Udon Takes On New Texture at Hanon | The New Yorker

"In some respects, it’s easy to understand why udon, the Japanese white-flour noodle, has never approached the popularity or the ubiquity of ramen, or even of soba. It’s thick and dense; it can be gummy, rubbery; it does not seem especially healthy. In the past few years, a small flurry of house-made-udon shops have opened in New York, among them TsuruTonTan, a sprawling, noisy brasserie that also specializes in sushi, and Raku, a more discreet parlor with two outposts downtown. Much of what distinguishes Hanon, a new udon restaurant steps from the L and G trains in central Williamsburg, has to do with the noodles themselves, which are made thinner than usual, with sharper edges and a consistently springy, al-dente finish." - Jessica Henderson