It's a form of Japanese pottery known for its unpredictability and unique results.

If you come here with a date or with friends, there's usually a 30 minute to a one hour wait depending on the time of day. Sometimes it's an hour and 30 minutes if it's the Friday or Saturday evening around 6PM. If you go during lunch on a weekday, you'll probably get in within 10 to 20 minutes. There are no reservations. It's closed on Mondays.

The optimal approach to this restaurant is for a one-on-one date. The tables are sized perfectly for you and one other person, and the distance across the table is rather genius. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but I've come to notice that the table's length is about the average person's wingspan - meaning you can reach over the table pretty easily. It's a romantic restaurant.

The restaurant also works for group dinners, up towards a maximum of about 6 people I would say. Because of the table situation, once you introduce more than 6 people, you either end up having to wait an extraordinary amount of time for them to block off 3 of their tables, or you have to squeeze into a booth that was really meant for 2 and 2 on either side. It becomes hard to speak to people at the other side of the table. You lose table real estate. Elbows start touching. The intended magic is lost.

My technology on this restaurant is that if you come to eat a meal by yourself, you will always be able to skip the line.

In 2022, after finishing work, I would arrive at the restaurant during peak dinner hours. 6, 7, sometimes 8PM. I brush past the curtains, wave at the shift manager and give them a warm smile. I raise my index finger to indicate that it's just me. I have a special spot in the south east corner of the restaurant, directly below the tiny window with the dried flowers.

Everything on the menu is pretty clean and light, nothing too heavy or fried. If you order the Yaki udon with premium beef (for an extra $7), you'd basically have a meal and some. I've been made aware that it's a little stupid to go to an udon restaurant and to order the stir fry. I recognize the flaws to this approach, and I've decided to double down. Cabbage, organic maitake mushroom, onion, green pepper, carrot, bean sprouts, a poached egg, and premium beef. It comes on these beautiful Japanese circular plates that encompass the entire meal. The blend of fresh vegetables with the chewy, carefully hand-pulled udon noodles always comforts me. I always add a sapporo to pair.

On cold winter days, I opt for the curry udon, which is probably the heaviest and thickest broth they have on the menu. This usually comes out so hot that I have to let it cool for a few minutes before I can even begin eating. A warm bowl of hot udon curry soup, when the air is chilly and your hands carry the cold from outside. It's nice to put your hands on the bowl and exchange your cold for its warmth.

When you dine alone, I have noticed that staff and even other patrons tend to be kinder to you. They start estimating. My water cup gets refilled more often than when I'm with others. I'm asked twice as often if I'm doing alright, or if I need anything else.

When you're served the bill, the staff typically provide a complimentary frozen grape. A generous dessert, or a palette cleanser in some sense. This is arguably my favourite thing about the restaurant. Lately, I've been receiving a few extra grapes.

I always express my gratitude by bowing my head.