Is udon Vancouver's next big Japanese food craze?

Lately I've been wondering what Vancouver's next Japanese food obsession will be. I'm worn-out on sushi, and even ramen. Could it be soba? Yakitori? Or even udon?

Udon doesn't get much press, but it's my favourite Japanese noodle. So I was excited to see an udon shop coming together downtown: Sanuki Udon (1226 Robson Street). 

Different from the type of udon you're used to seeing in your average sushi restaurant, sanuki udon noodles are "square in shape with flat edges" and can be delightfully chewy. Sanuki Udon will be making its own noodles from scratch. 

According to a spokesperson, Sanuki Udon will be opening soon. Its hours will be 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, closed Tuesdays. The menu will include udon, of course ($4.95 to $8.95), as well as tempura. You can check it out at sanukiudon.ca, and we'll see if any other udon shops sprout up this fall and winter.