Guests watch the handmade, whole wheat noodles boil before ordering.[/caption]

Bao Pham, director of operations for Ikigai Udon, opened the restaurant April 3 in Plano.

The fast-casual, cafeteria-style restaurant serves udon, a thick Japanese noodle. Udon at Ikigai Udon is made from 100 percent whole wheat, Pham said.

“The reason why we model it after cafeteria-style dining is because we want the customer to see the complexity that goes behind the process of making the noodles,” he said.

From start to finish, the noodles undergo two aging processes and take a full day to make.

The sweet beef udon dish with an egg is a popluar item. ($8.50)[/caption]

As customers proceed through the line to order, they watch one of the restaurant’s dough masters roll out the dough and place it in a machine for cutting. Then the dough master swiftly catches the dough, which is now the shape of long, thick noodles.

Moving down the line, customers select which dish they prefer and pick toppings, which include grated ginger, pickled ginger, green onions and seasoning. Guests can also add a Japanese-style poached egg ($1), which comes out a little runny but does not break until the customer hits it open. Customers are also able to pick a seafood or vegetable tempura side.

Pham said he recommends the sweet beef udon plate topped with a poached egg ($8.50). This dish comes with udon noodles, the customers’ choice of toppings and beef. These items come soaked in a bowl of broth made from pure saltwater seaweed and a combination of fish flakes.

The restaurant has gained a diverse customer base that Pham said far exceeded his expectations.

“I never knew what was going to come out of [opening in Plano],” he said. “I knew that the Japanese population was big. I knew that this concept would be perceived well … but I didn’t see that corporations and the lunch crowd would achieve this type of crowd.”