Japanese Curry Udon at Maru
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Japanese curry rice is already a quite popular dish at many restaurants in Seoul. But finding curry udon noodles in restaurants is not as easy.
We were glad to find Maru, a restaurant specializing in curry udon and rice, located near Myeongdong Cathedral. We went to the restaurant just a few minutes after noon, but the lunch crowd was in full force. It was not surprising that the restaurant was full, considering that it could fit only around 25-30 people.
The menu, posted on the wall, offers pork cutlet curry, fried shrimp curry, chicken curry, vegetable curry and boiled egg curry. Customers can choose if they want the curry and toppings with rice or udon noodles.
Since it was busy during lunchtime, our order for fried shrimp curry udon and chicken curry udon took more than 10 minutes to arrive.
The fried shrimp curry udon (8,500 won) was served in a bowl, filled with a generous serving of thick, brown curry. Underneath the layer of sauce, you'll find the succulent, fat white noodles. While there was a lot of noodles and curry, there were only three pieces of shrimp. The fried shrimp was crunchy, although the size of the shrimp was somewhat small.
The chicken curry udon had a surprisingly big serving of chicken. The steamed chicken already had an excellent flavor in itself, but coupled with the curry and noodles, it was a satisfying dish.
The curry had a good, hearty flavor but it was not too spicy. This might disappoint some people who like their curry hot with a strong flavor and smell. The curry mixed well with the thick wheat-flour noodles. The dish was well complemented by a side dish of pickled vegetables.
We also tried the raw egg with rice (2,000 won), which provided a break from all the noodles. If you want more shrimp or chicken in your dish, you can order more toppings for an additional 4,000 won or 3,000 won.
Maru's interiors are bright and modern, with blonde wood tables and chairs. Unlike other restaurants, Maru has an open kitchen which shows everything is clean and orderly when it comes to food preparation.
Maru is located on the fourth floor of the building in front of Seoul Royal Hotel (a Leonidas shop is located on the ground floor). Open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Go early to avoid the lunch and dinner crowds. Call (02) 3789-8161.