Udon: A QUEST! - Part 1

I periodically get a craving for udon noodles. The problem is, having grown up on extremely excellent udon, I have very high standards for them. Part of the problem is that what I grew up with was not standard Japanese, so I'm not sure what the goal is for actual Japanese udon. I only know what I like. I have been poking around Portland looking for a place that has good udon, with limited success. Today I decided to start recording my results here so that I can remember where I've been. These are the two places with udon that I have sampled so far:

Koji Osakaya
10100 Southwest Barbur Blvd.

I've been to this place several times, since it's just around the corner from where I live, but it's not that great. I like the people there, but the udon is... meh. I'll probably keep going there for a while, at least until I find a better place and/or I move, but that's just because it's so close.

Noodles: Decently chewy and well-formed when you get them fresh, but I've been there a couple of times when it was not so fresh, and it had started to turn into the slimy worms that you sometimes get.

Chicken: Not good. poor quality and kinda greasy.

Broth: Unremarkable.

Exras: Kamaboko, not much else. It's served with ground red pepper.

Conclusion: I'll probably keep going there for a while, at least until I find a better place and/or I move, but that's just because it's so close.


MoMoYama
4310 Southeast Woodstock Blvd.

Unlike the fairly slick restaurant/bar that is Koji Osakaya, this is a pretty basic operation and appears to be one of those places run by a family of recent immigrants. It is also conveniently located close to Reed. Too bad the udon isn't very good.

Noodles: They weren't the worst noodles I've had (the worst ones I've had were from a restaurant in the resort area of Honolulu), but they were a little overcooked.

Chicken: Pretty much the same as at Koji Osakaya, which is to say, overcooked and greasy.

Broth: Too salty for me, but that might just be the type of broth it was.

Extras: A raw egg was poached lightly in the broth, a couple of pieces of kamaboko, spinach, green onions, and two tempura shrimp on top of everything. They get points for weirdness for the tempura, but the shrimp and green onions were pretty boring.

Conclusion: I don't plan on going back.