TOKYO’S Famous UDON SHIN is now in Singapore

Tokyo’s acclaimed Udon Shin which is known for its silky handmade udon and cult-favourite Carbonara Udon, is opening their first overseas outlet here in Singapore on 13 November 2025.

About Udon Shin

Udon Shin was established in 2011 in Yoyogi, Shibuya (Tokyo). It was founded by Chef Narahara Shinji. He started Udon Shin in Tokyo out of a deep love for noodles and the joy they bring when made right.

This renowned Japanese noodle house is known for its “Four Fresh” philosophy on its artisanal udon – freshly kneaded, freshly cut, freshly boiled, and freshly fried. Their noodles are prepared in-house daily and has an exceptional balance of koshi (firmness) and nobi (stretchiness). Their udon are springy, chewy and silky smooth.

Their signature dish is their Carbonara Udon as well as their fried-to-order seasonal tempura. I personally find that these two food items are a standout.

Udon Shin’s first overseas outpost

Udon Shin’s first overseas expansion was brought in by Gaia Lifestyle Group. The Group also owns a few other F&B brands such as Gyutan-Tan, KOKO Cafe & Patisserie, 黑珍珠 The Black Pearl and the newly opened Loca Niru. The brand will be opening its second franchise in the United States in Q1 2026.

Restaurant Interior

This restaurant used to be Gyutan-Tan but now it is took over by Udon Shin. It has a typical Japanese restaurant interior with that zen-like ambiance. The restaurant is furnished with light-tone wooden tables and chairs. There’s a long table right in the middle of the restaurant as well as bar counter seats which are suited for solo diners.

Udon Shin Singapore has an open kitchen display where you can witness the udon-making process. This behind-the-scenes view offers an intimate look into the artistry of making udon.

What’s on the menu?

The Singapore menu will feature a curated menu of its signature hot, cold, and soup udon dishes, and freshly fried tempura. The base udon starts from $10++ per bowl. You can view the full menu here.

Carbonara Udon ($24)

At the core of the menu is the cult-favourite Carbonara Udon ($24), an indulgent East-meets-West creation that has gained legendary status in Tokyo. It features thick kamaage udon immersed in umami-rich dashi, enriched with a raw egg, parmesan cheese, butter, pepper, spring onion and topped with crispy bacon tempura.

It is a well-balanced dish that is creamy, savoury, and deeply comforting yet at the same time, quite addictive. It doesn’t overwhelmed the taste buds but in fact, it will leave you wanting even more. I also wasn’t expecting them to serve a bacon tempura along with it. The tempura was evenly coated with batter and it was so crispy and pleasant-tasting.

Remember to mix and toss the udon well to ensure the udon are well-coated with all the creamy ingredients.

Beyond the Carbonara Udon, Udon Shin’s hot offerings feature comforting combinations of rich broth and delicate toppings designed to soothe and satisfy. Since they use the same type of udon and broth for most of their dishes, they pretty much tasted the same.

Premium Tempura Zura Udon

We also get to try their cold udon which comes with tempura. The diners at the table find it difficult to consume the cold udon because the udon kept slipping off our chopsticks. We all had a hard time trying to lift some udon to dip into their dipping sauce. It would be really nice if they can cut the noodles so that we don’t have to struggle lifting the udon.

Base udon from $10

Their plain udon bowl start from $10 and you can customise by ordering sides like tempura to go along with your udon. Add-ons to udon bowl orders include Wagyu sirloin, beef short plate, mentaiko, grated daikon and spicy mala paste.

Beverages

They do offer quite a number of alcoholic beverages. Highlights include the Red Rice Magic Junmai Ginjo ($40), a sparkling sake with refreshing effervescence and subtle sweetness, alongside premium sakes such as Gold Ninki Junmai Dai Ginjyo ($51), Junmai Ginjo Nigori ($43), and fruit wine.

Non-alcoholic options are also available, including their housemade Udon Shin Honey Lemonade ($8). There are also refreshing fruit teas and lightly sparkling sodas.

Our Verdict

This Japanese Udon restaurant would definitely be a hit among the locals here with their springy handmade udon and well-fried crispy tempura.

We tried 3 types of udon bowl a day before their opening. Their Carbonara udon emerged as our table favourite. It was a standout as compared to the cold udon and hot udon which was served with a highly savoury broth. I personally find the broth to be too savoury and a tad salty for my liking but if you prefer highly savoury food, their hot udon might be just about right for you.