I always have a great experience at marugame and this time was no different! I ordered the curry nikutama udon with shrimp and squid tempura, broth was flavorful, there was a lot of meat, the tempura was super soft and luckily we came when it wasn't too busy on a Thursday night so we got our meal very fast. Even though the line wasn't busy most of the seats were filled so we had to wait a few minutes for one of the cashiers to clean the table and get seated. Overall great meal and I'm excited to come back! read more

Marugame Udon - Curry Nikutama Udon & tempura - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Always love Marugame Udon and this location was great too! Pretty standard with the fresh made udon that you can watch the process of it being made while waiting in line which is always my favorite part of coming here. The lines do typically look very long but usually goes by pretty quickly. We came here on a week night and got worried about seating but people are also leaving as people are coming in so we did not encounter any issues with that. My go-to order is always the beef udon with the soup. If I am fancy, I'll ask for an egg add on. At this location, they add the scallions, ginger, and tempura flakes on for you. The second best part is when you get to pick the tempura you want! Definitely thinking about that hot bowl of udon noodle soup right now! read more

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Update Review, Love This Place!! I've Dined In Many Times & Always Enjoyed My Visits!! The Line Is Always Courteous & Efficient!! Today I Ordered The BK Cold Udon With Tempera, Very Delish!! Great Ambiance!! Looking Forward To My Next Visit At Marugame Udon!! ThankU read more

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Long wait but worth it for this udon. The interior reminded me of busy street stalls in Asia that sell food which made the experience more worthwhile. There is ample seating inside despite how busy it is, as people finish their food quickly and seats open up by the time you get your food. The broth is rich and flavorful and goes down easily. The noodles themself are soft and and chewy texture. The meat is very sweet which was unexpected and may not be enjoyed by all palates, but it paired well with the broth. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This place is very similar to Marukame Udon in Honolulu, Hawaii & we had to try it! My family of 3 went into this restaurant around 11:45 PM on a Tuesday afternoon - not busy at all. The workers were welcoming & provided such a helping hand when dealing with our 1 year old. There wasn't a line & lots of tables available during the time we went. It is like a cafeteria style line where you order the udon of your choice & the employee will hand you a tray for you to grab your fried tempura sides. After obtaining your sides you are greeted by the cashier to pay then find your seats! The ambiance is homey - reminded me of Japan with the sweet workers & service is impeccable. Always checking in on how things are going & asking what could be done to improve your experience! Tables and cleansed thoroughly after each use & workers also help with finished trays if they aren't too busy! I really enjoyed my curry based nikutama! The curry alone was so yummy! I loved the savory taste & the noodles were freshly made which made the experience 100x better! The matcha was pretty great too! We will surely be back! read more

Marugame Udon - Featured on the left: gyoza, tempura sweet potato, croquette, & 2 shrimp tempura Udon: Curry Nikutama Udon (regular) Drink: Matcha - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My favorite udon place!! Busy as usual but the line moves up quick. I've eaten here couple times and in different cities and it's always consistent! It's a line work ordering system and you pay at the end of the line. Seating is first come, first serve basis so be sure to have someone in your party to grab a seat. Pricing is affordable and food is filling. I love it here! read more

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We got there about a half hour before closing, which was perfect because there was no line. We ordered fried zucchini and sweet potato, which were both made fresh to order. The Curry Nikutama is sweet and so flavorful! We all got the regular sizes, which is the perfect amount. The workers were all very nice and accommodating. read more

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Marugame Udon always has a line. If they don't have a long line they aren't open yet. We arrived 5 minutes before they opened and 6 people were in front of us. We were grateful to have a few people to demo how to order so it was kind of perfect. First you choose your size and type of broth. You tell the person preparing bowls and then decide if you want green onion and tempura flakes on top. I would skip the tempura flakes as they fall to mush by the time you get to your table. You then choose your tempura and drinks, pay for your order and then find an empty table. I got the regular Tonkotsu with a shrimp tempura piece, beef gyoza and a carbonated peach drink. The Tonkotsu was deep in flavor and slightly creamy. The udon and shrimp was delicious. I would skip the gyoza next time, it just didn't taste good to me but I prefer chicken or pork gyoza. I recommend coming when they open if you can, as everything is as fresh and there will be plenty of seating. read more

Marugame Udon - Tonkotsu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This is literally one of my favorite udon places. The only downside is there's often a line and limited seating but overall the food is always amazing and super fresh. You just gotta be careful about not getting too much or you'll be really full and it'll end up costing a lot, but everything is always super amazing and satisfying when I go I really recommend the fried karage on the side if you like chicken read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

i love eating here! the service is so quick, today i got the beef nikutama. i always order the potato croquette to pair with it. when i came during lunch, it wasnt too busy and the tables were clean/sanitary. the person who assembled my bowl was so welcoming. i really appreciated how the cashier asked how the flow of service was and about my day. read more

Marugame Udon - Beef udon, creamy tonkotsu, and premium tendon bowl - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I love udon, but this was the most disappointing and infuriating "udon shop" experience I've ever had. The noodles were mushy, bloated, and tasted like nothing but overcooked flour. Udon should be chewy, bouncy, and satisfying. This was the complete opposite. The broth was greasy to the point of making me nauseous, and even though the tempura itself wasn't terrible, eating it with the noodles just made everything more overwhelming and heavy. After just a few bites, both of us felt sick and left almost the entire meal behind. We paid $58 with tip for this disaster, and I regret every single dollar. Honestly, this was the greasiest meal I've eaten all year, and the first time food ever put me in such a bad mood. As someone who truly loves udon, this felt less like a meal and more like a betrayal. The only upside is that the food came out quickly. read more

My sister brought me here. I wanted some soup for this cold weather we are having in LA. So it's really simple . They serve you . Menu is at the front of the line and you pick what kind you want and they do it for you. They have side appetizers for you too, and you can pick and the prices are listed there as well. Then you seat yourself. It's really nice and modern inside read more

Ugh, this is annoyingly so delicious. I wish I didn't love it so much because a bowl of noodles can add up when you add all the sides, but this is the best udon that I've had around the area, and the consistent long lines prove that I am not alone in this opinion. Speaking of the long lines....don't be too scared of waiting: it actually moves pretty fast and the tables turn over fast as well as it is a quick service restaurant. If this is your first time here, I would recommend getting the regular kake udon. The clean broth really lets the focus be on the noodle, and for you fully respect the noodle. Last but not least, they do have an app! Download it for rewards, it will be worth it if you plan to go here often! read more

Service was very attentive and quick. We ate right before they were closing but everything was still very fresh. I love their chewy udon noodles and crispy tempuras! It's def our go to after a long day of shopping at south coast plaza. read more

Marugame Udon - Curry udon and potato tempura - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I finally had the chance to try this place out! There's usually a long line but my friend and I got lucky for dinner. It's very fast pace. Order your food, tell them what toppings you want, choose your tempura, pay and sit down. Seating seems limited to me, so try to have someone save a spot while you order! Food: Nikutama Udon: Made to order udon noodles, sweet/savory beef, hot spring egg and BK sauce. I also got it with tempura flakes and green onion on top. I love how everything tasted. I also added a few chili flakes in my bowl to give it a nice kick. For my tempura sides, I got squid, shrimp and sweet potato. My favorite tempura is the squid and sweet potato. The shrimp was just okay and tasted the same as any other place. Don't forget to get your tempura sauce on the side by utensils. They also katsu sauce and extra condiments if needed. I would come back to this place and I'd love to bring my mom to try it out! read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I got no word for marugame. Hands down the BEST udon in the world. I get nikutama but lately I've been getting just the plain kake and it definitely fills me up! I would 100% come back. Services are fast and they are really nice and accommodating read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

These udon noodles are some of the best we've had- bouncy, perfectly cooked. We had the nikutama and curry nikutama- the broths were outstanding- so intensely flavorful and full of umami, yet not heavy either. The tempura was delicious- crispy, light batter. Loved that it was self-serve by the piece- we were able to try a variety- shrimp, sweet potato, squid, zucchini. We came at opening - there was a line but moved relatively fast. Definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

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Terrible service. First and last time here. When we walked in we didn't get any greeting or welcome at all. I should've left there as soon as that happened. Ofc it's my first time so I had no idea how this restaurant runs. On top of that the dishes in the front were a "serve yourself" type of bar. Instead of greeting us and letting us know we could get any assistance or even asking us if we needed any help. The old lady in the back who didn't understand how to speak English at all, grabs the sauce cups set on the counter and doesn't say anything. We assumed it was a "serve yourself" bar so why were they placed in the front of the customers faces if you don't want customers to grab it for sauces??? On top of that the non verbal communication was so oddly weird. The lady could've easily said "sorry not for customer use" instead of doing that and helping us out asking us if it's our first time here. INSTEAD she wants to make fun of my Asian mom and mock her for grabbing the sauce cups being disrespectful rude and super unprofessional. She starts laughing at my mom and making fun of her mocking her with the other girl in the back doing all this right in front of us. Which is crazy considering we're all Asian. Every other worker there was also rude and disrespectful except for the girl at the cash register who actually said hello to us and smiled. The other workers were talking trash about other employees when we were there the entire time. No one was greeting customers or saying hello at all. That's the least you can do when ppl come into an establishment. The overall food was salty as hell and the restaurant was dirty with napkins and chopsticks on the ground. The tables weren't wiped down at all. It felt like I walked into a high school cafeteria with grown adults bullying and making fun of customers instead of working cleaning the environment and doing their job. If I could give -500 stars I would. This establishment is a joke, never have I been to a restaurant with this much bullying going on in the back of the house. It's also very funny though how once I took my phone out to take pictures of the workers they stopped laughing and mocking my mother and I they all made straight faces and got serious immediately. Like it's hilarious now once I have my phone out you want to stop the bullying behavior? Unbelievable high school shit. This place is trash will never spend a dime here. read more

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Always a good meal when I come here. Quick and efficient service. Good food. Good options. Place can get crowded quick so be prepared to wait. Decent amount of seating. Got the tonkotsu udon and miscellaneous tempura. Good as always! read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Good for a quick meal if the line isn't too long. You can get your food very quickly because it's essentially like a cafeteria line, but if it's busy it might take a while to actually sit and eat. I got the beef udon and loved how light yet flavorful the broth was. They have a wide variety of tempura you can add on the side. The batter was light and crunchy. They also offer the crunchy leftover tempura bits free of charge. read more

Marugame Udon - Beef udon with shrimp tempura on the side - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Located in the mall, the line can be long. Once you get in, it's like an assembly line. You pick which dish you want & size. Then you can pick any tempura items you want, pay & find a seat. My Marugame experience has always been in HI. Still the best location. Mainland shop are not the same read more

We've heard so much of this popular udon place, which always seems to have a long line every time we pass by. As it's been recommended to us several times, we finally decided to try it out. We did need to wait for ~20 minutes in line (came at around 2pm on a Saturday), but I felt like the line moved pretty quickly. First step was ordering the food. I got a regular bowl of Nikutama, which was the udon served with sweet beef and soft boiled egg. My husband, who is not a fan of udon, opted for the Chicken Katsu Teriyaki Rice Bowl. We got our own trays, and we were given our bowls. We moved down the line, where we can get whatever tempura we wanted. They had a lot of options, but we just tried the basic shrimp tempura, the squid, and the egg. Last stop was paying at the cashier, where we also ordered drinks. Basically it was really quick to get the food! We then went to get our own table. As for the food, the Nikutama was good. I prefer thin noodles to be honest, but I did enjoy my bowl. The broth was a little too sweet for me, so I added some of the chili and ginger to tamper the sweetness. The udon was soft and chewy, and did taste fresh (you can see them making the noodles in front of the restaurant). My husband said his food was just okay, nothing really special. As for the tempura... since they were basically sitting on the trays for awhile, waiting for the customers to pick them up, they were not as crunchy and fresh as we would like.. which I guess should be expected. Customer service was friendly, the waitstaff was quick in clearing tables (which would help them turnover customers more quickly anyway). The place was clean, albeit tables were close together. Overall, glad we tried it once, but I don't think we will be back. So many other good places to try and eat at. read more

Marugame Udon - Chicken Katsu Teriyaki, Nikutama Udon, Tempura: Shrimp, Squid, Egg - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

First time at this (South Coast Plaza) location and I have to say, the superb quality from its other locations can similarly be found here. Came during the holiday week at around 1 p.m. with friends from school and the line stretched at least 50 feet. Despite being intimidated at first, the line moved fairly quickly, and we were able to order/get our food and sit down in about 15-20 minutes. Our party ordered the chicken katsu curry, beef gyudon, curry nikutama, and a beef udon. I had the curry nikutama and tried a few bites of the chicken katsu curry. Curry nikatuma udon - phenomenal and full of flavor. Each bite better than the last. If you never had Marugame Udon, this may be a good one to try; however, if you're looking for something lighter and not so rich, the beef udon is a good alternative. Chicken katsu curry - good but compared to the udon, I would prefer the udon. The katsu was crunchy and the sauce had a welcoming sweet and salty taste. Since Marugame specializes in udon, I say stick with the udon and save your katsu cravings for another time and enjoy the unique flavor and texture this shop has to offer with its fresh udons. read more

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I love marugame and the first time I've had it is at the sawtelle location. my family and I came on a Saturday afternoon around 2, and surprised to find out that the line was still super long. we ended up waiting for 30 minutes before ordering. I got the miso beef udon, and thought it was not as tasty as the nikutama. However, it was still very tasty overall and the portion fills you up, but given the long wait I would only come back during non peak hours. read more

Marugame Udon - Miso beef udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Was just there today with my husband and kids. Me and my daughter ordered the creamy broth udon. The chashu pork was sour and slimy as if went bad. Me and my daughter both locked eyes and we knew the pork was off. We've had many ramens and udons with chashu pork and it was never sour or slimy. I informed the guy working the register and he just shrugged it off. Hope no one gets sick and sues you guys. Take your food handling a little more seriously before you have to close your restaurant. I'm very disappointed Marugame Udon management. read more

i love marugame udon! the staff members are always so welcoming and friendly. the manager, nico, was extremely kind. he helped us find a table and even refilled our waters when he noticed it was empty. my only complaint is that i wish they would bring the spam musubi back on the menu. i believe it was removed during/post covid. read more

Marugame Udon - nikutama udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I love their dashi broth udons (I order beef with kitsune) but every time I order it there isn't much broth compared to the noodles. The store is a bit tight, but I've never had a problem with getting a seat so I respect the hustle! read more

Came here on Saturday night and waited about 15 minutes which is not bad. I ordered the beef gyudon plate which was kind of sweet because of the sauce. The beef is fatty like yoshinoya which I don't mind. Got tempura pieces and green onions on top. Also ordered the kitsune udon which was tasty. If it was up to me I probably wouldn't come here just because it's inside the mall and I'm not the biggest fan of udon, my family is tho. It's clean inside and the price isn't bad especially since you can add items as you go such as different types of fried tempura. Every time I have been here I seriously wish I brought sriracha because they have no hot sauce whatsoever, just hot powder that you can add to the soup. If you're at SCP then check it out if you like udon. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Finally got to try Marugame Udon. Been eyeing this for quite some time now specially after seeing the long lines daily at their Waikiki location, lol. A couple of times that we walked by here in the past, the line was quite long. We lucked out though this past Saturday, came in during non-peak hours around 4 pm and got through the short line fairly quickly. I ordered a regular BK (hot) for $5.95 and that BK dashi broth was sooo delish! This can be ordered hot or cold. I thought the ratio of noodles versus broth was more than I wanted, so I might order a large bowl with extra broth next time, lol. For toppings, I went with green onions, garlic and ginger, that was a winner. You then pick the tempura add ons which are sold per piece: I added (2) shrimp tempura, a japanese sweet potato, a skewer of mushroom tempura and something that looked like egg tart in tempura form. My hubs ordered their chicken katsu curry, it wasn't bad but we've had better. Would go back to try their Beef Gyudon and the Nikutama udon since that's their signature dish. read more

Marugame Udon - BK Udon with shrimp tempura - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Located right under Din Tai Fung at South Coast Plaza, there is usually a line around lunch or dinner. Stopped on a rainy Monday around 11:30am and waited about 20 min in line. We picked curry nikutama udon and tonkotsu udon with a la carte tempura (shrimp, tamagoyaki and pumpkin). Udon was made in-house and was quite thick. Both udon dishes were decent but not spectacular. The tempura batter was a bit thick so couldn't really taste the ingredients. Two udon, two drinks and 6 pieces of tempura came out to almost $50. Honestly, I think the concept is more of a draw than the actual food. It's fun to watch your udon being rolled, cut and cooked right in front of you and also cool to select your own tempura combo. However, the udon and tempura under-performed when compared to other udon or tempura restaurants. Sanukiseimen Mugimaru inside Mitsuwa food court (Costa Mesa location) is the same exact concept with a wider menu selection and fresher tempura at a fraction of the price of Marugame. Come here instead. read more

Marugame Udon - Menu (12/2022) - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The Nikutama at Marugame Udon is great! You can have it hot or cold i believe, but i prefer it hot. Everything tastes fresh and the service was really good too! The ambiance was pretty chill and casual. Perfect lunch spot for a quick bite or light dinner! Must try! A+++ read more

Marugame Udon - Nikutama - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Quite simple to order. They have pictures with different style broth and toppings. You queue up tell the lady which number udon you want based on the poster right before her station. It's not a mic and match, so don 't expect to sub out the vege broth for the creamy broth if the item does not call for it. The soup comes in regular or large. I couldn't finish my large bowl and had to take it home. Back to ordering, after you get your prepared soup then you slide over and can pick up some tempura side dishes like pumpkin, sweet potato, shrimp, squid etc. prices for each piece is posted. Then you pay and bring your food to the table. There's a condiment book where you grab your utensils, tempura sauce, toga Rashid or ginger. The experience is fun and the food is filling. read more

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Food: So delicious! We ate the tonkatsu and nikutama udon, and they were so flavorful and filling. Service: There are very kind workers and fast service. Ambiance: The lighting and decorations are so cool! The low price makes the whole experience even better :) read more

Marugame Udon - tonkatsu and nikutama - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Excited that a location opened up near me. I first experienced Marugame Udon when it opened in L.A. and then a few years later tried the Costa Mesa location. I came to this one on a Friday morning at 11 for an early lunch right as they opened. I was one of the first few customers and there was already a line forming. I think they need to do a better job indicating where the line starts because it was really unintuitive. They had the line forming behind on the side of the exit for some reason so when we were allowed in, everyone went in the wrong direction lol. Anyways, even though there was a line, it moved pretty fast because all the food was pre-made and it just required assembly. Service was fast and everyone was friendly. I had the tonkotsu udon. It seemed like they had a lot less options for tempura. Not sure if it was because I was there so early or something. Food tasted good though. read more

Delicious food! The curry tonkatsu rice bowl was flavorful and filling! Tonkatsu was crispy on the outside and soft inside. Perfect with the tempura sides. Love the quick service and friendly staff. Great meal! read more

Marugame Udon - Curry tonkatsu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Food: 8.5/10 -I ordered the Large Nikutama, and it was more than enough to satisfy my stomach. The large portion has enough udon and the flavor is intense. With every bite, there is sweet and savory beef with the warm broth. I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture before I mixed everything together. But I recommend getting the noodles with tempura and green onions. -Along with the udon, the tempura is a must-try if it is your first time. I got the Shrimp (7/10) and Squid (6.5/10). I would give the crunchiness a 6.5/10. Not as fresh as I would've liked. They also have tempura sauce for you to dip them in. There is complimentary water as well. Overall, the food quality was really good for the price, and it filled up our stomachs! Service: 10/10 -Depending on the time and day that you go, there may be a bit of a wait. But you grab a tray in the line, and you watch them prepare your udon in front of you! AMAZING! Then you go down the line to grab the tempura that you want, and pay at the front. And after, you go find an open seat to sit and eat. Even after you are done eating, there will be staff to help you clear your table. Ambiance: 9/10 The place is rather small, but considering it is inside the mall, their layout is efficient. Watching them prepare your food while you wait in line is definitely an experience. The aesthetics of the decor is nice with the touch of Japanese culture. read more

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Marguame Udon is a great option for those who are looking for an affordable lunch/dinner. The prices are reasonable and the food is excellent. The flavor of the udon broth is not too salty or sweet compared to some other places which is a plus for me. The service is great and the staff are very friendly. They're quick to correct any mistakes and always offer a friendly smile :) read more

Probably the first time having fresh udon and I loved it! I've never craved udon before but this place has me hooked. Their udon is made in front of you and the dishes and made fast, almost like cafeteria style but better. There's plenty of fresh tempura options as well. This is a fast casual dining place, so service is appropriate for its setting. Seating is limited and reserved for those who wait in line. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in udon! read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I ordered the Vegan noodles and the tables are set up where you're sitting elbow to elbow with strangers. I felt very uncomfortable and walked to the very end. I noticed that this one Asian woman, mid thirties had sat at the end of a six seater table, blocking the entrance to the booth size. I thought to myself that it must be okay to sit by yourself on a table. I found a table of four open right opposite and sat there. I texted my party to join me. That person was on his way, so I kept an eye out for him. Meanwhile, the Asian lady leaves and a family of five occupies that table. I'm looking out for my party, I see him at the entrance and flag him down. I cover my food with a napkin to indicate I'm returning. I quickly tell my party where to sit, so I could pay for his food. I notify these two working that my party is joining me. Within a minute, my food disappears. Two workers that are acting like "seat valets" took the initiative to throw my food away. The same workers I told I would return.?My food was hardly eaten. Upon returning, I was SHOCKED that my food was GONE. The NERVE! I could have eaten ANYWHERE in the mall...but I chose this place. I smelled racism because they allowed the Asian lady a six seater table to eat by herself, but when I stood up...I was quickly dismissed as "leaving". They were overly embarrassed at their mistake because I told them in their face "I was gone for s couple minutes and you threw away my food? Are you kidding me?" I'm sorry, but I'm NEVER returning. Yes, they replaced my food because they felt embarrassed, but how they threw away my food with no consideration at all just blew my mind! Just put a sign up in the front saying "Japanese Customers Only". read more

Always so good. We always order Togo! Never had an issue with food or service! The wait is worth it if there is one.