Nestled along Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Team Udon specialises in udon dishes – some traditional, some with a twist. I first heard of them when they went viral on social media last year – but as usual, I’m late to the bandwagon and was only able to try them out recently. The plus point of waiting is that there were no long queues and crowds during our visit!

The shop is long and narrow, as is common with many pre-war shophouses in KL. They’ve renovated it into a canteen-like, minimalist space, with white walls and floors, grey steel tables, and transparent plastic chairs. The premises are small and can probably seat around 35 max. Fortunately, we were there early (6pm) and had the whole shop to ourselves – but I imagine it can get pretty packed during lunch hour, so it’s not a place that you’d be able to hangout for hours on end.

Team Udon offers a menu of both traditional and innovative udon bowls, ranging from classics like Kitsune Udon, Bukkake Udon, and Niku Udon, to rather wacky ‘local’ offerings like Buttermilk Udon and Udon Lemak.

There are cold options too if you’re looking for something to beat the Malaysian heat, such as Hiyashi Tanuki Udon and Ponzu Wasabi Udon. All of their bowls are quite affordable, with prices starting from around RM10. If you’re feeling peckish, opt for sides like Rempah Karaage (a local spin on Japanese fried chicken), Sambal Takoyaki, and Potato Croquette.

We got a set meal for 2 (base price RM45, additional price applies to premium udon flavours) which came with two bowls of our choice, drinks, a side, and a mochi dessert. The Hubs’ Niku Udon (beef udon) was good, with the noodles swimming in a flavourful broth topped with thin and tender slices of beef.

I went for the bestselling Chilli Crab Udon with Shrimp – inspired by the iconic Singaporean dish – which had sizable, bouncy shrimps and a golden fried mantou sitting atop a velvety, eggy chilli crab sauce. While the dish was not bad at all, I think it could do with more seasoning, as the sauce was a tad bland.

What I found slightly disappointing in both dishes was the noodle texture, as it was too soft and lacked that pleasant, bouncy chew one might expect from udon. Still, for the price point, these are pretty decent udon bowls.

For sides, we got Takoyaki, topped with plenty of sweet-and-savoury bonito flakes and a generous lashing of sauce. The takoyaki were served piping hot and crispy on the outside, heat and vapour escaping in wisps as we bit into each ball. No complaints here!

And finally, to wrap up the meal on a sweet note, mochi desserts. These were good too with the soft and chewy mochi skin concealing red bean and black sesame paste within. It was not too sweet either.

Overall, I think the food at Team Udon is decent and affordable to boot, which is probably why it’s a popular lunch spot. We only got to try two flavours, but definitely looking forward to try some of the more adventurous flavours like Matcha Udon and Buttermilk Udon.

Team Udon has another outlet in Taman Tun Dr Ismail as well.

TEAM UDON KL

27-G, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 03-2022 3613

Opening hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 9.30pm (daily)

*halal-sourced ingredients

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PS2: All food expenses are out of my own pocket unless otherwise stated. Views here are my own and are based on my personal experience. They are not meant to endorse or disparage businesses in any way.