Sekiya’s Restaurant & Delicatessen

Digest Step Up to the Plate

December 8, 2013

Story By: Andy Beth Miller | Photos by: Nathalie Walker

Facebook

Twitter

A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK’S HOUSE SPECIAL: NABEYAKI UDON ($13.95)

Nabeyaki Udon ($13.95)

Cheers was a favorite show for my family growing up. I can still hear the theme song playing in my head: “Sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your naaaaaaame.” Well it was true then, and it’s true now. I still want a side of sentiment with my daily special.

And in today’s modern world, with all the mom and pop diners and old-fashioned eateries becoming as rare as rubies, Sekiya’s Restaurant & Delicatessen stands out as an Island oasis, harkening back to a simpler time of classic comfort food and family-owned familiarity. This week, Sekiya’s Nabeyaki Udon has your name on it.

Regarding the dish’s die-hard fan-base, manager Mary Kaui says: “We have a faithful following of regulars who consistently come in to order this favorite meal day after day.”

Nabeyaki Udon is one of the most common and popular types of udon on Japanese menus. All served in a single bowl — brimming with broth that boasts veggies, meats and endless flavors — this is one piping hot pot that hits the spot!

Udon is a type of thick wheat flour noodle often used in Japanese cuisine. It is most often served warm as a noodle soup with a mildly flavored broth made with dashi, shoyu and spices. There are many ancient myths about how udon originated, but all we know for sure is that it is surely delicious.

When asked why she believes Sekiya’s has lasted so long in a chain restaurant world, manager Mary Kaui explains that, “People like things they know. In a world of change, they want to come someplace where they know that things are going to be the same. It’s a comfort thing.”

Kamaboko is better known as Japanese fish cake. Infusing this dish with vibrant color, kamaboko is a familiar ingredient in Hawaii, especially the red-skinned kamaboko seen often in saimin. The seafood selection also adds more flavor and a nice texture to the already tasty soup.

A Japanese staple, Sekiya’s Nabeyaki Udon is a flavorful noodle soup served hot and chock-full of Shiitake mushroom, udon, chicken, watercress, egg, kamaboko, shrimp tempura and loads of yum.