It’s been in the works for six years, but Sonny Nguyen’s udon noodle concept we teased back in March of 2020 (and again this past August) is finally set to open Oct. 22 in the heart of Mills 50.
Udon Fifty takes over the old Dochi space at 1222 E. Colonial Drive (map) and adds to Nguyen’s portfolio of restaurants that includes Domu, Gyukatsu Rose and Rion’s Ocean Room in Audubon Park, and Tori Tori and Edoboy in Mills 50.
Udon Fifty is designed to mimic the mom-and-pop noodle shops found in the Kanto region of Japan with a small, intimate space housing a 10-seat counter and an eight-seat dining room. It will serve both cold and hot udon done in the Kanto style with a darker, more umami-forward soy sauce base than the Kansai style and its lighter, more dashi-forward broth, or Sanuki style with its niboshi base made from small dried sardines or anchovies (as is served at neighboring Zaru).
Nguyen says the noodles will be fashioned in-house from a machine he’s importing from Japan.
From 2017 to 2019, the James Beard-nominated chef studied under soba maestro Shuichi Kotani in New York, mastering traditional hand-crafting techniques across soba, ramen and udon noodle varieties.
“I have a preference for udon,” Nguyen says. “It’s lighter than ramen, so you can eat it every day. But you also get the chew and bounce of a thick noodle, which is very satisfying.”
In addition to those thick, white noodles floating in a bold broth, Udon Fifty will also serve tempura made from a proprietary blend of three different flours for the ideal crispy texture.
Udon Fifty was originally going to be a pop-up inside Tori Tori back in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown squashed those plans.
See the full menu here. Look for Udon Fifty to soft open Thursday, Oct. 22. Hours will be: 4-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 3 p.m. (lunch) and 4-9 p.m. (dinner) Saturday and Sunday; closed Monday through Wednesday. For additional info and a grand opening date, be sure to follow @udonfifty or visit udonfifty.com.
