Lining up with office workers to eat at Mendokoro Wataya Takamatsu, known for its generously portioned udon noodles

Day 10 of our 10-day self-driving trip around Shikoku

On the last day of our 10-day self-driving trip in Shikoku, our family took a morning stroll in Ritsurin Garden. Unfortunately, walking in the rain wasn’t pleasant. A typhoon was approaching Shikoku, and the rain suddenly got heavier. So around noon, we decided to walk over to Mendokoro Wataya Takamatsu to try their famous udon.

When we arrived at Wataya, we were surprised to see so many office workers lining up for udon, so we joined the line as well. The place was packed, but there were plenty of seats.

Our family ordered three bowls in total — all hot pork broth udon. It’s a self-service restaurant, so we poured our own tea. The udon came in huge bowls, topped with generous amounts of pork. A splash of lemon juice, and it was ready to eat.

This plate belonged to a family member — also hot pork broth udon — plus a small side of tempura. We shared the tempura among us. Since it was a rainy day and a bit chilly because of the typhoon, we all went for warm bowls of udon.

This one had even more tempura! It came with beef broth udon and a few sides like tempura. After finishing the bowl, we all felt satisfied — the portion size was more than enough.

Looking at the menu on the wall, the prices were very reasonable. The restaurant opens early at 8:30 AM and closes at 2:00 PM. The udon was topped with loads of meat and green onions — very cost-effective and delicious!

We pretty much finished our bowls, though we couldn’t quite drink all the broth. By that time, most of the office workers who had come in earlier had already left. We were the only ones still eating at a relaxed pace. After leaving the shop, we realized we forgot to take a photo of the turtle statue at the entrance — such a unique little touch. It’s definitely a famous local spot. If we ever come back to Shikoku, we’ll be sure to eat at Mendokoro Wataya again!