Nekobushi Udon, a reservation-only udon bar from Hearth chef Koki Miyoshi and the team behind Yet To Name Ramen, opens at #01-36 Orchard Plaza on Wednesday 7 Oct. Bookings for its first week open on the Nekobushi website on Monday 5 October.
Two bowls at S$14.80 and S$18.80
The opening menu has two udon: Kitsune at S$14.80 and Gyu at S$18.80, both nett. Both use the same dashi of bonito, mackerel, sardine, flying fish and kombu, with thin, flat-cut noodles and a roughly 3cm-wide ribbon noodle in each bowl.
Kitsune carries two Japanese fried beancurds: a simmered aburaage from Niigata Prefecture and a crisp version from Ehime, Miyoshi’s home prefecture. Gyu is adapted from Osaka’s kasu udon, with beef short rib, chopped leek and chives, and crispy chunks of wagyu beef intestine. Oil rendered from the intestine is poured over the bowl to finish.
Both bowls contain fish, egg, wheat and soy, and the Gyu contains beef. Neither has pork, nothing is vegetarian and the shop is not halal certified. The kitchen cannot change the bowls, and allergies have to be raised before booking rather than at the counter.
How booking works
Every seat is booked through the website, and Dashimaru, the shop’s booking bot, confirms each booking on WhatsApp. Seats are released one week at a time, with each new week opening on a Monday. Arrivals are staggered in 15-minute slots of up to seven guests, at the counter or one of two small tables.
Each booking covers up to three people, each mobile number can hold one booking a day, and bowls are chosen when booking. Seats are held for 30 minutes, or 45 if anyone in the party has both bowls, and for up to 15 minutes for late arrivals. There is no deposit, cancellation is free, and bookings cannot be sold or transferred. Walk-ins are seated only at the manager’s discretion.
Opening hours and getting there
Dinner runs from Wednesday to Saturday, from 5.30pm until sold out, with the last booking at 8.15pm. Sunday lunch runs from 11.30am until sold out, with the last booking at 2.15pm. The shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Orchard Plaza is at 150 Orchard Road, a couple of minutes’ walk from Somerset MRT. Payment is by PayNow only, and Nekobushi is dine-in only, with no takeaway for now.
