Zen Udon @ Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Not exaggerating but Zen Udon, a newly opened Udon-specialist at Bukit Mertajam could be your best bet for some of the best Udon-noodles in Penang. Located at the old town of Bukit Mertajam (behind Pek Kong Cheng), Zen Udon churns out fresh, handcrafted Japanese Udon using premium imported ingredients. The interior of the restaurant does not quite reflect the Japanese-element but the menu says otherwise. Zen has an Udon-focused menu along with some Japanese delights like Okonomiyaki, Japanese Curry, Tempura etc; items are reasonably priced... worth checking out if you do enjoy a good bowl of handmade Udon.

Tororo Egg Udon with 2 pcs of Ebi Tempura and Veggie Tempura + Mugicha Set (Rm 33.80/ cold)

Kake Udon with Kaki-Age Veggine Tempura + Mugicha Set (Rm 19.80/ hot)

Ebi and Veggie Tempura

Kaki-Age Veggie Tempura

Okonomiyaki Tororo Seafood (Rm 17.90)

Oden Octopus (Rm 8)/ Cabbage (Rm 2.50)/ Kamaboko (Rm 2)/ Konjac (Rm 2)

We started with Kake Udon, probably the most basic dish here to test the depth of the water; it was basically heart-warming Dashi broth served with the handcrafted noodles. We enjoyed the al-dente texture and the Japanese Dashi broth carried a good umami-flavor. Additional seasonings or dips were not necessary. We added an extra order of Kaki-Age (Vegetables fritters)- beautifully done with a touch of Shisho leaves for the herbaceous aroma. We also had another chilled version of the Udon... with Nagaimo (Mountain Yam). It has a gooey and slimy texture; together with the half boiled Egg, we thought the concoction was expertly made. We were told that the Chef prepares the Soy-based Mentsuyu sauce himself with no MSG added. True enough, not overly salted and the sauce worked super well with the Udon. Our only complain was the Udon noodles turned out to be slightly overly chewy to our liking... probably the dish was served chilled. For side order, we had the Prawn Tempura with assorted Vegetable Tempura. All of them were perfectly cooked with thin batter. The Okonomiyaki was not shabby too- generous amount of Seafood with a not overly dense texture. The Oden was less exciting as compared to the other dishes we had.

Ratings:
Taste: 8/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Service: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Price: 7/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)

Parking: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Ambiance: 7.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)

Pork-Free

Service Charge: No

Government Tax: Yes 6%

Additional Information:
Address: 55, Jalan Datuk Ooh Chooi Cheng, 14000, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Business Hours: 11:30 am to 10 pm. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Contact Number: 016-462 5269

Zen Udon Penang Facebook Page