I am never a huge fan of rice so I will always search for an alternative to get my carbs intake. Besides ramen, udon is one of my favourite form of carbs. Recently I have found an udon outlet which serves fresh handmade udon! Maru-ten first opened its door in June 2015 and currently has 4 outlets (Parkway Parade, Junction 8, Marina Bay Sands & United Square).
One of my favourite is the hot Kake Udon (【S】$3.80【R】$5.60【L】$7.40) which is basically udon in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru. As the result of going through a cold water bath before heating it up again upon order, the texture of the udon was firmer and more springy. You can either opt to have it plain as it is or eat it with the different condiments available or top up with toppings such as chicken cutlet ($2.80), Tempura prawn ($2.30), fried tofu ($1)…etc
If not, order a Beef Udon (【S】$7.80【R】$9.60【L】$11.40) for your protein intake.
For those who like Japanese Curry and Udon, there is Curry Udon (【S】$6.80【R】$8.60【L】$10.40) here! I like the chucks of carrot found in the curry. One of my fellow diner said this is an enjoyable simple comfort food. 
Kama-age Udon (【S】$4.80【R】$6.60【L】$8.40) is also served here. As the cooking method of this udon is slightly different from the Kake Udon, the texture of this udon is slightly softer than the former one. The noodles are supposed to be enjoyed by dipping into the broth first. 
Understanding the needs for some of his customers to have their staple, rice, Managing Director of Maru-Ten Udon, Mr Yuji Katayanagi has came out with the Soup Ten-Don (【S】$2.80【R】$3.80【L】$4.80). Basically, you just order the size of your rice bowl and top it up with your choice of tempura (starting from $1). The staff would then help to dizzle the Ten-don sauce for you while you make your payment at the cashier. Lastly, you can add your desired amount of soup into the Soup Ten-Don. Among the array of tempura, I was surprised that I like the broccoli the best. The broccoli tempura ($1.30 per skewer) was soft on the inside while the crispy tempura batter gives it a crunchy texture. The difference between the 2 textures in the broccoli tempura made it rather enjoyable to go with the ten-don sauce. Yumz. 
From now till 25 Dec, in the outlet at United Square, Maru-Ten has launched a limited edition festive item, the Christmas Udon (【S】$11.80【R】$13.80【L】$15.80), which comprised of the signature udon which was infused with matcha and topped with in-house tomato sauce. A crispy Arancini (a croquette of rice and shrimp), a shiso leaf tempura and a slice of sweet pumpkin was also spotted in the Christmas Udon. Only 15 portions will be served per day. 
To be frank, I am not a huge fan of this. I would prefer to have the Kake Udon instead. The purist in me finds the tomato sauce reminding me too much of a spaghetti while the matcha lover in me find the matcha flavour being overpowered by the tomato sauce. So ya, try the udon in its simplest form for a comfort food satisfaction.
Maruten まる天 (United Square Outlet)
101 Thomson Road United Square #B1-07 Singapore
Tel: +65 6258 7783
Operating Hours: 11am to 10pm Daily
Last Order 9.30pm
Website
Facebook
Instagram
