think it is worth the extra few euros. The decor leaves a lot to be desired but it is a typical Japanese udon place like those you would find in Japan: simple. The udon is made on the premises and is wonderful. I go there once a week and mostly get tenzaru udon which comes as a wooden screen covered with a swirl of udon that is topped with nori strips; on the side are wonderful just-made tempura, and a terrific dipping sauce for the udon and the tempura. You add ginger, sesame seeds and scallions to the dipping sauce and enjoy. It is a gourmet's delight and I can't get enough of it. Once you have eated everything, you can drink the dipping sauce. I give this dish an A+. The staff is wonderful and since I go very often, they know me and always welcome me with a konnichiha and smiles. At lunch time, there is a long line but it goes pretty quickly as people just go there to eat and leave. I have seen lines there in the freezing cold, so good is the udon and so worth the price of 16 euros for tenzaru udon and about 10 or 12 euros for the other soups. I also get a wonderful miso soup that is full of udon, leeks and pork and the next time I go, I want to get the curry udon.

After 7, the restaurant becomes an izakaya and they serve small tapas-type dishes such as maki with plum paste and agedashi dofu. Of course, you can always get the udon.This place is an authentic breath of Japan in central Paris.