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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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

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

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

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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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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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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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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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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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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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

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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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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I've tried this place about 3 times, first time was when they first opened and it wasn't as great. I recently came back twice to try different udons and they didn't disappoint. Tan Tan (5/5) - by far my favorite, savory with a hint of spice. I'm not found of the ground meat, maybe I'll ask them to put a different protein in. Sukiyaki (3/5) - a bit on the sweeter side but I prefer savory. Meat was delish. Fried shrimp tempura (5/5) - crispy shrimp with tempura sauce. Doesn't disappoint. Eggplant tempura (4/5) tempura veggie, not as crunchy as the shrimp. Seaweed salad (4/5) doesn't have a fishy taste like other places. read more

The udon was solid, though the portion was smaller than other restaurants comparatively --usually, I have leftovers, but I finished it all. Still, it was the perfect amount to leave me satisfied without feeling hungry afterward. We shared the Karaage, which I enjoyed. The chicken was juicy with a nice crunch, although my partner wasn't a fan of the breading. I wasn't crazy about the mayo-based sauce, but honestly, the chicken didn't need it. I had the cold yuzu udon. The dipping broth that came with it was okay, I found it a bit too fishy for my taste. Luckily, the yuzu jam sauce was flavorful enough on its own. My partner had the curry katsu udon. While his dish was more filling, we both agreed the Karaage was the better than his katsu which was a little dry. No wait at 7:30 on a Wednesday, and the service was friendly. read more

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So I've fully specced into just commenting on Japanese food for quite a while now and am not pretending anymore lol. (Not to say I never eat from other cuisines anymore, just that whatever prospective reviews I have for them would be lower on the priority list.) That said, is Ishin Udon amazing? No, not really. My bar for "A-tier" is higher than that. But this one is a solid B+ and has all the hallmarks of what a good udonya should be - cozy, tasty, filled with amusing graphics honoring Tokyo's golden age of the 1980s, and catering specifically to tired salarymen and women such as myself. It's not a place you'd bring your friends and family into, but after a bad experience at the TxDPS, it really hit the spot. (For some context, my 4 stars is a "recommend" / "better than expected" / "better than most".) This is actually the first time I've had Chuka Idako and even though their cold appetizers come boxed so it's unlikely any of these was made in-house, it's become one of my favorite small dishes ever. Cold octopus with sesame and raw egg on a searing hot day in Houston (record high temps this year, too!), what's not to like? Wasabi tako is also good. Nothing super special, but they use a Doraemon nori and it's these kinds of little things that do put a smile on my face. Another thing I've tried for the first time is the Niku Tama Ankake, which is a mouthful but is basically a niku udon in egg drop soup. Funny story, I was actually quite sick of udon for a while after coming back from my trip to Japan. Not because ramen is usually the "obviously correct" choice considering how well-regarded it is abroad and in anime, but because I had udon basically every day for 2 weeks straight when I was in Tokyo. Ramen might be the nation's best-known noodles, but udon is a more heartwarming and "authentically" Japanese experience, that's for sure. Whatever that might mean to you. In any case, I WAS having a craving for professional udon considering how hard it is to find an udonya around here, and the Niku Tama Ankake combined both udon and another of my hard-to-find favorite dishes in Saigonese crab soup (which uses a very similar base), so I couldn't pass it up. And I must say, my expectations were met. The dish came out piping hot, in a slurpable bowl that's not too Texas-sized, and every good thing I wanted from the two aforementioned dishes - the mouthwatering, slippery beef and thick, supple noodles in niku udon together with the slimy, eggy sensation of Saigonese crab soup all came out at once. And if none of those adjectives sounded appetizing to you, get the hell outta here. Chikuwa ten was average, could use a little more crisp and mouthfeel. TL;DR Great place to eat up and chill off after work or meet-ups with the local government. A rare nice thing to have in this economy. P.S. I REALLY should've visited the Morii café next door before going home so soon... oh well, maybe next time. read more

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Hands down the best udon spot in Houston, but can still be improved upon. The portions could be a bit bigger for the price they're charging, because their udon is higher price than other great places in Cali/NY, but much less noodles. However, I like that they have more experimental udon like curry, carbonara, and yuzu udon which are all delicious. Ambiance is nice here as well. read more

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

This spot fulfilled the udon and tempura itch 1000%! Very tasty udon noodles with the perfect QQ texture I was hoping for. While the serving portion was smaller than I expected, with some eggplant tempura and takoiyaki to share, I left feeling perfectly full. The broth in the Sukiyaki was light and flavorful with just the right amount of toppings. While the overall menu won't knock your socks off, it definitely fulfilled the craving. The booths are cute with some colorful art (quality of those pixels though...lol) and offered a visually unique seating arrangement. Will say, there was someone on staff was coughing a lung after we had already started eating....No turning back at that point. Hoping they were wearing a mask or nowhere near the food...(unlikely). read more

I love this place. It's my to go to place for udon noodles, and I usually get the Tan Tan w/o peanuts (allergies). Noodles are cooked well and broth is good. I can tell they're a bit low on staff sometimes we go but the servers there try there best and attentive which is great. Good vibes too! read more

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

Such delicious dishes and great portions. Sometimes there's a wait but we didn't mind since there was a nice breeze outside. Pretty extensive menu also there's plenty of options. The carbonara was delicious and rich. The curry was thick and flavorful. The udon was enriching and warm. Come try this place out! read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I was craving udon for lunch and decided to try a new spot on a whim. Ishin had some great options, including many traditional udon flavors I had never tried before as well as small individual skewers of various meats, seafood, and veggies. I ordered delivery, and everything came well packaged and still hot. The udon broth was delicious and savory, with the noodles cooked perfectly and the tofu still firm and not soggy, so I know the food came to me right after it was finished. The skewers were all cooked well and delicious. I tried the unagi, soft shell shrimp, octopus, and okra and all were great. Even the takoyaki, which rarely holds up when delivered, was still hot and a little crispy when I received it. As good as the food was for delivery, I look forward to trying Ishin in the restaurant. Ever since Nippon closed, we are always on the hunt for a good Japanese place. In the mean time, I'll definitely be ordering from them again when I get an udon craving! read more

When we walked in, the server greeted us at a table & helped us with all the help we need! The menu has a variety of udon dishes & appetizers but we fell in love with ours: Niku Tama Ankake (Egg Drop Udon) & Carbonara! So delicious and the servings filled us up If you guys ever wanna try authentic delicious udon dishes, I say you guys gotta stop here at Ishin Udon! read more

Ishin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas