Between 60 percent and 70 percent of Alaska's seafood is exported to customers around the globe, and the strength of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar plays a big role in annual sales.

Last week at Don Udon, a new noodle bar in Crown Heights, I slurped on bukkake udon — the dish had the name first, for the record — that I drowned in chilled, seasoned dashi before eating. The cold ...