Great texture, chintzy toppings

Hiyashi Bukkake Himokawa

Brand: 7-11

Price: 480 yen

Place of purchase: 7-11 convenience store

Rating:

A 7-11 summer staple is hiyashi, or chilled, udon. In June 2025, 7-11 convenience stores offer Hiyashi Bukkake Himokawa. The noodles are a specialty, himokawa udon. The noodles are very wide and thin. They have a great chewy texture. The dish is topped with vegetable tempura, a simmered shiitake mushroom, slivered negi onion, a slice of kamaboko, and ground ginger. The light broth is typical mentsuyu. It typically uses mirin, soy sauce, kombu, and katsuobushi. The ground ginger gives it a little kick.

In the stifling hot weather, I didn't have the energy to cook a weeknight dinner. Besides, the kitchen already too hot, never mind boiling noodles. This dish is a satisfying light meal, but I think you pay for the novelty noodles. The noodles are topped with a sparing amount of negi and vegetable tempura that's merely a mouthful. The shiitake mushroom is firm but on the small side. You're really going for the himokawa noodles in this dish. They're tender and chewy. They go down well when the hot weather knocks out your appetite.