Enni Udon, a landmark for udon lovers in the 8th arrondissement

Summer or winter, Japanese gastronomy knows how to satisfy every craving, from sushi, maki and other raw fish dishes when the sun is shining, to ramen and other soups when the mercury drops. With winter well underway in the capital, we were tempted to warm our bodies and minds with udon .

Originally from the Fukuoka prefecture, these famous Japanese noodles differ from ramen, soba and somen not only in their composition (they're made from wheat flour), but above all in their thickness. Plump and white, udon can be enjoyed both hot and cold, and it's this diversity of recipes that you'll find at Enni Udon, the new landmark for lovers of this dish that's all too familiar to Parisian palates.

Enni Udon recently opened its doors in the 8th arrondissement, in a minimalist setting the brainchild of architect Alexandre Schrepfer and interior designer Chiaki Yatasui. Behind the open kitchen counter, chef Nobutaka Hayashi has devised a menu that offers udon in all its forms, hot or cold, with or without broth, but always made with choice ingredients sourced directly from Japan.

And the possibilities are endless! Looking for comfort? Choose a hot udon, immersed in a dashi broth with kombu seaweed and shiitake mushrooms; served with your choice of tempura vegetables or shrimp (20€-21€), beef and ginger (20€), duck and ginger (20€) or pork, salsify and konjac in a miso-based soup (20€).

Want to dip your own noodles? Choose a cold udon to dip in a cold sauce, in a vegetarian version with white radish, lotus root and nori seaweed (14.5€), in a fried version with shrimp tempura (21.5€), or in a gourmet version with pork, sesame seeds and a soy-milk miso sauce (20€).

You're bound to find the recipe you're looking for, especially as it's possible to add original extras such as fried flour flakes, seaweed or fermented soybeans - if you dare to take the plunge, as these have a very pronounced flavor that's not to everyone's taste.

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And that's not counting the restaurant's side dishes, which include a number of Japanese izakaya-style starters: fried tofu (6€), breaded pork (18.5€), grilled eggplant (7€) and, of course, the must-try fried chicken Karaage (12€). An address for the inhabitants of this chic neighborhood, as the prices testify.