MeNami

Udon: one of my favourite noodles in all its forms, fresh or frozen. It is surprisingly difficult to find places that make udon delicious; oftentimes it comes overcooked and in a sad broth.

The first time I went to MeNami, we actually had plans to go elsewhere but the chilly autumn weather led us through their large blue doors. We thankfully were seated straightaway at the bar, and got straight to ordering.

MeNami
Location: 5469 Yonge St
Toronto, ON
M2N 5S1
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 11:30am to 2:30am
Sunday: 11:30am to 12am
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Tavern-like
Service: Friendly and attentive

As it was my first visit there, I decided to try the classics and went with the Kama Udon. My friends both ordered the Curry Udon with Shrimp Tempura, and we decided to share the Corn Kaki-age and the Korokke.

The tapas came together and were beautifully crispy. I enjoyed the flavours of the popular corn kaki-age but found it had gathered a little too much oil somewhere between the honey butter and the oil from the deep fryer. The korroke was a perfectly fried pillow of mashed potato, but did leave me wishing there were bigger bites of something inside.

The udon came piping hot and was perfectly cooked. It was definitely the perfect dish for a cold evening, but I couldn’t help but fawn over the saucy noodles my friends were having.

I started thinking about MeNami over the next few weeks and was itching to go back to try their pasta-like dishes. I finally returned a few weeks ago, and ordered the Mentaiko Cream Sauce Udon while my friend ordered the Seafood Yaki Udon.

I’ll admit to not being the biggest seafood fan in general, but I had Mentaiko pasta and enjoyed it; this time was no different. The sauce was creamy and didn’t suffer from being overly starched, and the mentaiko added dimension to the dish and wasn’t the least bit fishy.

The yaki udon was full of the sweet soy sauce flavour that paired well with seafood. I am a fan of sweet and savoury, so this was right up my alley.

MeNami definitely delivers flavourful dishes that come perfectly cooked and seasoned. The portions are generous so the taste sometimes does get overwhelming and could benefit from some palate cleansers. Overall, this is one of my favourite places for udon that I would recommend to anyone; their menu has enough items to suit many different tastebuds without being overwhelming. They definitely know where their specialty lies and I hope to continue to see more of their creative take on dishes in the future.

Update: Potato Cream Curry Udon is unique, delicious, and very filling.