Inside UDN: how an Emirati pilot started Abu Dhabi’s first udon noodle house

Rashed Al Fahim launched the restaurant after developing a love for the noodles during his many trips to Japan

UDN – Abu Dhabi’s first restaurant dedicated to udon noodles - has recently opened. All pictures Victor Besa / The National.

The space is inspired by authentic udon noodle restaurants in Japan.

Quirky interiors found in UDN.

The traditional UDN wagyu combines tender meat with the traditional noodles.

Shrimp tempura at UDN.

The curry UDN, another signature dish, has been made with the local palate in mind.

Duck gyoza, also on the menu.

Mochi ice cream for dessert.

Those with a sweet tooth can also indulge in traditional Japanese milk cake.

Abu Dhabi residents no longer have to travel far to get their fill of freshly made udon noodles.

UDN, the emirate’s first venue dedicated to the staple Japanese noodle, launched last week, giving residents plenty of access to the popular comfort food.

The restaurant serves a number of specialty Japanese dishes such as traditional ramen and milk cake. Also on the menu are gyoza, edamame and tempura shrimp.

UDN chef Jun Espiritu holds up a bowl of ramen. Victor Besa / The National

However, it's the humble udon noodles that hold pride of place. The curry UDN, made with coconut milk, has been made especially for the local palate, while the UDN chicken katsu and the traditional UDN with Wagyu are also signatures.

For the uninitiated, udon are a type of thick noodle made from wheat flour and typically served in a broth. They are widely hailed as a key comfort food in Japan thanks to their unique texture and flavour.

Also on the menu are edamame, gyoza, Japanese milk cake and more. Victor Besa / The National.

However, according to UDN's Emirati founder Rashed Al Fahim, the authentic flavour and texture can only be delivered when the noodles are made fresh – only a few hours before they’re served. When he realised that he did not know a single Abu Dhabi venue that made udon noodles in-house, he decided to set one up himself.

"I have spent most of my professional career as a commercial pilot and have had the privilege of regularly flying to Japan, which is where I developed a love for authentic udon noodles," he tells The National.

“I’ve not been able to find udon as authentic as I have experienced in Japan anywhere else, so as soon as I had the opportunity to open UDN here in my home, I went for it. UDN is a project that I have been thinking about for a very long time so it is a dream come true to see it officially open and serve traditional udon.”

The restaurant enlisted experts from Japan to train its chefs on the art of perfecting the noodles and the signature broth. Despite it being focused on a single ingredient, Fahim says the menu is anything but restrictive, with the versatile quality of the noodle being a key reason.

“The process was challenging at first because noodle-making really is an art, but it was a lot of fun," he says.

"The possibilities with this dish are endless. We will slowly add more dishes to the menu and we will always listen to customer feedback and strive to give them what they crave.”

Open daily, noon to 11pm; Old Airport Road, Showroom 1, Abu Dhabi; 02 441 3037, instagram.com/udn.ae