A note on the words: iriko are dried baby sardines, used to make an intensely savory dashi stock (called niboshi elsewhere in Japan); Ibuki iriko are the ones from Ibuki island in the Seto Inland Sea. Tsukejiru is the broth the noodles are dipped into. Sanuki udon are the thick, chewy wheat noodles of Kagawa. Hitokuchi iriko-meshi is a small bowl of rice with iriko, tipped into the leftover broth along with warishi soup – a lighter broth for letting the dipping broth down – to make zosui, a rice porridge. Sudachi is a small green citrus, squeezed over the dish for tartness.
Ibuki Udon Tokyo Midtown Roppongi on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
For a hangover, broth and udon!
Thank you for waiting, everyone! It is time for Hangover Meshi!
Today, for the first time in ages, I had things to do at Tokyo Midtown from the morning and came by! However, I still had a bit of alcohol left over from the night before, so I wanted to get something into my stomach and revive myself! And so.
At times like this, “Ibuki Udon”!
I had used them for takeout several times before, and the broth from the iriko (the dried baby sardines used for dashi) is incredible! This time I had time to spare, so I decided to drop into the eat-in space and eat inside.
Now, what I had my sights on this time was “Ibuki iriko thick dipping-broth udon”! For a hangover, this is the one!
Along the counter, “iriko seasonings” are set out in abundance!
Let’s study how to eat it ahead of time!
You can choose noodle portions from about one to three balls of noodles, but I went with one ball!
There is definitely more than a mouthful here, ha. Even half a ball might have been fine, haha.
And then, this cement-grade thick dipping broth! If you stuck your chopsticks in, it seems like they would stand upright!
Now then. Taking a sip of the thick broth with several whole iriko floating right in it…
It… it sinks in!
The thick iriko broth spreads all through a hungover stomach. Going beyond mere thickness to become dense and heavy — this is practically niboshi (the same dried sardines) itself! Delicious!
The noodles are on the thicker side, Sanuki-style (the thick chewy udon of Kagawa) with a solid chew yet rounded edges; when you dip them and pull them up, the broth does not let go, clinging thickly as you slurp them in. The umami of the iriko comes right to the fore, the savory aroma of the fish gradually spreads, and the flavor of the wheat bursts through.
Once you have eaten most of it, you thin the leftover broth with warishi soup (the thin broth for letting the dipping broth down), and drop in the hitokuchi iriko-meshi (a small bowl of rice with iriko) to make zosui (a rice porridge made in the leftover broth)! This really hits the spot for a hungover stomach. Delicious!
It was my first time eating freshly made thick dipping-broth udon at the shop, and with the almost aggressive, ha, aroma and punch of the iriko broth, a mild hangover is blown right away! If you set yourself right with the iriko zosui thinned with the soup at the end, there is no question you will be revived for the day! The noodles themselves are proper and spot-on, too. As city hangover food, I thought it was an honor student!
May today bring another encounter with delicious food!
Ibuki Udon Tokyo Midtown Roppongi Menu
Ibuki iriko thick dipping-broth udon
As the menu puts it: “Unexpectedly cement-grade dipping broth — see it through to the end with warishi soup and rice added at the finish.”
Includes hitokuchi iriko-meshi
Includes kamaage iriko tempura and rice
Ibuki iriko soy-sauce udon
This one is described as: “Grated daikon with fresh sudachi (a small green citrus) squeezed over it.”
Includes kamaage iriko tempura and iriko rice
You can choose noodle portions from “one ball,” “one and a half,” “two,” “two and a half,” or “three balls of noodles,” and whichever you choose, the price is the same. This is common to both signboard menus.
Recommended toppings
*Excerpted in part from the storefront menu during an August 2026 visit. Prices include tax. Individual tempura items and alcoholic drinks are also available beyond this. Please check the official site or at the store for the latest information.
Ibuki Udon Tokyo Midtown Roppongi (Udon / Roppongi Station, Nogizaka Station, Roppongi Itchome Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
