In Stadium Village’s newest restaurant, customers are greeted by bags of udon noodle flour on the left with booths lining the brick wall painted with the words “Kinzō Udon.” Japanese concepts influence everything at Kinzō Udon from the menu to the decor and even the ordering system.
Bella Zhan, co-owner of Kinzō Udon, said the restaurant’s inspiration came from Japanese fast-casual sanuki udon restaurants. The store opened on Sept. 6, replacing Punch Pizza after nine months of construction.
The name of the restaurant came from the Japanese words for gold (KIN 金) and hidden (ZŌ 蔵), according to the store’s website. The second half of the restaurant’s name comes from the thick wheat pasta noodles, called udon, which can be found in many of the menu items.
Instead of a waiter, customers place their orders on digital machines. The kitchen operates as a self-style cafeteria where customers put food and drinks on a tray to slide down and pay.
During warmer days, the restaurant opens its garage door that faces Washington Avenue.
Zhan said udon is a common dish in Japan and wanted to bring it to Minnesota. Kinzō Udon is the first place in Minnesota to serve handcrafted udon, according to Zhan.
Chao Zhan, Bella’s husband and restaurant co-owner, learned how to make fresh udon through training in the Kagawa Prefecture of Japan, the origin of sanuki-style udon in Japan, the website said. His recipes are inspired by finding a balance of Asian twists.
Chao and Bella opened Minnesota’s first Japanese mochi donut shop in St. Paul in 2021. Bella said they never use frozen food, making everything fresh.
Kinzō Udon’s location also serves mochi donuts to neighboring coffee shops, milk tea stores and other restaurants.
DeJha Pontoo, a customer at the restaurant, said she has been excited to try the restaurant since she learned it was opening.
“Coming to this restaurant’s opening day has been on our calendar for a while,” Pontoo said.
Julie Faulkner, who ate with Pontoo, said the food she ordered was more filling than expected, allowing her to bring home leftovers.
“It feels like winter comfort food,” Faulkner said.
Bella Zhan said Kinzō Udon will stand out from other nearby restaurants because of the fast-paced service and price.
University student Rakshithaa Kanakarajan Selvarathinam was among the first to eat at Kinzō Udon. She said the restaurant’s hands-on service and reasonable price made it an enjoyable experience.
“I probably would come back,” Selvarathinam said. “It is pretty affordable. I thought it would be over $15 but it came under $15.”
The website said the local community and the common chase for Japanese food has allowed the Zhan’s to expand their culinary journey.
Kinzō Udon is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except Sunday.