Our story
Chao, the owner of Kinzo Udon, took a long journey to learn how to properly master the techniques to create fresh udon. He trained in Kagawa, the origin of Sanuki-style Udon in Japan, and now he is on a mission to introduce this style of “Sanuki Udon” to a wider audience of eaters in Minnesota. He combines his homemade recipes inspired by the classics, found a perfect balance of Asian twists and dishes to ignite nostalgic flavors yet something pleasant with an Asian flare.
Chao's wife - Bella, grew up and lived in both China and Japan, believes that food is the glue that ties memories of a past lifetime together. She draw inspiration from the traditions of Japanese Cafeterias, offer a modern perspective on ordering style and process for Kinżo Udon.
In 2021, they operated Minnesota's first Japanese mochi donut shop inside Dragon Star Oriental Foods in Saint Paul. Now this location is also supplying freshly made mochi donuts to over a dozen local neighborhood coffee shops, milktea stores, and restaurants. It is the support of local community people for the handcrafted makers and the common pursuit of authentic Japanese food that keeps them growing to expand their Japanese culinary journey to udon noodles.
