Came here on a Friday when they opened at 11:30AM for lunch with a friend. The restaurant had about 10 tables of 4 and we got the second to last table in the first round. Staff said there would be a slight delay as they're trying a new POS system and there's one less chef than normal. We didn't think too much about it but our appetizer (karaage) arrived an hour after we sat down with our entree coming another 20 minutes afterwards. Karaage was great, large pieces and not dry on the inside. We got the cold soba and I got the katsu bowl for the entree which were both great too. I had to take the rice bowl home with how big the portions are. They offer to have sauce on the side which is an option I'd take them up on next time cause the sauce was really salty. They're open only like 2 and a half hours for lunch and 3 and a half hours for dinner and people were waiting outside the entire time we were there. Will definitely return for the food but will have to be a day where I'm not worrying to return home from a limited lunch break. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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The food here is not worth the wait. The soba is nothing special. And the tempura is below par. Also the service here is nonexistent. With all the great options around this area, I would recommend going anywhere else but here. read more

Came by Wednesday afternoon to have lunch with a friend. Interior was minimal and calming. Service was great and helped with suggestions if ever stuck in between menu items. I got to try the special combo. Hot Soba Tanuki and Ten Toji Don. Unless you are set on trying a specific item or trying other dishes with a group, this is maybe the best bang for your buck. The food tasted delicious and looked authentic as if I was having a bowl of soba noodles from Kyoto. They also have a noodle sample that comes in 6 different types. Can't wait to try the different menu items next time I come in. read more

TANAKAYA - Soba Tanuki Ten Toni Don Special combo - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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As a soba lover, I'm so glad I finally came around to trying out Tanakaya! After walking around Old Town Tustin, all I could think of was a nice refreshing serving of soba. There was lots of parking available and we were seated fast. The servers were so kind and accommodating too! I got the kitsune soba and my coworker ordered the kaarage combo with soba. The kitsune soba was so tasty! Perfect amount of food too. Filling but not heavy at all. My coworker's kaarage was crispy, flavorful, and paired well with the cold soba. Can't wait to come back soon the next time I'm craving soba! read more

TANAKAYA - Kaarage combo with soba - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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I can't believe I have not left a review for Tanakaya yet. Shane on me, lol Love this Japanese noodle shop. The mantra of "... Great things come to those who wait..." is very applicable here. It's first come first served, so unless you're at the door when it first opens, expect a wait to be seated. And after sitting down at a table, expect to wait some more before your food arrives. As long as you're ok with waiting, the reward is, IMHO, the best soba noodle soup around. My go to is the different variations of the soba noodle soap. From the broth, to the soba to the tempura and proteins, it's a fantastic symphony of flavors. For those of us who prefer, the cold soba and the curry noodles are also excellent. An exceptional Japanese restaurant, for those who are not in a rush read more

TANAKAYA - Soba! - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

4.5/5 stars!! Would definitely come back again. Half a star deducted for the wait time, which is kind of unavailable given smaller space, the fact that they're making noodles fresh, and the time to fry certain items. - Got here around noon, just a bit after it opened and waited around 30-40 minutes for a party of 3. Restaurant had about 10 ish tables, each seating ~ 4 people. Entrees took around 15 minutes to come out (again, not that big of a deal because of the time to make the house made soba and time to fry the tempura) - Got the Ten Zaru -- soba on the texture was nice and bouncy. Tempura batter was light, crispy, not too thick. Love that fact that I can get fresh hand made soba outside of Japan read more

The food was good. Service was fast. Nice small restaurant. I would definitely come back. :) read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

I've already written a detailed review of this restaurant below, but wanted to add some photos from our recent dinner. I got the Nabeyaki Udon for $23.45 and hubby got the Soba with mixed tempura. I didn't care for the nabeyaki broth. It was a tad bit too salty. I also didn't like the oysters that were in it. It seemed like a strange ingredient to have inside nabeyaki. Last of all, the shrimp tempura had way too much batter. I really enjoyed the udon though! The noodles are perfect. I'd rate this a 3 out of 5. Hubby loved his soba with mixed tempura and would rate it 5 out of 5. We went on a Saturday night for dinner. They open at 5:30pm and we got there at 5:15pm. We were the 2nd in line. An employee came out before they opened up to find out how many each group had in their party. She wrote it on a piece of paper and then let everyone in until the restaurant was filled. My suggestion is to get there around 5:15pm if you want to get seated in the first group, otherwise you'll probably have to wait an hour. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for so long but the line is always busy! However, we got lucky on this day bevause there wasn't a line so we got seated pretty quickly! I got the soba 1 layer and it was AMAZINGGGG. They hand pulled their noodles so it did take quite a bit but the noodles were fresh! Their dipping sauce was also very flavorful as well! I enjoyed the noodles a lot bevause it has a stretchy feeling to it. I got to speak to one of the server and he was so nice!! He explained some of the history of the store to me while I was looking at the family pictures on the wall! Would def come back :) read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Matcha soba? That's all we saw and we knew we had to go here. I went with the soba sampler, which comes with 5 different kinds (ume shiso, nameko oroshi, sansai, tanuki, and 2 matcha). They also come with a small bowl of dipping sauce. Now if you're planning to split this with a friend, I don't really recommend this since the soba stuck to itself and was hard to unravel and split. It's more of a solo dish. We had trouble trying to split it and ended up dipping it and eating with one full bite. What I like about this place is the simplicity of the options and the flavors. None of the dishes are overwhelming, but are light and fresh. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

The soba noodles are authentic and the tempura was fried beautifully. However, this is one of the most poorly managed restaurants I've been to. My husband and I came in on a Sunday. We got seated at 12 pm and ordered within a few minutes. We did not get our food for 50+ minutes. The waiter said it's because the soba is hand twirled... but even then it shouldn't take that long? We each ordered the soba sampler and a side of mixed tempura. After the first rush died down, a couple sat down next to us and ordered the same thing. Their food came out within 10 minutes. The whole experience was very frustrating. Even though the food was pretty good, I am not coming back. There are not that many tables here so for food to take that long to come out, it is not acceptable. We should have known when we walked in 30 min after opening and the majority of tables did not have their food yet, that it was a red flag. Items came out one by one for each table. It was like watching paint dry. read more

TANAKAYA - Took 50 minutes for this to come out - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

I'm glad we ordered the cold soba sample for our first time because now I know Ume Shiso is my favorite!!! The flavors were punchy and deeeelicious. I would love to try it with cold udon noodles next time, and would come back again. The tables fill up quickly and like the other reviews mentioned, there's usually a wait. We didn't wait too long for our table, but for all of food to arrive was upwards of an hour, which the owner has mentioned taking longer to make food during rush hour in their business bio because they make everything to order. read more

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If you are seeking truly authentic Japanese soba noodles in Orange County, TANAKAYA is the place to be. The soba here is the undisputed star. What struck me immediately was the exceptional authenticity of the noodles The sauce is just right, not too slaty and it just takes a quick dip to have the right taste. But what truly elevates the dining experience is the innovative option to substitute your soba with their special matcha soba. This isn't just a gimmick; it's a brilliant fusion that works surprisingly well. . It's a creative and delicious twist that I highly recommend trying--it shows their dedication to both tradition and culinary exploration. Beyond the soba, the atmosphere is calm and authentic. The setting is just like a traditional japanese dining place. Definitely worth a try. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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This is my go-to spot for udon and soba. The noodles are always fresh, and every dish I've tried has been amazing. You can really taste the quality and authenticity in each bowl. The wait can be a little long -- as the owner mentioned on Yelp -- but it's well worth it for truly authentic Japanese noodles. The service is good, the restaurant is clean, and the pricing is very reasonable for the quality you get. I highly recommend trying the cold soba -- it's my personal favorite and never disappoints. read more

TANAKAYA - Katsuni - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Quiet and small soba shop with tasty noodles! My hubby and I came around 1 pm on a Sunday. The place was around 75% full. They have various soba and udon noodles and couple of appetizers. I got the nameko oroshi soba and hubby got the kitsune soba. (Dishes are $16-$21). The wait was pretty long, around 45 minutes to get both of our dishes (does have a paper in front of store saying dishes will take 30-45 minutes). My nameko soba had decent amount of nameko super refreshing and filling. My hubbys udon was warm and noodles were chewy. I do like Minami soba better counting the quality and wait time. Would love to try the other dishes next time but will consider to go if wait is 30-45 min. read more

TANAKAYA - Nameko oroshi soba - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Got here at opening and barely was able to snag the last table. There was already a long line waiting to get inside before the doors opened. The food took a really long time to arrive. In my opinion the food is not worth the wait and lackluster. Katsu don- 5/5: I enjoyed this dish. The katsu was very crispy. We got the lunch combo and with soba noodles. Good choice if you want to have rice and taste their soba. Soba sampler- 3/5: The presentation was very nice. Taste was mid. 4/6 tasted almost the same. The matcha is an interesting flavor if that's your liking. To me it was kinda strange to be eating matcha in that form. The noodles themselves had almost no taste even when dipped into the sauce. Hot Udon noodles- 3/5: This dish was okay. Not too much flavor. read more

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I've been meaning to try Tanakaya after seeing their soba flight on Tik Tok! I came near opening and got seated right away, and by the end, it was pretty full, so I can see how waitlists might be long during busy hours. Plenty of parking and staff is attentive! Everything is a bit expensive for what it is, but overall taste wise, everything was amazing regardless! We got the assorted tempura, filet katsu don, and cold soba flight sampler. The assorted tempura was good, they had a lot of variety and I enjoyed the mushroom, asparagus, and potato! The shrimp tempura portion is very generous in size and was good. A little overpriced for what it is, but if you love this assortment of fried tempura, it is overall good to try! The filet katsu don was amazing, and I like that it came with a small bowl of miso soup! It's always nice to have that as a complimentary side dish. The katsu was crispy and complimented well by the sauce! I'd highly recommend this dish! And now for the star of the show... the soba flight! This was so fun to go through and I highly recommend it just for the experience! My personal favorite was the one that included enoki mushroom on the topping. Definitely would recommend trying Tanakaya if you haven't already! I'd definitely come back. read more

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Food: their menu is fairly priced, plain soba is $17 and their combos are usually $20-25. We enjoy their quality of soba noodles and dipping sauce, it's a great place for authentic Japanese food. Service: their service is quite slow. We often try to go right as dinner service begins and still find ourselves waiting 30-40 minutes from ordering to get our food. I assume it's because they make their food fresh, but even so, often it takes a while to get the bill. However, the service is always nice and respectable. Parking: the lot can get pretty full sometimes, but it's quite spacious since there's not a lot of businesses in the plaza. read more

Not worth the wait or money. Portions are small. Servers aren't good. Left produce stickers on food. Found an eyelash in my salad.

Came here for dinner tonight and left pretty disappointed. The restaurant is located in a plaza with plenty of parking, and the restaurant itself is cute and has plenty of indoor seating. The staff are nice, but my goodness this is one of the slowest restaurants I have ever been to. The restaurant was about 60% full when we arrived, and it took over 40 minutes for our food to be served, and not once during that time did the staff check in or apologize for the wait. The food itself was just ok; I had ordered mixed tempura and curry udon. The curry udon had a different consistency than I'm normally used to, and the tempura was your standard affair. I was really hoping this would be worth the wait, but unfortunately it wasn't. Overall, a really disappointing experience, and while I'd love to try their soba noodles, I refuse to put up with these absurd wait times again. Edit: Unfortunately my wife and I both got sick from this meal the next morning, so we definitely will not be coming back. read more

TANAKAYA - Curry Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

We heard great things about the soba so we decided to give it a try. I ordered the tanuki udon and katsu don while my friend ordered the kakitama soba and chicken curry don. My katsu don was the favorite of all of them. It was SO flavorful (a little salty), but nonetheless really good. We also ordered their special cold soba sampler but were left underwhelmed. I couldn't taste the difference between the flavors. I preferred their rice dishes over their noodles surprisingly. read more

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Tanakaya's soba is the only place I go to for soba! Great for your health and so tasty as well!! The soba sampler is cute but a little difficult to eat. I wasn't feeling too hungry so I didn't want to order my regular tenzaru soba and I think this was the perfect amount! We also got some karaage to share and it was soooo juicy. It burned my mouth but idc because it was so good I visited another time and got the kitsune soba and curry combo! It was a good deal and very filling! Both really yummy options too soba sampler: 8/10 karaage: 10/10 kitsune soba: 9/10 chicken curry: 8/10 read more

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Parking: Tanakaya is located in a strip mall. I went on a weekday after work and there was plenty of parking. Interior: The restaurant is not very big but it dud not feel very crowded. Everything was neatly spaced out and clean. Service: The waiter was very friendly. He explained the things in the menu and came by to check with us a few times and to explain things that came with our orders. Food: I ordered the Tororo Soba and a side of tempura. The serving size of the soba was pretty big. It took me a while to finish so it actually got clumpy. The noodles came with a hot broth at the end that you are supposed to pour into the remainder of the dipping sauce and drink. It was a bit too salty for my taste. The tempura was okay. It was crispy and not very greasy. Overall, the meal was alright. read more

TANAKAYA - Tempura Appetizer - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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We arrived around 12:45pm and luckily we only waited about 10 minutes before getting seated, but we ended up waiting about 30 minutes for our food to come out. Here's what' my wife and I ordered: Vegetable tempura combo w/ cold soba: I loved the batter of the tempura. It was light and crispy and all the vegetables were cooked thoroughly. I would advise everyone to eat the tempura first though. It will lose its crispiness after a few minutes. The soba noodles were unlike anything I had ever had before. I don't know if they make their own noodles, but I really enjoyed the texture and chewiness of the noodles. It's a million times better than the dried store bought ones I always buy. Hot tanuki udon w/ katsu don: Again, the udon soup base was nothing like I have ever had before. The soup had a unique depth of flavor that had me drinking the whole bowl. The katsu was tender but lacking in some flavor so I had to pair it with the soup Overall, if you don't mind waiting, I'd highly recommend trying Tankaya. I noticed that most of the customers were either really excited to try the food or already had positive experiences. read more

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One of me and my husbands favorite dish is Ten Zaru Soba and this is our go to place for that. They make their own noodles fresh, their sauce is flavorful and their Tempura is lightly battered and crispy. Love the different of veggies that come with it and although there was only 1 shrimp, it was big, plump, and very tasty. We haven't been back here for a while and I was pleasantly surprised when they had matcha soba noodles as an option for a couple of dollars more. So since I love matcha, I had to try it and my husband ordered the traditional buckwheat soba noodles. The matcha noodles were firm and chewy compared to the traditional ones. The matcha flavor didn't stand out though. Although it was good, I miss the nutty and earthy flavor of the traditional buckwheat noodles on the dish. There is always a bit of a wait for your dish to be served but servers are always polite and nice. Restaurant's ambiance is nice and relaxing. read more

TANAKAYA - Ten Zaru Soba - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Expect a 20-40min wait during peak lunch time hours! Must arrive in person to put your name down, they don't call phone numbers or send texts. Super friendly and great service! Cozy interior too! They make everything fresh to order so it does take a while for food to arrive after ordering. :( Love their lunch combos! Super great deal! I got the Karaage lunch combo with cold soba. Karaage was perfectly fried and lots of meat for the portion they give! Juicy, tender, and flavorful! Even their rice was well cooked! Of course their cold soba was amazing as well. Soba noodles were not too starchy, perfectly cooked and the sauce was well flavored and not too salty. I prefer the cold vs hot soba since the hot does make the soba noodles a little less chewy and lose its texture a little. read more

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If you're looking for some good quality soba, this is the place to go! They do sell other things here but are known for their soba. I typically like hot foods, but I would recommend the cold soba over the hot ones here. It has a better texture and flavor! My group got the lunch sets, duck hot soba and the special sets. They were all delicious! The karage was nice, soft and juicy and the tonkatsu had a nice crunch. Be prepared to wait when you come as there always seems to be a line here. Even when you get seated, the food takes a while to come out, so don't come if you're in a lunch rush! read more

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Make sure to put your name on the list inside, it can be a wait on the weekends. Food is fresh and can take up to 20-25 minutes. Staff is friendly and attentive to service. The special combo comes with a choice of noodles (hot or cold) and a small side of your entree? Both items were huge and I took home leftovers. They have 2 restrooms which are clean. read more

TANAKAYA - Special Combo: Curry Katsu & Cold Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Wow, haven't been here for a few months and they've had a huge 20% price increase. I came in to dine at 6pm which is peak dinner time and there's only 3 other tables. Previously I would have to put my name on the waitlist and wait about half an hour prior to being seated. I think they've priced themselves out. My lowered rating is in regards to the price. Price aside, servers are friendly and attentive. Expect to wait awhile for your food with only one chef working in the back, freshly making noodles. There's a lot of competition here with so many other similar dining options in the area. The noodle soup is good but I don't think it's worth the increased price. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be dining here again in the future read more

My boyfriend and I found this spot since I'm a huge soba lover. We walked in at around 7pm and there was only 1 couple ahead of us. Waiting was not too long. The servers were nice however there was only two from what I can remember. We ordered in less than 10 minutes in which I ordered Oh Zara which was 2 layers of soba noodles (or udon) with dipping sauce. Usually it is recommended to order Zaru as one layer tends to fill up 1 person. My boyfriend ordered the combination special of Kitsune cold udon noodles along with Katsu Don. Ambiance was nice. The interior is simple and clean. Nothing too extravagant and the only sound comes from others having conversations :) We did wait a while for our order and wasn't expecting it to be that long. It took a lil over 45 min . However, I did enjoy my soba and my boyfriend preferred the Katsu Don over the cold noodles. I too tried the Katsu Don and I loved the flavor. It reminded me of a home cooked meal lol. Key takeaways: 4/5 -might wait long for food (make sure you have nothing planned if you're in a rush lol) -choose your layers depending on how much you'll think you'll eat -make use of the combination specials! I'd come back again!!! read more

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great food! very fresh and tasty. broth wasn't too salty. noodles were chewy. i got the cold kitsune soba. it's a smaller restaurant so there might be a wait if you come at peak time, but i went like 10 mins after they opened for dinner and was sat immediately (but there was already people in the restaurant and it was almost filed already) when we went, they did mention o me and my friend that they are short staffed so the wait for our order may be longer than usual. we probably waited around 20 mins for our food. not a huge deal especially since they did communicate with us. very nice servers!! would come back:) read more

TANAKAYA - kitsune - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

TLDR: delicious soba, but the wait was soo long (30 min to get a table, 20-30 min to get food) We ordered the soba combo with katsu don and fillet katsu! The texture of the soba was incredible and it's so incredibly fresh. It paired perfectly with the dipping sauce. The katsu was also great and paired well with the soba for those wanting some protein. Overall would return again on a hot summer day for the cold refreshing soba read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

5th in line on waitlist, which isnt bad, but still more than an hour wait. When we checked in periodically, there were empty tables that were still dirty and havent been cleaned for 15-20 mins after the guests left. First things first when we get seated, we had to pick up the menu ourselves, no one handed us one. We had to ask for napkins. We had to ask for water. Correct me if im wrong but arent these all given even without request?? Also "cold soba" on the menu? Nahh its "lukewarm soba" at best. The only good thing about this place is leaving and walking out door. read more

KEEP IN MIND!! CLOSED ON MONDAYS I've been wanting to try this spot foreve, and I finally made it. My friend and I went for lunch on Wednesday. I arrived 30 minutes prior to opening to snug a good spot, and by 11:30, there was a line of 10 people behind me. PRO TIP: CHECK OUT THE MENU ONLINE BEFORE YOU GO. Service was a bit slow with only two servers, so having your order ready helps. The staff were super friendly, though they seemed a bit short-staffed. It was tough to flag them down, but once we did, they were very attentive. We ordered the soba sampler and the lunch combo (tonkatsu and hot udon). Both were very delicious and flavorful! The soba sampler offered a good variety, but the lunch combo my favorite-you get the best of both worlds noodles and a protein. The food took a while, but it was absolutely worth the wait! :) read more

TANAKAYA - Lunch Combo : Tonkatsu and hot udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Fantastic food - really great deal on the lunch special. I got the soba noodles and Katsu Don. Broth and noodles were perfect in texture, temperature and taste. Katsu Don had the perfect meat to rice ratio. Great flavors all around. Lunch gets super busy so arrive at opening time. Parking is also tough since it's nestled in a strip mall. read more

TANAKAYA - Lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Come to this place early if you dont want to wait. First time we went here; we had to wait for about an hour for party of 7. This place is famous for their soba although i am not a big fan of soba, I actually enjoyed it. I usually order katsudon here which is really good. The interior is pretty spacious. The restaurants is located in a big plaza, which has plenty of parking spots. read more

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What I ordered: - Ten zaru Soba noodles had a nice, firm chew to them. The dipping sauce was perfectly balanced, not too salty but just enough soy sauce flavor. I was equally as impressed with the tempura. The set came with shrimp and various vegetables. Each piece was lightly battered and fried, having just enough crisp for a satisfying crunch. My favorite tempura pieces were the shrimp and mushroom. This is definitely the best soba noodle spot I have tried so far in the U.S. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Great soba noodles, about 90% similar to the ones in Japan! If you need meat with every meal, they don't have too many meat options. Karaage 5/5: huge, flavorful, and moist! Highly recommend [Set/Combo] Soba with tempura rice: 4/5 , soba was very refreshing and cooked well. I thought I would dip it but it came with the sauce on the bottom. Rice and shrimp was just okay, I should have just opted for the Soba mainly. We went right when they opened on a Thursday and within 10 minutes they were already full, so go early! Parking: lots of parking spaces but they are a small. read more

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Stopped by Tanakaya for dinner last night, and could really tell that the food was super quality. The noodles were made just right and the menu well-priced. The tempura was battered just right to remain crispy while still being relatively light. I'd come back again, but only if I had some time to spare, as the food took longer than expected to come out. read more

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Decent spot for soba noodles but I wouldn't say the best for udon. The restaurant is a bit small so it can get packed pretty easily. Staff didn't really greet us when we checked-in. Wait around 20-30 minutes to get seated on a Saturday. Our waiter was a bit hard to understand, but we decided to take a risk and order dishes that we wanted to try. We tried asking if there was fish in any dishes due to someone being a vegetarian.. I think he assumed that my cousin didn't eat meat. We ordered the assorted tempura which was a good serving. A bit on the pricey side but worth it. The main dishes we ordered was the seasonal soba sampler and karaage udon. The chicken was pretty plain with limited flavor. The udon was good by itself and not worth having the protein as an add on. Overall the food was light and fresh. It's worth trying at least once, to form your own opinion. read more

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