For Immediate Release

OMAKASE RESTAURANT GROUP’S UDON TIME NOODLE SHOP OPENS TODAY

Udon Time, one of three restaurants to open at One Henry Adams, is a fast-casual udon shop under the direction of Executive Chef Edgar Agbayani

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – January 23, 2019 – Udon Time, a high-quality, fast-casual noodle shop where guests can customize their bowls of udon, opens today in San Francisco’s SoMa district. Udon Time occupies the same building as Omakase Restaurant Group (ORG)’s soon-to-open Niku Steakhouse and The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse at One Henry Adams and is a block away from ORG’s popular sibling, Dumpling Time.

Sometimes confused with ramen, udon noodles are generally thicker, lighter in color, and can be served both hot and cold. Udon Time will feature a slender udon noodle that has been aged overnight, as is typical in Japan, to create a silky-smooth texture and rich flavor. Guests can watch from the order line as noodles are prepared on-site in a Sanuki noodle maker. House-made broths, as well as a variety of fresh proteins and traditional Japanese toppings, will be prepared daily to complement the freshly prepared noodles.

To develop the Udon Time menu, Chef Edgar Agbayani toured Japan extensively and trained at Sanuki Menki Noodle School in Kagawa, Japan, where he learned about the various Japanese noodle types and how to prepare each one with its corresponding sauce and broth.

“I worked alongside the head chef at Sanuki Menki Noodle School to learn about udon, making many batches and learning about different dashis, ingredients and condiments. We ate a bowl of noodles almost every 15 minutes on my first day of training, creating new combinations every time. At night, I ate my way through the Sanuki prefecture–home to several hundred udon shops. The experience helped me understand and create the type and composition of noodles, as well as the flavor of dashi I’m using at Udon Time, but I’ll definitely bring my own touch,” said Agbayani.

In addition to customizing a Sanuki Udon bowl (starting at $8 and available hot or cold) with proteins and condiments, customers may order one of Udon Time’s many signature bowls, including Niku Udon ($14) with sweet onions, ginger, green onion and selected meat from The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse next door; Vegetarian Udon($10) with shiitake dashi, heirloom corn, organic kale and sweet tomatoes; Kamatama Udon ($12) with jidori egg, soy sauce, Parmesan andbutter; Curry Udon ($10) with curry broth, potato and green onion; and Kama-Age Udon ($8) with noodles direct from the pot and served with a dipping sauce. Also on the menu are assorted vegetable and meat Tempura ($1.50 – $2/each) and Onigiri, including Salmon ($2.50), Ume Shiso($1.50), Spicy Tuna ($2.75) and Spam Musubi ($3). The beverage menu includes wine, beer, sake, soda, coffee and tea.

Udon Time’s bright, modern space seats 41 guests and features large windows for natural lighting and lots of wood accents. Guests order at the counter, adding their choice of ingredients for their udon bowl as they progress down the service line.
Joining Udon Time in early February will be Niku Steakhouse and The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse. Niku Steakhouse is a modern American steakhouse with Japanese influences while The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse is a service-focused butcher shop featuring Japanese Wagyu and domestic meats personally curated by Head Butcher and industry veteran, Guy Crims. All three concepts offer open views of the food preparation process, which creates an exciting and transparent experience.

Udon Time is located at 55 Division Street in San Francisco. Initially, the restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., eventually expanding to seven days a week. Walk-in only. Visit www.udontime.com for more information or follow Udon Time on Instagram at @udontimesf and on Facebook.

About Omakase Restaurant Group
Owned by Kash Feng and Jackson Yu, Omakase Restaurant Group (ORG) comprises eight San Francisco restaurants: Udon Time, Dumpling Time, Live Sushi Bar, Michelin-starred Omakase, Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient Okane, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Butcher Shop by Niku (opening January 2019) and Niku Steakhouse (opening February 2019).

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