In one of the world’s best airports for food, this restaurant stands out

Why It’s rare to get excited about dining at an airport. Mostly, you’re in survival mode: find something edible, try not to be bankrupted in the process. There are, however, exceptions – airports you actually look forward to visiting because of the dining options. Singapore Changi is one of those, with its incredible selection of every cuisine on the planet, and all at very reasonable prices. Hong Kong also has plenty of high-quality Cantonese fare.

And then there’s Tokyo Haneda, an airport that features second outlets of several famous restaurants from its home city. One of those is Rokurinsha, an extremely popular ramen store whose main shop is in Tokyo Station.

Perhaps the highlight, however, is Tsurutontan, a legendary udon noodle restaurant whose Haneda outlet always has long queues out the front, and for good reason. The udon here is thick and chewy, served either swimming in hot, flavourful broth, or ice-cold for dipping in a light sauce.

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Many foreign tourists tend to bypass this restaurant in favour of ramen at Setagaya (another famous Tokyo restaurant), or katsu at Katsusen (also very good), or grilled wagyu at Yakiniku Champion (also – wait for it – very good), but we would highly recommend joining the queue for Tsurutontan.

Order this It feels natural to order hot udon in broth, but you’re going to have to trust us here and go cold. This is the best way to appreciate the flavour of the noodles, plus enjoy some interesting sides. At Tsurutontan, order cold udon with mentaiko (marinated cod roe). With a slow-cooked egg, sliced nori and spring onions, you’re in for one of the world’s great airport meals.

Eat it here If it’s high-quality udon you’re after, in Sydney try Mappen Noodle Bar in the CBD ( mappen.com.au ). In Melbourne, head for Yamamoto Udon in the city ( yamamotoudon.com.au ). And in Brisbane, try Udonya Tokoton in Sunnybank (no website).

More Tsurutontan is in Haneda Terminal 3, the main international terminal, in the fourth-floor complex called Edo Koji above the departures area, before security. It’s open daily from 6am to 11pm; expect a long queue at peak times. Meals here cost about JPY2000 ($18) a person. No bookings. See tsurutontan.co.jp