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What is Mentaiko Udon?

Mentaiko udon (明太子うどん) is a noodle dish made with udon, a thick Japanese noodle made with wheat flour, and spicy cod roe we call “mentaiko”. Mentaiko is a seafood ingredient made by marinating pollock roes in salt and adding chili peppers.

Originally from Korea, mentaiko was introduced to Japan and has been modified to suit Japanese tastes, for example, by reducing the spiciness. In Japan, Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture is most famous for its mentaiko.

Mentaiko ankake udon served in a cream bowl and topped with shiso leaves. close up side

There are actually three different types of mentaiko udon:

Mentaiko kamatama udon (明太子釜玉うどん) – where cooked udon noodles are mixed with raw egg and mentaiko.
Mentaiko udon (明太子うどん) – where cooked udon noodles are mixed with mentaiko, butter and shirodashi (a concentrated soup base made with light soy sauce and dashi). Sometimes cream is added to make it more like a pasta sauce similar to mentaiko pasta.
Mentaiko ankake udon (明太子あんかけうどん) – where the cooked udon noodles are served in a thick dashi stock and flavored with mentaiko.

The ankake udon soup introduced here is characterized by a thick and gentle taste with egg, and is very easy to eat! My recipe is inspired by the mentaiko udon served at a high-end Japanese udon restaurant called “Tsurutontan“, which also has several locations in the United States.

Mentaiko ankake udon served in a cream bowl and topped with shiso leaves. top down vertical

Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Mentaiko Udon at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

STEP

Scoop the mentaiko

Mentaiko is sold in sacs, so make a horizontal incision with a sharp knife, open it up and scoop out the roe using a spoon. Set aside about 1 tbsp of mentaiko per portion for garnish at the end.

Scooping mentaiko (pollock roe) out of its skin

STEP

Mix mentaiko with egg

Whisk the egg in a bowl, then add the mentaiko and mix well.

STEP

Make the broth

Add the dashi, sake, mirin, sugar, light soy sauce and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium heat.

Dashi and condiments heating in a saucepan

STEP

Make a slurry

While you’re waiting for the broth to boil, cook the udon noodles separately following the instructions on the packaging. Mix the potato starch and cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry. This will make the soup thick and glossy.

Making the slurry in a separate bowl will prevent lumps of potato starch in your broth!

STEP

Add the slurry and egg mixture

Once the broth is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the slurry. Heat for a few minutes or until the broth has thickened slightly and then pour in the egg mixture.

Egg and mentaiko mixture cooking in dashi broth

Simmer with a lid for 30 seconds.

simmering mentaiko udon broth in saucepan with lid

After 30 seconds, take off the lid and turn off the heat.

STEP

Assemble

Rinse the cooked udon with hot water to remove any excess starch and divide them into serving bowls.

Fill each bowl with an equal amount of broth.

Udon noodles topped with mentaiko and egg dashi broth

Top with sliced perilla leaves and the mentaiko you saved from earlier.

Mentaiko udon topped with perilla leaves and mentaiko (pollock roe)

Enjoy!

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Holding mentaiko udon with black and red chopsticks

I hope you enjoy this Mentaiko Udon recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!