Satiny between the lips and resilient between the teeth, Sushi Zen's udon has reigned as the best in the area for years. For vegetarians, it is best to order the tempura on the side, because the kitchen sometimes inadvertently adds a prawn. Another thing to note is that the kitchen uses a bit of dashi , a light stock faintly flavored with dried bonito, a type of mackerel, in its broth. Doused with a vegetable and lime stock, a generous knot of yellow house-made rice noodles, flat and long, provides a vehicle for bean sprouts, cilantro, bamboo shoots, scallion, chopped peanuts, chile paste, shiitake mushrooms, chopped lettuce and fried soybean cakes with a side of lime and chile soy sauce. This entree makes for a very light but flavorful meal.
Nothing satiates an empty stomach like a bowl of fresh noodles.
From the Aug. 27-Sept.