Nobiko — Restaurant in Cologne

The interior is exceptionally comfortable: perfectly proportioned chairs, just the right height to relax, soft cushions, stable tables with an ideal size-to-dish ratio. The textures of the surfaces feel nice to the touch. Lighting is spot on, soft natural light from wide windows, creative handmade bulbs, and a charming little chandelier. It's not a large space, but the layout is smart. Tables are well arranged, never feeling cramped.

I especially loved the tempura, fresh vegetables with a crispy, flavorful coating, and a special dipping sauce that balances savory and sweet beautifully.

The Udon noodles have an excellent chewy texture. The broth isn't as rich as I expected, but its lightness works really well for warm weather. We tried the miso Udon and the golden tan tan. The latter has a strong ginger note; personally, I’d love a touch more sesame flavor.

An unexpected highlight: the red bean bun. I thought it might be like a German Mörbschen, but it turned out to be thicker and more yeasty, with a softer surface, really satisfying.

The food presentation is clean and minimal, served on small trays with beautiful bowls. I'd love to know where to buy some of them :)

You can tell the owner is creative and passionate. The menu design is adorable, full of clear info and even a detailed explanation of how Udon is made. So generous to share that process with guests.

The location is literally a hidden gem, tucked further into a quiet street. It’s peaceful, easy to miss, and absolutely worth finding.

Highly...

It was a disappointing experience. I visited this place with my friend after looking at the high ratings and very good reviews it has. The first impression after entering the restaurant was pleasant. The place looks cozy, the ambience is warm and welcoming and it has a vibe of a student place. I really liked their menu card. It had few options but that covered a good variety of udon. I ordered a big bowl of rice with tempura and sauce and my friend ordered a platter as he was really hungry. We had to wait for more than 45 minutes to get our dishes and we thought- wow, something good is on its way! Boy were we disappointed. First of all, for a “big” bowl of rice for 6 euros and the “platter” for 12 euros, the quantity felt really less. My rice bowl had plain rice, soy sauce and tempura, that’s it. The tempura was too oily. With every bite the oil was oozing out. Same with the platter. The oil made me feel pukish. To get over that taste, we ordered chocolate cake and tiramisu. The tiramisu had a crispy layer and runny cream. The chocolate cake was dry. I don’t know if it was just a bad day for them or we expected a lot. But for the time and money we spent, the experience didn’t...

From a Japanese perspective, it wasn't very good experience. Unfortunately, due to covid measurement, we could only pick up. I ordered Kitsune Udon.

The staff was unfriendly, when we asked a few questions when picking up, she wanted us to leave quickly. The place and the website, and even choices of plates, menu designed had a Japanese vibe, and I was sure that a Japanese person was involving, and I wanted to ask if there is any Japanese working there. She just said "not anymore."

Flavor wise, to be honest, other than tofu part, I can cook it better. Their udon was handmade and that part was nice, but it was too soft in the way コシがたりない, they should've pressed the dough harder. The soup was terrible, they used too much Kombu as dashi and left it too long for sure, it turned out really bitter and really strong taste of Egumi. I could barely finish it.

I hope they can improve it because the interior design...