Is it possible to become a noodle addict? Technically no, but at this time of year it's not hard to build up a fierce dependence on food that is light, quick and easy on the digestion. And it always pays to know where to find a good fix. Around Shinbashi, it's hard to do better than Nanakura.
The specialty is Inaniwa udon, a variety of wheat noodle from Akita Prefecture in Japan's far northwest. Unlike the hefty, chunky udon of western Japan — especially from the Sanuki area of Shikoku — the Inaniwa version is smooth and delicate. Not that there's anything refined about Nanakura or its noodles.
They arrive in a generous tangle, with a thick, savory dipping sauce on the side. Tsukemen (dipping noodles) is a style more often found at ramen shops, and this rich stew would not be out of place in that context. Made from a broth of chicken and duck cooked down with plenty of morsels of the meat, it is thickened with sesame and given extra zing by adding onion and myōga ginger.