Atmosphere and staff fabulous ,the noise and the heat makes u feel like ur in Asia , the food is excellent quality, portion outstanding and price fabulous ,, this place is a gem , and a must go yummy yum yum
I absolutely love this place, the food is always on point and is the best Udon I’ve ever had. The service and hospitality we receive every time we come to this place,in Oahu is top notch. Thank Goodness they opened an establishment in Los Angeles for us to have a little bit of Hawaii here at home� ..
No frills udon but amazing quality and flavours. The line is usually long in the evening; however, it’s usually not too crazy before lunch time. We went to there thrice before lunch time and we got a spot immediately. They do have some veg options but not a lot. Would absolutely come back again in the future.
Amazing udon in the heart of Waikiki. This place is awesome, food is great and reasonably priced. Udon is made fresh right in front of you and the tempura is also made fresh. Don't be turned off by the line, it goes quick. Whenever I'm staying in the area I find myself here multiple times. Cost for 2 people including drinks was about $45, hard to beat in Waikiki. Do yourself a favor and make your way there!
Probably the longest line I’ve waited in while visiting Oahu, and definitely worth the wait. The most comforting meal you could enjoy on the island! I tried the curry udon and it was exactly what I wanted. I do wish, when the bowl was served, the food would be hotter. By the time we were seated, the soup was quite lukewarm which took away from the enjoyment. But a large bowl was more than enough for 2 people to enjoy! Would wait 45 min again for this popular spot!
The line is worth the wait. Simple, tasty, and affordable food in Honolulu! On a Saturday night, the line wrapped around the block. It was a 20 min wait, which for Waikiki and no reservations was excellent. Everyone was concerned about seating, which was unfounded.
Watching the noodles being made was an assurance of good quality. Lots of soup choices-spicy, sweet beef, soft boiled egg, etc. Our group tried 3 different soups.
Tempura voices were over the top! Katsu chicken was amazingly moist and the crab tempura was done perfectly.
Curry BBQ sauce was amazing, but the tempura sauce was only “all right”. There are free glasses of water as well as different sodas and traditional lime/lemon drinks.
Seating rotated quickly as we found a booth as soon as we received our food. They have staff bussing the tables as diners finished. I highly recommend the Udon here, it’s worth the wait😎
This to me is and always be the original Marugame Udon and tastes a little bit more special than the ones we have in the Bay Area. The line also tells the same story as each day lots of people wait on the sidewalk to get their own bowl of udon noodles.
You can’t go wrong with any option but the Nikutama is my favorite every time. All the tempura is tasty so grab a few that appeal to you. Prices here are also one of the benefits as it is all affordable.
Overall, it’s worth the troubles as the noodles are so chewy, the broth umami, and the add ins the right complement to the meal.
I’ve been here many years ago and come back to this original udon shop. Quality and taste is all still there and affordable. Delicious, fresh udon, and solid grab for a meal. Tempura as a side with the noodles, is nice too.
Such a great Udon experience!
I read great things about this place and headed down for a late dinner, only to find the line was all the way down the block. I came down a little later and the line didn’t get any smaller. I saw they had to take out window, so I waited in line less than five minutes and got my food super fast. Headed back up to my room, and had probably the best udon I’ve ever had.
I told my family about it, and when they came to town later that week, they couldn’t wait to try it. They agree it’s the best udon they’ve ever had. We also got an assortment of seafood tempura that was very excellent. My kids really liked dipping their shrimp tempura in the beef broth, kind of a surf and turf.
I really would like to eat in the restaurant one day, I’m just not a big fan of waiting in line by myself. Whatever you do, don’t pass this place up, give it a try.
Phenomenal fast casual Japanese noodle bowls and tempura sides. Katsu was excellent, musubis were excellent, noodles were excellent, curry was excellent, tempura was great. The kitsune tofu bowl was delicious and sweet, so delicate. Probably the best value lunch in Waikiki.
Verdict: It lives up to the hype! 🙌🏼
Loved the taste of the broth and quality of the noodles! For the food quality and location, it’s definitely one of the more affordable places to eat in Waikiki.
We intentionally went at a time when there were a few people lining up as the lines can get crazy long. I would suggest for people to do the same otherwise the experience may not be as pleasant (it can also get super hot inside the restaurant even with AC).
First dinner at Waikiki, waited in line for about 10-20 minutes. The service is really quick, it can get a bit tricky finding a table though. The udon noodles are nice and bouncy and fresh. The broth is amazing. The tempuras were alright, I wish they had broccoli tempura. We got the mushroom and shrimp tempura, they didn’t taste fresh. Regular size wasn’t enough for my partner but it was the perfect for me.
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