I don't see many places that specialize on udon. Ishin does it well with a big variety of udon dishes from Japanese to Italian inspired and soups to curries. It's a small and cozy place that can get packed around peak hours. I got the beef curry udon with a side of tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was tender and crunchy and made an excellent addition to the soft and creamy udon. The curry was one of my favorites I've tried so far, a generous, flavorful helping that wasn't overly salty or spicy. They also gave a good amount of tender sliced beef as well. If you're out looking for udon specifically, this place has all sorts of good options for you to choose from. read more

Ishin Udon - Tonkatsu - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Cozy udon restaurant near Chinatown. I was surprised about the quality and price of this restaurant. They are specialized in udon; however, they have many other options to choose like Italian noodles. Their price is from $10-16 with a good portion of food. About the taste, the curry I ordered was a little bit salty, which I expected from Japanese food, but if you have it with udon, they create balance flavor. They have plenty of tables but small area. For friends, yes, big family, I would say no. The service was quick, and staff were friendly. Overall, I highly recommend this place if you want to try udon. I will come back to try more. read more

Ishin Udon - Tonkatsu curry udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was my third time coming back here. Each time we like to try different dishes. This time I brought my nieces with me and that just means more dishes to try. Not many restaurants in Houston offer Takowasa, which is marinated raw octopus with wasabi; and when we find one that does, it's our must order for appetizers. We also ordered the chicken karaage and agedashi tofu. The karaage was juicy and slightly larger than the size of popcorn chicken. The tofu was soft and lightly battered, however the downside is that it gets soggy quickly since it's sitting in the sauce rather than on the side. For our entrees, we got the carbonara, curry tonkatsu rice, niku tama ankake, and kakuni udon. The carbonara was nice and creamy. The curry rice tastes exactly like the Japanese box curry. The niku tama is more of a thicker soup base similar to egg drop soup, however has a more slightly sweet umami flavor. The kakuni udon had a lighter broth with braised pork belly. The service was a bit slow here, but we didn't mind it too much. The interior had a cute traditional Japanese style decor. Overall, we enjoyed our meal and we'll be back to try other udons. read more

Ishin Udon - Niku Tama Ankake - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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10/10 very good and comforting udon. The noodles are nice and not too soft, the broth was sweet but savory. Staff were attentive and quick. The restaurant itself doesn't seat many but we were able to still get a seat on a Friday. read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came here with my sister, the ambiance was lovely. The inside was pretty! Service was alright, but there was only one server working so I could understand. I ordered the Tan Tan udon and the side dish tonkatsu. Tan Tan Udon: Noodles were chewy and bouncy loved it. The broth was the perfect amount of spice. If you have a low spice tolerance I wouldn't recommend if you spice tolerance was low. Overall I enjoyed the udon it was savory and delicious. I'd rate this a 8/10. Tonkatsu: I wasn't a big fan of this. It smelled and had the texture of a mcdonalds chicken nugget. All though me and my sister did eat it all. It was better in your broth, but if you ate it alone it tastes like a chicken nugget. It wasn't really crispy. I'd rate it a 4/10. read more

Ishin Udon - Tan Tan Udon + Pork Tonkatsu - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Everything was so yummy and hot. We went on a weekend and were able to be seated quickly. Our waiter was great at recommending drink options and was honest about if he thought a drink was good or not. We enjoyed both bottles we ordered. Everyone got very different things and they all hit the spot. It feels like an intimate dining experience in the booths since they're so tall. You feel like you're in your own world. Love the Japanese Italian fusion pastas. read more

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Cute little udon place in Houston. Felt like they had a good variety of different udons. Ordered: - Sukiyaki Udon - I liked the balance of sweet/savory. read more

Ishin Udon - Sukiyaki Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

There aren't many Udon-specific restaurants in Houston, but Ishin is a solid option if you're looking for Udon. I ordered both the curry katsu udon, and the sukiyaki udon, and preferred the curry katsu bowl. The texture and quality of the udon noodles is decent, and the curry has good flavor, although I did wish that the pork katsu had thicker/more meat and less breading. For the sukiyaki udon, the sweet sukiyaki flavor of the broth was good and pretty authentic, though the portion did seem a bit small for the price. The seaweed salad we ordered came out of a plastic container so unsure if it was very fresh. I'd come back and try other bowls another time! read more

Ishin Udon - sukiyaki udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Tried out this place again and it's been years since they opened. The portion sizes got way bigger and so did the menu! I got the tan tan udon this time and it was spicy but not too spicy. Good flavor and the udon noodles were nice and bouncy. We also got some yuzu udon and it had good flavor but was way too sweet. We added some ebi tempura and it had good texture but we wished it had some salt sprinkled on top because they were kind of bland. Everyone else got the niku tama and tonkatsu curry rice. We also shared some kaarage. All the food was pretty decent! read more

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Perfect for a cold, rainy day. The soup was very soothing, and this time we decided to try their Italian dishes. The noodles had a great texture, bouncy with just the right amount of bite, not too soft or too firm. The carbonara was creamy and flavorful, though not as cheesy as I expected. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it might taste even better with a little extra Parmesan. The shrimp diavolo was yummy, and the marinara leaned slightly sour in a way I really enjoyed. The balance between savory and tangy worked well together. Service was good, and the atmosphere was cozy. Perfect for a comfortable, relaxed meal. P. S. Like the fact that they provide pictures on the menu. read more

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Pretty decent bowl of udon, but like everyone said paying $15 for like 3/4 of a meal portion is not something I'd subject myself to very often. read more

Ishin Udon - Niku Niku Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

We arrived at 130PM on a Sunday and there wasn't a wait. Service was friendly and there's a massive parking lot. We tried the curry tonkatsu udon and the tan tan. Both were great but tan tan was quite spicy (and we love spicy). read more

Small venue but plenty of seating mostly booth style!! Food comes FASTTTT, hot and tasty. Lots of fusion flavors and all taste good. Plenty of parking in front. Whole bowl was enough for for me to have some to take home. read more

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Tried the nishin nishin udon at Ishin Udon (link below), and while the quality was solid, the portion size just didn't match the price. For what I paid, I expected more noodles and a more filling bowl overall -- it was underwhelming and I left still feeling hungry. The broth and toppings were good, and the service was friendly with a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It's usually not too crowded during lunch hours, which is a plus. They also offer interesting options like Italian-Japanese style cream pastas and curries, which I might come back to try. Overall, it's a good-quality spot, but don't come expecting to leave full unless you order multiple items. read more

Ishin Udon - Nishin Nishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

My absolute favorite udon spot in Texas! I come to Ishin every time I'm in Houston, and it never misses. A cozy spot with different choices for any type of udon you'd like (cold, hot, curry, traditional, italian twist) and always clean broth. I'd recommend the Mentaiko Udon, Curry Udon and Ebi Tempura Udon read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

This udon restaurant is the BEST. I love everything here. I came with my friend for dinner. We seated ourselves. Waitress came by and took our order. I ordered Sukiyaki Udon (sweet broth, sliced beef, mushroom, nappa, egg, & green onions) $15.75 5/5 stars. The broth is DELICIOUS. I tried my friend ordered the Tan Tan Udon (spicy minced pork, crushed peanut sesames, & green onions) $14.75 4/5 stars. We order some appetizers/side Chashu (pork belly) $3.95 5/5 stars, Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) $4.95 4.5/5 stars, kimchi $3.00 4/5 stars, chicken kagaage $7.75 4/5 stars, fried sweet potato tempura $1.95 4/5 stars, & fried egg plant $1.95 4/5 stars. I came back with my husband the following week for lunch. read more

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I love udon and was craving mentaiko creamy udon. It definitely hit the spot, the creaminess and flavor was so good. We got a few other things too and they were all delicious as well. The service was super fast and the workers were friendly. I really liked this place and would definitely be back again! read more

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Great place to get udon around Houston. They have a lot of options to pick from. I got the Niku udon which was very flavorful, a bit more sweet than anticipated. Overall lots of meat and good portion size. I wish the egg was automatically included. Overall, I highly recommend and would come back. read more

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One of the best udon places in Houston. There's usually a wait so make sure you go early. I got a sweet udon soup and it was great. The inside is beautiful and looks like something from Japan. The service is on point and attentive read more

Ishin Udon - Sukiyaki Udon (i think) - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this place! The sukiyaki udon had a sweet broth with chewy noodles. The chicken karaage was so crunchy and it was similar to Taiwanese popcorn chicken! The restaurant is small and cozy, and menu was so affordable. We did have to wait for a bit because it was packed during dinnertime. read more

Ishin Udon - Sukiyaki udon, kitsune udon, chicken karaage - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is my second time here and Im glad I came again. My partner and I were quickly seated by staff. We quickly ordered the chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, curry tonkatsu udon, and ebi tempura udon. The chicken karaage came in really big pieces which surprised me but there were nicely fried and tasted like your typical chicken karaage (8/10). As for the agedashi tofu, were silken tofu that were lightly battered, fried, and placed in a bowl with sauce, green onion, and grated daikon flakes. It was fun but messy to eat since it would fall apart easily and have to be eaten quickly (7/10). The curry tonkatsu udon was nice and steamy, tonkatsu were perfectly fried to a crisp, udon noddles were nice and chewy, and the curry was flavorful (8.5/10). The ebi tempura udon came with three different fried tempura on the side that were perfect battered and fried. The udon noddle were nice and chewy as well as the broth were hot and very herbal (8/10). The ebi udon wasn't my cup of tea as it had a very strong umami taste. Overall, great place if you want to try good udon. read more

Ishin Udon - Ebi Tempura Udon Chicken Karaage Takowasa Curry Tonkatsu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I went for dinner with a couple of friends. The food was delicious and the udon noodles were the perfect balance of chewy and soft. I had the niku udon and the meat pieces with the broth was a great combination. The broth did taste slightly tasteless and didn't seem to have much flavor/depth. There was a slightly meaty taste and it felt very oily/greasy. The restaurant was also pretty pricey for such a small portion. It felt like 1.5 portions of the udon would have been a proper 1 person portion. We also ordered the takoyaki which was almost $8 for four pieces. But the flavor and the sauce was delicious and piping hot. read more

Ishin Udon - Tan Tan Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Discovering Ishin was life changing. Ever since I had it for the first time, I kept coming back. The booths are cute and I love how private it feels even though the restaurant is a bit on the smaller size. This is my favorite place to get udon and I always have a hard time deciding between the Niku Udon which is a soup or the mentaiko cream which is Italian style. The niku udon has thinly sliced beef and a light but flavorful umami broth, perfect for any meal. It is filling without being too heavy. The mentaiko cream sauce plus the roe is a perfect pasta-like combination. 10/10, love this place. read more

Ishin Udon - mentaiko cream - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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A friend from Dallas was visiting for a day trip in Houston and we met up for lunch at Ishin Udon in bellaire. It had been a very long time since I've last been here ever since they raised their prices. The weather is starting to get cooler now, making it the perfect time to go for a bowl of udon. It was packed inside with every single table filled. This time I got the sukiyaki udon. The broth was sweet and savory and had a rich and prominent umami taste to it. It really hit the spot. The beef was so good as well. My udon also included an onsen egg, mushroom, cabbage, and scallions. They have a wide variety of options to choose from, I also enjoy their mentaiko cream udon here. read more

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My favorite spot for Udon! I always come whenever I'm craving some hearty udon and it never disappoints. My go to is the Ebi Tempura udon; the batter is always so crisp and light balancing well with the broth. I tried the Curry Beef Rice and it became a favorite! Flavorful beef curry and the portion of the beef was generous! Overall, 8/10. read more

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THE BIG: Located right off of Bellaire in Houston inside a low key shopping center. The interior showcases traditional Japanese style decor with tons of booths available. Parking lot available. THE BLACK AND WHITE: The wife and I came here to continue our Houston food crawl and we stopped by Ishin Udon to try out their udon noodles. They have some inventive udon dishes that incorporate Italian flavors inside. I wasn't feeling too adventurous and decided to go with the Tan Tan udon. It came out in a broth that looked very spicy, however when tasting it, it was mild and very nutty. The udon noodles were cooked perfectly and added that texture chew to complement the flavors represented in the broth. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall the damage done for the tan tan udon was around $17. Very flavorful and the udon noodles were delicious. I will be back. read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Ishin is my udon staple. Always loved it, always will. However, food quality and portions have been lacking lately. Whoever was in charge of the frying station must've been new. We always order the karaage and calamari, but both came out overdone and soggy. Sent both back because it was so dense and rubbery, but the fresh batch had the same result. I'm here pretty often, and this has never been an issue. Might have to hold off on either in the future. Everything else tho, great. read more

Visited ISHIN udon today one hour just before their closing at 3 PM. They always close for one hour to give the kitchen a break and reopen at 5PM. I ordered the Niku udon and my friend ordered the curry beef udon and we shared the chicken karaage. The food came out fairly quickly and was piping hot. I really enjoyed my Niku udon. It was very flavorful and the thinly sliced beef and scallions made for the perfect combination. I got to try a little of the curry beef and it was like your typical Japanese curry with udon noddles added. The chicken karaage was juicy on the inside I just wish it would have been a little more crunchy. The dipping sauce had a nice kick of spice. Inside there is booth seating with a variety of Japanese art on the walls. Our server was very attentive and friendly. Overall I had a great time and will be back to try their carbonara udon. read more

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This place is such a disappointment. The food is disgusting. The whole thing looks like someone's vomit. Service and place are fine though. read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I never knew I could love Udon like this.. the soup I got was so so flavorful and the beef just melted in your mouth. I can't wait to go back and try Ishin again! I will say the restaurant is pretty small so you might be waiting but it's definitely worth the wait!! read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

It's called Udon because most dishes feature this distinctive noodle. We ordered two different bowls. One featuring tempura vegetables, which were fresh and crisp. We sampled each other's bowls, and the flavors were savory; the quantities filling. Service on a Saturday night was impeccable. Ishin's prices are fair. Overall, a hit. Give Ishin a try. read more

I love this place. Every now and then I start craving it and want to go back! I have tried their mentaiko udon, takoyaki, karaage, and takowasa here. Everything was SPECTACULAR. Beware, the takowasa is a small portion but I still love it. It has lots of wasabi though so don't get it if you're not a big fan. My friends have tried their carbonara udon and the agedashi tofu with great reviews. I look forward to trying those and many other items in my next visit. read more

Ishin Udon - mentaiko udon, i'm obsessed! - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This is my go to place for udon because of its simple menu and reasonable prices. The portions are not huge, but on the bright side, you have healthy space for dessert after! I've ordered the Kakuni Udon, Tan Tan Udon, and Niku Udon. All have great flavor and are served very fresh. The service has always been good and fast in my experience, and sitting in your own booth definitely adds to the ambiance. Parking on the outside is also usually easy to find and free. read more

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My party came in at around 2 on a Saturday afternoon. Parking here is so hellish, we almost gave up. You really have to camp for a spot in this plaza. The restaurant itself is very small but cozy. All seating is booth style. My group was able to sit within 5 minutes, but there was immediately a queue that followed us. The menu is very diverse in terms of udon and appeals to everyone's differing tastes in a group. The options we ordered for appetizers were superb. Would 10/10 recommend both the chicken karaage and calamari. If you love udon, come to Ishin! read more

Ishin Udon - Mentaiko cream, Curry Tonkatsu Udon, Niku, Buta Miso - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cozy and warm udon shop serving up authentic and flavorful broths with fresh udon noodles. There's a lot of variety of udon aoups, appetizers, Japanese curries, and creative Asian-Italian dishes also offered here. Service is excellent and the vibe feels intimate but lively. Tables are a bit small so big groups might be difficult to do here, but smaller groups less than 7 will likely be fine. Food: We ordered the karaage, a side of rice, and niku niku udon. The udon broth was delicate and complex, very cozy and flavorful. The noodles were perfectly cooked and had a nice texture, doing a good job of carrying the flavor from the broth. The spicy paste added some good heat! The karaage was solid and came with spicy mayo. The side of rice was delicious Japanese short grain rice, which was a pleasant surprise! We definitely recommend grabbing an udon here if you'd like an authentic and delicious experience. read more

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Their udon is chewy and has a great texture. I think their carbonara udon is great and I usually get that. I like their tan tan udon as well. They don't have large tables so when I came with a group of 6 we had to squeeze into a booth. The inside is a bit small but the service is pretty fast. I usually don't have to wait to be seated. read more

Ishin Udon - Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've never been to Japan but I imagine this vibe is it I don't frequent bellaire for lunch, usually just dinner. Love that all these Mike Tran spots do lunch now. A 40° day in Houston had the restaurant very full and lively Servers worked their asses off and still stayed pleasant the entire time. Loved my udon, broth had my nose running. it was just what I wanted for the chilly weather. read more

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Delicious felt like we're in Japan . Authentic fresh hot tempuras , udon soup & udon carbonara. Super busy every time we go . It's worth the hype . Friendly fast service . Small interior but the turnaround is fast ! People eat & leave . read more

Ishin Udon - Udon & tempuras - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I had a great first experience here. It was easy to get a table and the wait staff were accommodating to my toddlers. I had the niku udon which had a nice flavor but a little sweetness to it so I'd order something different next time. My husband had the tan tan which was super flavorful and very spicy. I added a little of his broth to my niku udon which was the perfect amount of spice for me. The chicken karaage was tasty with the spicy dipping sauce. I do agree that there could have been more noodles for the price of the dish. Overall I enjoyed my experience here and would go back to try some other udon dishes. read more

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It was our first time checking this place out. We were excited to try it out. I ordered the takowasa and ebi tempura udon. When I first received the takowasa I was truly disappointed bc it came in a store bought container. They didn't even make it themselves as it appeared. Then the udon noodle, the broth was soo bland that I had to add soy sauce to give it any flavor. There wasn't any umami flavoring in the broth. To top it off we didn't see our server after she took our order. We had to ask other servers to help us get items needed to eat. I wouldn't recommend this place read more