It’s been six years in the making, says Sean “Sonny” Nguyen of Udon Fifty, the intimate newcomer to his Small Food Group Family.
The concept, initially planned as a pop-up inside Tori Tori for March 2020, was thwarted by the pandemic. This week, as Nguyen tore the paper and plastic off the windows at 1222 E. Colonial Drive in Orlando’s Mills 50 district, his long-held secret was finally out.
“It feels good!” Nguyen told the Orlando Sentinel.
“We’ve been working in a dungeon,” he joked. “We didn’t know when it rained or when the sun was shining,” and after the announcement — Udon Fifty will begin welcoming customers, first-come, first-served, on Oct. 22 — seeing natural light in the space felt cleansing, exciting.
“It’s nice.”
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Compared to Nguyen’s other efforts (including Domu, Tori Tori, Edoboy, Gyukatsu Rose, and Rion’s Ocean Room), Udon Fifty will start with just 10 seats. Nguyen projects that it could grow to 18 by the end of soft opening.
“When this space, the former Dochi on Colonial and Mills, came up, I jumped on it. Just because I’ve been into smaller spaces as I’ve gotten older, and this was perfect for what I was trying to accomplish.”
Over the past year, the team has worked to update not only the venue itself, but the recipes, “evolving the flavors through the experience of the past few years to our current palates. We didn’t want to announce it as a ‘coming soon.’ We wanted people to be able to hear about it and be able to come try it immediately.”
Pictured here at the 2024 Ramen Rumble at Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs, chef Sonny Nguyen’s newest culinary effort, Udon Fifty, will feature housemade udon noodles. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Udon Fifty’s menu, designed so that guests can get in and out quickly, will center on Kanto-style udon, which hails from Eastern Japan.
“It’s a soy sauce-based, umami-based udon, versus Kansai from the West, which is lighter and focuses more on the dashi,” Nguyen explains.
Udon Fifty’s dark broth will be complemented by housemade noodles and tempura that’s lacquered with a proprietary blend.
“We’ve balanced three different flours, figuring out a ratio we’re happy with to deliver the texture we wanted, and a blend of oils that will accent the tempura, as well.”
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The menu will be split into hot and cold udon varieties with a series of add-ons. Five sides will accent the entrees, and everything will be served together — no appetizers — to keep things moving quickly. A selection of beer, wine and sake will also be available, and soon Michelin-awarded bartender Justin Levaughn of Otto’s High Dive will contribute his expertise with two sake cocktails that will rotate seasonally or biannually.
“He’s excited to hop onto the team and keep things interesting for us,” says Nguyen, who’s happy to have him on board.
Modern twists — “a carbonara with a bunch of egg yolks and Romano cheese … a tofu espuma-topped mapo tofu bowl” — will round out the options.
To start, Udon Fifty will be open Thursday and Friday (4-9 p.m.) and Saturday and Sunday (12-3 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. with an hour break between). Dishes will range from $12 to $19, not including add-ons.
For Nguyen, it’s a long time coming and extra meaningful. At just 5 years old, his earliest professional dream was to open “Sean’s Famous Noodles” in the state where his parents landed after leaving Vietnam in the 1980s, picking oranges in local groves and working in Winter Haven kitchens before opening three Chinese buffets and an American-style steakhouse.
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Nguyen is a product of their American dream, which helped inspire his own.
“We’re turning 10 this year,” he said of his still-growing company. “Being in business that long, representing Orlando and all the support the community has given me means a lot… I hope that people will accept and like this concept as they have our others. It’s a passion project for sure.”
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
