The 12 hollows are filled with chikuwa, konnyaku, takuan (pickled radish), and other ingredients, and the dashi broth is poured over the dough. The specialty is choboyaki, which is fun to eat while scooping with a spoon, and has a rich downtown atmosphere.

The at-home restaurant, run by the beautiful Takeda family, is always bustling with long-time regulars. Mayumi, the wife, had helped her mother run an udon shop, and even today, noodles such as Chinese soba noodles and nabeyaki udon are on the back menu.

The udon you slurp at the end of your powdered food will give you the energy to face tomorrow.