"Served hot, ideally as kake udon, sprinkled with crunchy droplets of fried tempura batter that float on the dashi-based broth, the noodles soften and become a bit jollier. You could add fried tofu (called kitsune, or fox, because fox spirits are said to enjoy it), or fried chicken, or slices of rare duck breast, which don’t do much for the udon but are tasty enough as additions."