I've been meaning to try this branch for the longest time but never got around to it! The Marugame brand has locations across the world, and the taste is consistently excellent, with similar flavors at most of their restaurants. I've been to the ones in Asia, and they're very good as well. They also use a similar setup where you grab a tray and tell the kitchen staff what you'd like- kind of a commissary-style system. It's very efficient, and you get your food immediately. Perfect for a quick bite and exit! read more

Marugame Udon - Delicious!!! - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

WORST SERVICE AND WORST FOOD. We went there about an hour before closing today. We were standing in front of the bar waiting for someone to help us, but no one spoke A WORD to us. They were just busy cleaning things or working on something else until we asked how to order more than 5 minutes later. The server and cashier were saying different things as we were ordering. For food, the noodles were overcooked and you could tell they were frozen, the kitsune was too sweet, there was almost no broth with the noodles, and we had to ask for extra. The rice was mushy and partially brown in color, and the meat kind of smelled. The broth was too salty, and the shrimp tempura was undercooked. We tried to eat since we alreadt paid but couldn't even continue eating and had to go to another restaurant for dinner. I can't believe it is the same as the one from Hawaii at all. The chairs were all torn up and looked dirty and dark. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone or go back. + just found out that they were supposed to serve food in regular bowls but didnt probably because they wanted to close early? It was about an hr before closing and those who came earlier were also eating in this paper containers. read more

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Ordered delivery. Large curry- barely has any curry. So that means there's very little curry flavoring on the noodles. Large beef- restaurant packaged very little beef broth. This is a constant problem with the downtown location. They need to package enough sauce or soup, especially when a Large is ordered! We frequent the Marugame in Sawtelle and do not encounter this issue. I wish when ordering online, I could choose which location to order from. Disappointing read more

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I recently spent nearly $40 at Marugame Udon on an eel and beef bento box, along with three tempura shrimp and a tempura sweet potato. It was one of those meals that makes you stare out the car window afterward and quietly reevaluate your decision-making process. The portions were so small that I briefly wondered if the rest of my order was still being prepared somewhere. The food itself was impressively bland, achieving the culinary equivalent of white noise. The eel, beef, and tempura all somehow united under a single flavor profile: "present." Service wasn't bad enough to be memorable and wasn't good enough to be noteworthy. It simply existed, much like the atmosphere, which felt less like a restaurant and more like a waiting room where food occasionally appears. The entire experience left me with a very specific kind of regret. Not normal buyer's remorse--more like the feeling of realizing ten years later that you chose the wrong career path, moved to the wrong city, and spent three years dating someone whose personality was "sent from my iPhone." I've made mistakes in life. I've ignored warning signs. I've taken wrong turns. Spending almost $40 on this meal felt like all of those moments condensed into a single bento box. On the bright side, the meal was over quickly. Mostly because there wasn't much of it. 2 out of 5 stars. A valuable reminder that not every journey is about the destination. Sometimes it's about learning which Japanese restaurants to avoid next time. read more

I thought I already wrote a stellar review here but they deserve ten stars anyway! Always professional, courteous, and friendly. Nice atmosphere and close to the store I closed because the idiots working for the Irvine Police Department were were trying to do illegal searches on my storage while moving. Food is always great here every single visit. I only get to come here every other month because of those same idiots, wasting my time and money Hopefully you get to see my "goin to court" shirt when I visit. The dog and pony show lead by detective J. Song is coming again in October. D-bag takes all the keys to everything I own while I'm in the middle of fraud & Identity theft forcing me to the street along with social services and the horrible healthcare agency of Orange Country. Please check out my website created on the streets of Laguna Beach California and thanks for a great meal! read more

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After my friends and I did some shopping at Uniqlo, we checked out Marugame Udon. When you walk in, you immediately take your soup/bowl order then there's self serve options you can add on. I ordered the Creamy Chicken Broth, and their Udon noodles are handmade in house. The broth and noodles were delicious and I highly recommend that dish. For self serve, I added the fried crab meat (imitation) and a potato croquette- both were yummy and only a couple more dollars to add on. Workers are friendly, service is a bit delayed because they create your soup/bowl in front of you to pass onto your tray. They play Japanese songs and there is a lot of cool art on the walls. I would recommend, and would want to come back just for the creamy udon soup. read more

Marugame Udon - crab meat, creamy udon soup - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Was able to get a quick lunch meal! Your entree is assembled in front of you for a freshly prepared dish. The regular sized bowl was just the right size for lunch. I got the bk shrimp tempura udon which includes unlimited green onion and tempura flakes. At about $11 it was a filling meal! Indoor seating is available or enjoy your meal on the outdoor tables in the Bloc courtyard. read more

Marugame Udon - Shrimp tempura bk udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

After a workout at LA Fitness, I found this place at the end of the plaza. First time here, so got the popular item they listed of Bolognese Udon with Cheese. Definitely not something I get normally, but was glad I tried it. It was fun and different. Nice to change the pace up and it was enjoyable. Food came out pretty quick and the service was courteous. If I'm in the area again, I would come back. I might try something else on the menu, but definitely had a comfortable vibe. read more

Marugame Udon - Bolognese Udon and coke - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We visited the location in Downtown LA with another couple, for lunch. We went as it opened, so everything was fresh. I had the creamy udon plus added fresh vegetables. The pork & noodles were good. The broth could have been a lot hotter. There are scallions and grated ginger to add. There are also individual tempura pieces you can purchase by the piece. My husband said his beef was not good in his curry Nikutama. Our friends often visit the OC location, and said it is much bigger with a lot more choices of tempura. They were pretty disappointed. We were underwhelmed, but liked that we could easily find a seat. Also, we were starving so it was nice to not have to be waited on. Definitely go thru the trouble of getting a receipt, and finding the parking office. (It took us 15 minutes to locate it! ) But parking was $4 instead of $44!!! read more

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Came here on a Monday and there was still a line! I was able to find street parking at 6P. Walk in and you order right there. They give you your noodles and as you make your way down, you can add tempura do your tray. Udon is pretty dang solid! I also got a sweet potato tempura and dipped it in my udon soup. After you pay, they have an area for all the utensils and sauces. The ginger sauce looked a little questionable.... not sure how long it was sitting there so I was a little nervous eating it. But overall, pretty solid udon for a resonable price! No complaints here! read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is my go to for a solid comforting udon meal. Located inside the bloc in DTLA. I always order the tonkotsu udon. The broth is always so perfectly creamy and flavorful. Comes with chashu pork, ground pork, and an egg. I always have to load mine up with a ton of ginger and green onion lol I love that there's never a long line at this location. And the cafeteria style is actually pretty convenient. There's plenty of seating inside as well as in the patio area. The workers are always nice here and give good service which is why I love returning to this location. read more

Marugame Udon - Tonkotsu udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Food was good and portion size was very large. Tempura was on the greasy side. Service was ok... overall a good spot for a quick meal. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Nothing to say here. Horrible customer services, zero topping, no spices, use to go bowl for eat dining. Never come here read more

Marugame Udon - This place put the food for to go bowl which I eat at dining - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Marugame is always consistent no matter the location you go to. On a hot weekday, we came here during and ordered the cold BK. It was lovely and refreshing. I had tried the hot udon before but this was my first time trying cold udon from Marugame. The only other time I tried cold udon was in Tokyo at a local udon shop. I'm glad I work nearby to come back. They also have a membership program where you can accumulate points to get free tempura or udon. I would highly suggest everyone to try the cold udon. Especially on a hot day. read more

Marugame Udon - BK cold - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Not what it used to be since my last review. Service has gone down, not a single piece of hot tempura ready to go (can order fresh but that means extra wait time), no more free water --have to buy a $2 bottle--sad because I used to love this place but maybe it's just this location that is suffering. read more

Always a go to for a quick dinner whenever I am in town. The mall is slightly quieter than I remember a few years ago. I went kind of late tonight, but the food was still good. It was about half an hour to closing and all the tempura were gone. read more

Marugame Udon - Nikutama - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great spot to stop in and grab some udon if you're in the area. Exactly what you'd expect from a marugame location, fast and efficient service, fresh tempura being made and the staff are so helpful. You order in the front before grabbing any tempura or other toppings you may like before paying. The day I went they did a good job cooking the noodles, the udon came out bouncy with a good bite and were not undercooked like at other locations I've been to. Cant complain about hot and fresh food at a reasonable price in downtown LA, especially since I was in the area for an event at LA Live. There's also a large seating area so if you just want to stop in for a meal and know there will be a quiet place to sit, this is a good option. read more

Marugame Udon - Menu, August 2025 - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This review is based on a Postmates order, below is what we tried: Nikutama - 4 1/2 stars. A tasty and classic udon, absolutely solid. Salty and savory broth combined with the texture of the udon just works. Cheese Katsu Tomatama Udon - 3 1/2 stars. The katsu was quite good, but this had a bit too much going on for me. Not bad at all, but not my taste. Gyoza - 4 stars. A solid and tasty little gyoza. Zucchini Tempura - 3 1/2 stars. I should know better, tempura just doesn't deliver well. I'm sure this is great in person though. The udon to-go packaging was excellent, they know what they're doing here. Would definitely get the classic udon again here when having the craving. read more

Love this place!! Everyone was super nice. I got my usual nikutama udon with 4 shrimp. They only had 1 shrimp but the very kind person behind the counter offered to make me more so i had 3 hot fresh shrimps. My mom's first time coming and she got the beef bowl and really loved it. Its bigger than it looks and very clean Thank you! read more

Marugame Udon is my go-to spot in DTLA when I'm craving soup especially udon. The broth is consistently yummy and comforting, and I almost always order the beef udon. Adding the fireball gives it the perfect kick of spice and really levels it up. It is a little on the pricey side for udon, which is the main reason for four stars instead of five. That said, the quality is solid, and I appreciate that they offer thoughtfully packaged options whether you want it ready to eat or to warm up at home. Reliable, flavorful, and satisfying when you're in the mood for a good bowl of noodles. read more

Always a fan of Marugame Udon, at all their locations. This spot is no exception. Located conveniently in downtown, next to other shops, take the escalator/stairs down to see the store sign to enter. Lots of udon choices available at Marugame. I personally love the nikutama (one of the most popular) and for this visit, I went with my favorite and a potato croquette on the side. For ordering, tell them what you want and what size (large is a small upcharge for lot more food), and you'll be given a tray which you can load up with more side dishes before checking out. Getting your food is super fast. Service is very much self-serve after you get your food, but there's sauces, napkins, and utensils all located at a self service setup in the restaurant. This location has booth and chairs for seating, and plenty of seating inside. Love the wood styling. Noodles are superb as udon goes: chewy and fantastic mouth feel overall. Broth is flavorful and I've never had a dish at a Marugame location which went too easy on the toppings. For a quick bite to eat and to satiate your udon craving, definitely stop by. read more

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If you're looking for a quick, cheap option for food, Marugame Udon is a perfect place for you. It's a fast food joint with quick service. You seat yourself, and you bus the table yourself. I ended up ordering the Kitsune Udon, which is the kake udon + fish cake. That fish cake is quite sweet, which balances well with the more umami dashi broth. The noodle are kind of bland and crummy, though, but you're buying really cheap food so I think it's fine. If I need a reliable Asian place for cheap in DTLA, I'd come back. read more

Marugame Udon - Kitsune Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Service was okay. Food was not lol. Everything tasted old or like it had been sitting all day. This is a Saturday night and this spot has good reviews otherwise. So we were expecting fresh and yummy food. We got classic beef udon, a few of the tempura items, and gyoza. The udon wasn't even worth eating. All of the fried items were dry/old. The only saving grace was the tempura sauce. Prices and service are decent but the food just isn't good. read more

Marugame Udon - Classic beef udon, tempura, gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came in here for lunch and ordered the Nikutama and the Tonkotsu. Both were pretty good for a quick and easy udon fix. They also have a nice selection of assorted tempura and some juices to go with your meal. Overall, it's a convenient spot if you're craving udon without the long wait. Only downside was my soup came out more room temperature than hot for some reason but otherwise, still satisfying. read more

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My boyfriend got food poisoning from the vegetables in the vegan udon, i'm thinking they weren't washed or washed well. The thing is the vegan udon was really great in the broth's flavor. It was full bodied, creamy, rich, and complex. It's difficult to find a place that has a flavorful vegan broth - my boyfriend would've gone back for it if he hadn't have gotten so sick. He got very sick... My #1 udon was inedible for the reason that it was far too sweet. It tasted like french onion soup with many tablespoons of sugar added. It was odd. I literally couldn't eat it. It looked so savory and delicious. I added ginger and tons of scallions to try fix it but it just wasn't edible. The croquette was good. Workers were super nice but not very knowledgeable on the ingredients of things/ dietary restrictions. Restaurant seemed pretty clean. read more

Marugame is always a solid place for udon. I do have to say that something about this destination is a little quirky and off -- especially if you're used to the Hawaii/Oahu destination. Perhaps it's the flour but there's something a bit lackluster about the noodles that pales to its other locations. That said, I don't think you can find another udon location in DTLA or close to DTLA that's as good. So it's definitely worth a visit with all the toppings and goodies if you'd like. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Only because I cannot leave 2.5 stars... Was excited to find and try the Chicken Katsu Curry, a dish I so cherish from the summer I lived in Japan. Actually had a terrific version of it at Sushi Stop and for 25% less cost than it is here at Muragame Udon. Most unfortunately, Marugame Udon's on the subterranean level of The Block shopping center hit real mid. It looked good in the photo on the menu and even in the bowl, and I was game and excited, but the very first bite told the tale-- The chicken is low quality and heavily battered over in an oily fry, had little crunch, and even littler flavor to it. Nothing was distinctive or discernible in the batter... not even the salt. The curry was also bland and maybe even a little off tasting as well and just slightly too loose for my taste. The rice was good for a fast food cafeteria style undon place. About the best thing I can say about Marugame Udon's in DTLA is that it is fun, conceptually speaking, getting your meal and winding the tray around the bend to the cashier, picking up other things if you so desire (like gyoza, fried veggies, etc). I like cafeterias but they're often not the best quality and that is the case here at Marugame, something even more disappointing for the fact that there is plenty of good Asian food to be found and had in Downtown Los Angeles. The staff are very helpful even giving me a side cup of curry when I expressed dismay for how little they ladled over the rice before cutting up the fried chicken cutlet and laying it over everything. Guess I should have gotten the ramen! Maybe next time... or maybe not. read more

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PARKING: There's a parking structure but definitely get validated or else it'll come out to something to $40!! SEATING: Lots of comfy seating, both booths and regular table tops! I don't think I've ever seen it completely full where I couldn't get a table. SERVICE: I don't think I've ever really encountered a line here at this particular location. The employees here are always nice and helpful! The food is given to you quick! FOOD: I got the nikutama udon in the large which came out to $13.95 and a regular iced matcha for $4.50. The food is always piping hot and fresh! The beef and onions in the nikutama are so yummy, it's my favorite. I love the matcha here too, very refreshing! Not too sweet at all. OVERALL: Great food and employees but so so parking situation! read more

Marugame Udon - Iced matcha - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Ordered the nikutama udon and a pineapple sunrise drink for delivery via Grubhub. The noodles and soup/toppings were packaged separately which was great (default option if you're ordering takeout) and made it easier to compose my udon dish without things getting mushy or stuck together. The udon was solid as usual, regular size was plenty for me to eat, but you can always upsize the noodles if you're particularly hungry. The pineapple drink was quite enjoyable as well, a bit tart and a little on the sweeter side, but I enjoyed it. I was also pleasantly surprised they packaged it with a small soup container under it so the condensation wouldn't ruin the integrity of the bag. The bag was stapled solidly shut to ensure no tampering as well. Minor complaint is I requested utensils in my order, but did not get any utensils. Otherwise, Marugame is always a solid udon place for a reasonable price. read more

The noodles lack bounce, but the broth is delicious. The staff service was poor, though the atmosphere feels similar to a restaurant in Japan. read more

* BK Udon was rich, flavorful, and filling * Price and serving size was pretty reasonable, especially for being Downtown L.A. * Restaurant was clean and service was very quick read more

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Did not have high expectations coming in as the place looked a bit empty, but this really hit the spot. The noodles were perfectly chewy, broth was nicely flavored and not too heavy, and there was a pretty large portion of beef. Went on a weeknight, but the place eventually began to fill up a bit as I ate my meal. Staff were friendly and I was in and out pretty fast. Would recommend. read more

Marugame Udon - Beef, Udon, Dashi Broth - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

From Ramen to tempura, there's decent Japanese cuisine selection. I opted for tempura for quick snack. You can order meals at the beginning of line station or skip to self serve for tempura options. I chose the shrimp and eel tempura and matcha drink. The tempura was light and tasty. Range from $2-4 depending on selection. The matcha was delicious. It's sweet but not over bearing. There's variety of seating and i believe the water closet is in the back. There's two stations , the middle for Togo, napkins, water, and eating utensils. Adjacent is the sauce station. I like the wall art and the staff thanks you in Japanese when leaving. The interior is Japanese style earthy aesthetic. It's as if you're in Japan eating at a small Tokyo restaurant. I will return to try their curry and ramen! read more

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Clean and efficient space. The food was super quick. You walk up, place your noodle order and the "chef" make it for you right there. Then you bring your tray down to the cashier to pay. On the way, you can pick up some freshly made tempura. For a $12 bowl of tonkatsu, I was expecting a bit more protein. Or at least the full soft boiled egg instead of half. The broth was a good thickness and flavourful. Just a tad on the salty side. Portion size was decent. We were nicely satiated not too full. For a food court place, this one was pretty awesome. read more

Marugame Udon - Tonkatsu udon. Dafault setting: One thin slice of pork belly, half soft boiled egg. Additional options available as addon$ - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I hadn't been here since the first time I went, well over a decade ago! Came with a group on a Saturday evening and the wait was not bad - we only waited maybe a few minutes until our group was called. You place your name on a clipboard and there's inside and outside patio seating. Your whole party has to be present, otherwise you may find yourself waiting a bit longer. Once inside, it's pretty cozy, but slightly bigger than you would imagine just seeing it from the outside. Our group got udon, karaage, beer and sake. I got the miso carbonara udon and it was absolutely delicious! It was slightly sweet, creamy and the chunky bits of bacon were nice and salty. Overall a very tasty dish -- I would get again! The karaage was also very tasty and had a curry salt and mayo for dipping. Service was great and the food was excellent. I definitely would be back again and would love to try even more of the dishes! It's easy to see why Marugame is such a staple and popular. read more

Marugame Udon - Miso Carbonara Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We are so lucky to have Marugame Udon in LA. This is one of my favorite restaurants to visit whenever I traveled to Hawaii. The lines usually are so long, however, there's almost no line in LA location. Service is quick and you get to pick so many tempura option in addition to udon noodles. This restaurant is self service so make sure to clean up after yourself after you eat. read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place is pretty solid! I got a katsu rice bowl, while my girlfriend got a curry udon bowl! The sauces were really good with the katsu and would recommend getting both the katsu sauce and curry sauce! The tempura selection was great, but I liked the cheese one the most! read more

Delicious udon place! The food was stellar, I had the beef gyudon which really hit the spot. The service was fast and friendly. The ambiance was inviting and cool. The bathroom placement though was odd as it was outside the restaurant and a little difficult to find, along with difficulty utilizing the code given. read more

Marugame Udon - Beef Gyudon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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marugame udon is the perfect place to get a satisfying lunch during a work day! this location is conveniently located in downtown near a lot of office buildings which makes it just a quick walk away for a quick lunch. the ordering system is super quick and convenient so you never have to worry about having to wait a long time to get your food and you can eat at one of their many tables in the spacious dining area or take it to go. the employees are all extremely kind and efficient every time I go and I love coming here for lunch when I'm in the office. typically, I always get the nikutama, but today I was craving a rice bowl and ordered the gyudon instead, which did not disappoint! the rice bowl was hearty and filling but still satisfied the craving that I had for their signature beef and onions. their tempura is always freshly fried and you can see the employees consistently frying tempura as you walk past the station. overall time to order and receive my food was less than 5 minutes which is almost impossible to find anywhere else in the area. I would definitely recommend coming here for a quick, delicious, and satisfying meal any time of day! read more

Marugame Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Best udon The service is great because you get to see how your food is prepared. You choose what goes in your soup. So every meal is customizable. Love this food especially on a chilly day. Hey marugame! You can now consider me a regular read more