Standing Into Danger: Slurp Your Noodles!

Friday, February 14, 2025

Slurp Your Noodles!

On Tuesday Terry and I went to one of our favorite places to eat in Waikiki,

the very popular Marugame Udon.

People flock to it because the food is quickly prepared, satisfying, and affordable.

Marugame Udon specializes in Sanuki udon, a thick chewy wheat noodle

which originated in the Kagawa Prefecture in southern Japan hundreds of years ago.

People can watch cooks prepare hand-crafted udon bowls and tempura in an open kitchen.

Watching Cooks Prepare Dishes

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 12, 2025

Visitors and kamaaina (residents) enjoy dining here, and

the lines to get in are often long in the late afternoon and evening.

Fortunately, the line moves quickly.

A Line Outside Marugame Udon

2310 Kuhio Ave., Ste 124

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 13, 2025

Customers waiting in line outside can watch people enjoying their noodles inside.

Marugame Udon

Waikiki

February 12, 2025

Noodles are a staple food long enjoyed throughout Asia,

and countries have developed their own versions of this popular food.

Where and when the first noodles were made is uncertain,

but research suggests they originated in Persia, perhaps 4000 years ago.

Noodles are made from an unleavened dough consisting of flour, water, and salt.

The flour can come from buckwheat, root vegetables,

mung bean starches, tapioca, rice, and seaweed.

The method for making the noodles varies too.

They can be rolled, flung, hand-cut, spun, extruded, or shaved from a block.

Most end up in a pot of boiling water to cook, but they can also be pan-fried or deep-fried.

Once cooked, noodles can be used hot or cold

in a variety of dishes limited only by your imagination. Source

Udon noodles are crafted from wheat flour, salt, and water.

Udon Noodles Boiling in Margame Udon, Waikiki

February 12, 2025

Terry and I ordered Marugame Udon's most popular udon dish, Nikutama Udon.

We watched as our udon noodles were extruded, boiled, and dished up with

sweet beef, scallions, and tempura flakes in a savory, umami-flavored kake-dashi broth.

I chose to add a lightly-poached onsen egg.

And I mean lightly poached!

The cook cracks open an eggshell, drops the raw egg in the hot broth in your bowl,

and the egg poaches while you pay and reach your table.

Onsen means "hot spring egg," and its soft whites and runny yolk were yummy!

A cook prepares the udon noodle dough which requires machine kneading, resting in a fridge, and flattening.

Traditional dough was once kneaded by foot!

Another cook feeds the flattened dough through a machine that extrudes evenly-sized noodles.

Then he collects the noodles for boiling.

Udon Noodles Almost Finished Boiling

We move through the cafeteria style line as our noodles boil.

There's lots to watch while we move through the line in this busy, efficient kitchen.

The cook waits until the noodles are perfectly cooked, then he removes the noodles,

rinses them, and rolls them into individual portions.

Our noodles are among those in the yellow container.

Other cooks assemble each bowl according to the guest's wishes.

The cook reaches for sweet beef to add to my bowl.

There are many types of tempura to chose from, and I go for the delectable tempura shrimp.

Nikutama Udon Perfection

I was so busy slurping my noodles that I forgot to get pictures of Terry and me.

In Japan and China slurping your noodles is considered a compliment to the chef.

Whether I wanted to slurp or not, it was challenging to figure out

how to get the long hot noodles into my mouth with chopsticks.

So perhaps it's just as well I forgot to take pictures.

Udon noodles in a flavorful broth are comforting and easy to digest.

When I was really sick from Graves Disease and high doses of Prednisone in 2022,

Terry ran to Marugame Udon often and brought back noodles and broth for me.

I'd curl up under a blanket on the couch and slurp the noodles.

Then, invigorated, I'd go out and enjoy what I could in Waikiki.

So, for sure, I will return to Marugame Udon more than once while we're here!

I'll be slurping those noodles along with other happy people!

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Nicole's Friday Face Off.

For Rain: Romantic Dinner ~ Terry and I had many romantic dinners on our cruise across the South Pacific to Australia in 2023.

Terry and I at Dinner on the Sea

Somewhere in the South Pacific

October 19, 2023

For Tom: Aloha ~ The staff at the Hideout has worked together for years, so it was an "ohana" or family celebration filled with love.

Aloha Birthday Celebration for Taylor

The Hideout at the Laylow

Oʻahu⁩, ⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

February 11, 2025

For Nicole: Family Faces! ~ This is the newest family in residence at the International Market Place. The Mallard mother and ducks are swimming in a water feature in the cultural court in the large, busy shopping mall. The cultural court celebrates the abundance of water in the ahupua or district and honors the relationship between the āina (land) and kānaka (man). āpuakēhau mauka or the Āpuakēhau Stream once flowed from mauka (toward the mountain) to makai (toward the ocean). Many delighted people stopped to look at the ducks who were not the least bit concerned.

Family Faces

The International Market Place

Oʻahu⁩, ⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

February 12, 2025

Happy Valentine's Day!

See you next time! ❤️🌺🍀

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, February 21st. 🤞

16 comments:

Debra She Who SeeksFebruary 14, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Fun post, Louise! Enjoy slurping your noodles!
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Alex J. CavanaughFebruary 14, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Always fascinating to watch food prepared fresh in front of you. Although I would definitely pick a time of day with no line.
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TomFebruary 14, 2025 at 6:03 AM
...I wouldn't wait in line to slurp noodles, but perhaps to get a Loco Moco. Enjoy and be sure to have your sunscreen. Happy Valentine's day.
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My name is Erika.February 14, 2025 at 7:14 AM
That was a really interesting post about udon noodles. And now I want some. :) Have a super Valentine's Day and weekend Louise.
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sirkkisFebruary 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Happy Valentine's Day Louise and your Terry 💕💐
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Pat HattFebruary 14, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Seeing it done is always good. Not so good are long arse lines, but hurry up and wait is the way when it is good. Not sure how well my slurp is though lol
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ChristineFebruary 14, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Yummy
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roentareFebruary 14, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In Japan, the preparation of udon necessitates a traditional license. I recall observing elderly women meticulously kneading the udon dough with their bare feet, a process that extended over several days until the completion of this culinary craft.
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