Look, I’m no udon artisan, but I can unscientifically confirm that these udon noodles were the absolute perfect texture. There’s nothing worse than soggy, mushy, gummy udon, but there was none of that here. These noodles were tender, yet chewy and they held up perfectly even as I lingered longer than I should have at lunch. But the reason you should make Itteki Hassen-ya a must-stop on your noodle pilgrimage through Shinjuku is their lunch deal. You’re able to select two udon dishes from their extensive menu for ¥1000. Hot, cold, milky, clear, broth-less, tempura… knock yourself out. I went with the hot shrimp tempura udon and kashiwa bukkake udon(cold with fried chicken), but from trying everyone’s at the table, the hot, creamy karē udon was the winner in my book.