Gangnam udon restaurant with mala udon and draft beer: Tebo

When walking along Garosu-gil, there are days when Japanese restaurants especially catch your eye. Ramen and tonkatsu are great too, but when I want something a little lighter yet still satisfying, udon with tempura is a good choice.

These days, there are so many ways to enjoy udon. Beyond the familiar hot broth version, it is fun to look through options such as chilled udon and even distinctive mala udon.

Tebo, a Garosu-gil Udon Restaurant in Sinsa-dong

Today I am introducing Tebo (테보), located on Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong. It is an udon specialty restaurant that is easy to stop by while on a date around Apgujeong and Sinsa or strolling along Garosu-gil, serving a range of dishes centered on house-made Sanuki udon. Tebo makes traditional Japanese Sanuki udon, and when Sanuki udon comes to mind, the first thing I think of is its chewy noodle texture. Tebo also makes its udon with noodles produced in-house.

Even though it may seem like the same dish, udon takes on a very different character depending on the noodles and broth temperature. From basic kake udon served in hot broth to refreshing bukkake udon and cold udon, plus spicy haejang udon and mala udon, there are options to choose from according to your mood that day.

Sanuki Udon with Mala Flavor

Even if you go with someone who loves udon, I thought each person could choose a different dish. The item that caught my eye most that day was, of course, the mala udon. Udon usually brings hot, mild broth to mind, but adding mala's spicy flavor makes it feel like an entirely different food.

People who especially enjoy mala sometimes look for something more stimulating and different from ordinary udon. Mala udon is a dish worth choosing at those times. Built on chewy Sanuki udon noodles but enjoyed in a spicy style, it lets you experience Japanese-style udon noodles and familiar mala flavor at once.

Udon is a noodle dish, but what stays with you in the end is the mood you were in when you ate it. Some days call for hot broth udon, while on others you want to wake up your appetite with something spicy.

Dinner with Tempura and Draft Beer

Adding side dishes instead of having just one bowl of udon changes the feel of the meal a little. At a Japanese-style udon restaurant, the combination that naturally comes to mind is tempura and draft beer. Pair chewy udon noodles with tempura, then add a cold draft beer, and it can feel less like a simple meal and more like an easy evening drink. That is why I think Tebo works well not only for lunch but for an evening visit too.

It is also a useful choice when meeting a friend for a meal and conversation, or when looking for somewhere to eat after walking Garosu-gil with your partner. Udon itself is not overly heavy, yet the atmosphere of the meal can vary widely depending on what you order.

How to Choose Your Udon at Tebo

At Tebo, you can choose from a range of udon, including basic kake udon, bukkake, cold udon, haejang udon, and mala udon. So for a first visit, simply choose according to the style you want.

• For warm, familiar udon, choose kake udon.
• For refreshing udon, try bukkake or cold udon.
• For something spicier than ordinary udon, choose mala udon.
• Add tempura and draft beer to make the meal feel more complete.

Above all, the fact that it is house-made Sanuki udon is one reason Tebo is worth remembering.

A Meal That Flows into a Garosu-gil Walk

Another strength of Tebo is its atmosphere. Rather than feeling like a place where you quickly eat and leave simply because it is an udon specialty restaurant, it is presented as a space that couples can visit comfortably too. Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil is also a nice place for a walk before or after a meal. So personally, I think Tebo suits the flow of a Garosu-gil walk, udon with tempura, and a glass of draft beer better than thinking of it as merely somewhere to go for udon.

Garosu-gil naturally connects a meal and a walk without needing to plan a particular course, which is one of the advantages that comes to mind when visiting. Udon is not an especially flashy food, but good noodles and broth alone can make a satisfying meal.

Sometimes it is fun to add a new flavor, like mala, to a familiar dish. If you are looking for slightly different udon rather than an ordinary menu choice on Garosu-gil, enjoying mala udon with tempura and draft beer at Tebo in Apgujeong could make for a nice meal.