“The Noodle Kingdom Yamagata”—a place where famous noodles like ramen, soba, and cold nikusoba are everywhere in Yamagata. Ramen can warm you up. But on a snowy day, what your body really craves might be a steaming hot nabeyaki udon straight from the pot.

Yes! It’s ‘nabeyaki udon.’

Some restaurants use homemade hand-pulled noodles, others order their own specially blended noodles from noodle makers, and recently, some even use frozen udon that’s astonishingly high in quality. Each place also has its own take on ingredients and how the broth is made, so even the same “nabeyaki udon” can offer a wide variety of flavors.

In this article, we’ll introduce the “nabeyaki udon” = “Hot pot udon” that we actually tried and recommend, dividing them into the Murayama region in Yamagata and the Higashine City area.

Nabeyaki udon to Try in Yamagata City and Tendo City

[Yamagata City] My Favorite nabeyaki udon ‘Soba-dokoro Shoppei’

The hot pot udon at this restaurant features a flavorful broth, a slightly small but impressively hearty shrimp tempura, a perfectly simmered poached egg, large fried tofu, chicken, fish cake, green onions, and more—truly the epitome of classic hot pot udon. Great value for money and my personal top recommendation. (Price: 1,100 yen, tax included)

[Yamagata City] The Most Filling and Affordable ‘Nikusoba-dokoro Ikkyuan’ Nabeyaki Udon

The hot pot at this shop has many remarkable features, and its extra-thick noodles are so challenging to slurp. Compared to other shops, the pot itself is slightly larger and filled with plenty of ingredients.

As for the ingredients, there are two pieces of mochi, tempura including kakiage, chicken, a generous amount of bean sprouts, kamaboko, green onions, and seri (Japanese parsley), making it quite abundant. This is the best value-for-money bowl among those introduced here. (Price: 1,100 yen, tax included)

[Yamagata City] ‘Suzuki Souhonten’ Nabeyaki Udon Where Toppings Are a Must

The hot pot soba served by this famous soba restaurant comes in a cast iron pot. It uses noodles with a unique texture. The ingredients are classic: fried tofu, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, burdock root, kamaboko, and seri (Japanese parsley). Half a boiled egg is included, and shrimp tempura and mochi are available as toppings.
*The photo shows the shrimp tempura topping.

Each ingredient is carefully selected, making this a simple yet best bowl of soba. https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVIAkM6jE=/
(Price: 1,600 yen / Shrimp tempura topping 365 yen, mochi 200 yen, tax included)

[Yamagata City] ‘Soba-dokoro Mineta’ Nabeyaki Udon Packed with Mushrooms

This is another long-established soba specialty restaurant. A single scallop sits right in the center, which is a distinctive feature, and there is an abundance of mushrooms. Where other restaurants might use enoki mushrooms, this one goes for a hearty maitake. The white jelly fungus also makes a striking impression.

Additionally, it includes chicken, fried tofu, green onions, fish cake, and burdock, making it a healthy yet satisfying bowl. (Price: 1,350 yen, tax included)

[Tendo City] Nabeyaki Udon at ‘Udonya Zen’ Where You Can Enjoy Three Different Flavors

A shop that features “udon” in its name, which is rare to see in Yamagata (excluding chain stores).
The highlight of winter is, of course, the nabeyaki udon. You can choose from three flavors: soy sauce, miso, or spicy miso.
This time, to see how it differs from other shops, I chose the soy sauce flavor.

A large shrimp tempura is placed in the center of a light, clear broth.
In addition to classic ingredients like a poached egg, mushrooms, fried tofu, kamaboko, and green onions, the unique additions are pork belly and kuruma-fu (wheat gluten cakes simmered in a sweet and salty sauce, which the shrimp tempura is resting on in the photo).
It was a bowl that immediately made me want to try the other flavors as well. (Price: 1,200 yen, tax included)

Famous Shops for Nabeyaki Udon in Higashine City

Next, here are two renowned shops in Higashine.

[Higashine City] Nabeyaki Udon at “Yamashita Shokudo,” a Long-Established Restaurant Over 100 Years Old in the Hot Spring Area

The hot pot at this restaurant is currently 1,050 yen (as of January 9, 2026), making it the lowest-priced among those introduced this time.
However, there was a notice in the store indicating that the price is scheduled to be revised by 100 to 150 yen soon.
Given the portion size, this price is already quite reasonable, so in this day and age, it’s understandable.

The ingredients included tempura bits (burdock tempura?), chicken, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, kamaboko, green onions, and chrysanthemum greens, making it a bowl that includes all the classic hot pot ingredients. (Price: 1,050 yen, tax included)

[Higashine City] The one-of-a-kind noodle texture: ‘Akegarasu’ hot pot udon

Speaking of Akegarasu, it’s a famous soba restaurant known for its “Jumbo Shrimp Tempura.” The hot pot noodles served here feature a spectacular shrimp tempura right in the center, just as expected. The ingredients include a poached egg, green onions, maitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, burdock root, kamaboko (fish cake), and spinach.

The noodles have a unique texture, and the deeply flavorful soup makes you want to drink it all up (though in reality, it’s piping hot, so you need to cool it down on a separate plate). It was a delicious bowl.
(Price: 1,250 yen, tax included)

Summary

How did you find it?
Even with the same “nabeyaki udon,” each restaurant has its own distinct personality—in the thickness of the noodles, the style of the broth, or the combination of ingredients—reminding us once again of its depth.

Especially in the harsh winters of Yamagata, the deliciousness of steaming hot nabeyaki udon is exceptional. It’s a bowl that gently warms both your body and soul.