Koya Soho

Pared-back decor, counter seating, no bookings and regular queues at busy times – you won't be wanting to linger when you visit this utilitarian hangout. People come here to ‘just slurp and go’, lured in by the prospect of some of the best hand-made udon in town. Whether you like your noodles hot or cold, the versions sold here have just the right bite and mouthfeel – smooth, silky and bouncy, with added oomph from the quality of the kake (dashi and mirin broth) and accompanying ingredients. The noodles are divided up into various categories, ranging from ‘atsu-atsu’ (hot udon in hot broth) to ‘hiya-hiya’ (cold udon with cold dipping sauce) with standout toppings including tenzaru (prawn and vegetable tempura) and niku (tender beef served rare). Small plates of sunomono salad, marinated mushrooms packed with umami or moreish, succulent chicken kara-age are good palate-sharpening openers, and there are donburi rice bowls too. Koya is open all day, seven days week, with breakfast as one of the highlights: come here for a full-on Japanese spread, an English fry-up or a plate of kedgeree. Service is patient, and staff are more than happy to explain the different types of udon dishes on offer. Drinking options are quite limited – bottles of lager, cups of sake and cans of wine, plus iced barley tea and hot homemade ginger cordial. A sister branch, Koya City, can be found at 10-12 Bloomberg Arcade.