Cafe Sanuki – A Japanese Gem in Las Vegas Chinatown

(Roberta Deen) In Las Vegas, “Chinatown” is a “stir-fry” of many different Asian countries. There is a jumble of Thai grocery stores, Indian restaurants and tiny Hawaiian sites. Viet Nam, other southeastern Asian, Japanese and, of course, Chinese eateries and shops are all to be found on a stretch of Spring Mountain Road, just west of the I-15 freeway.

Cafe Sanuki is in an unassuming corner of a Chinatown mall. A planter of welcoming greenery runs the shaded length of its building – definitely a plus in this hot, dry valley. Entering, you encounter an grand showcase of the famous Japanese plastic replicas of the food served at Sanuki. To your left, the long, narrow dining area features a window table top with high stools. The four-top tables, chairs and lighting fixtures that reference Japanese houses are done in soothing blond wood.

To your right the adventure begins. Cafe Sanuki is a “modern cafeteria concept of traditional Japanese noodle shops”. You take a wood-textured black lacquer tray and study the numbered photographs on a board above you. Then the entree chef stationed at the center of the totally open kitchen takes your order. Next is a display of freshly fried tempura, sushi, gyoza (pot sticker dumplings), pork belly bao (nestled into its own wooden bowl) and other small dishes. Each choice is priced ala cart on the glass cover in front of you. You pay at the end after selecting your beverage from the Bottomless Drink Station (featuring four flavors of high-end Harney & Sons iced tea, sodas, lemonade (house-made), Calpico and flavored syrups to be creative with) and take a seat. In a few minutes your order arrives freshly made-to-order, served in oversized Japanese-styled bowls or cast iron cauldrons.

Three of us in our party of six ladies ordered the Shoyu Pork ($7.80) featuring three slabs of meaty pork belly, a rich pork broth, the slightly al dente udon, slivers of red ginger and a soft-cooked egg fried in tempura batter. One ordered the Zaru cold udon ($5.80) topped with slivers of toasted nori (seaweed). There was an order of Braised Pork Belly ($7.80) served with hard-cooked egg and slivered red ginger over rice. And last #10 Yaki Udon ($7.80), stir-fried udon with miso pork belly and vegetables.

Zaru Udon – chilled fresh udon with seaweed

Yaki Udon – Stir-fried udon with miso-marinated pork belly, asparagus and shrimp tempura and a set of gyoza

Cafe Sanuki bills itself as “Slurp-worthy, Japanese Comfort Food”. It is one of the few to make its udon and soba noodles fresh daily. The ingredients needed are imported from the Sanuki area of Japan in order to remain true to the noodle master who developed the recipe. The soft, pillowy noodles are tossed into what looks like a butterfly net, briefly immersed in a bath of boiling broth and served up when ordered. If a cold noodle dish is chosen, the noodles get a follow up dip in fresh ice. The cold noodle dishes (Bukake, Zaru and Mujina) are especially welcome in our blazing summer heat.

One third of the kitchen is devoted to the preparation and serving of the udon noodles

Sanuki’s personable, welcoming staff makes dining here into an experience. The entree chef, Chris, told us that he had been hired because he was eating at the restaurant four days a week. He happily went to work because he loved the food so much. The bubbly cashier, Tracy, is very knowledgeable about the menu, obviously loves her job and values her customers.

Be sure to look up Cafe Sanuki’s web site – www.cafesanuki.com. You will find the story of the fierce determination to produce the prized noodles in this country, the menu with beautiful photos, prices and hours. There is even a map to encourage out-of-towners to visit.

Cafe Sanuki, 4821 Spring Mountain Road, Suite G, Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.331.9860