Anne N.

Love the concept and aesthetic--even with global locations, Udon Shin maintains its intimate and minimal layout. Shoes must be taken off if seated in the dining rooms, which elevates its ambiance from other restaurants. Our server was great; she took the time to answer questions and checked in occasionally. Negi toro was really good; it's a super simple roll, but the tuna was fresh and the ratio to rice was good. Note that if you order any sushi, soy sauce and wasabi aren't served with it as they already put the proper amount of wasabi and brushed soy sauce meant to be enjoyed with it. The carbonara was probably the star for me--it was creamy without being heavy. The tempura bacon was basically a tempura slice of ham (quite thick). The kake udon was extremely simple, just udon and broth. It was tasty, but not something I'd return for at that price point. Overall, their house made udon noodles lived up to the hype, but expect to pay a heavy price tag for the meal. Age cream dessert was exactly as described--fried bread stuffed with cream. The cream was tasty, light, and not too sweet, but ultimately not super memorable. I think it's worth trying if you're a noodle fanatic, or at the very least, to try the sushi.

Jennifer G.

I was looking forward to trying Udon Shin ever since I heard they were coming to Arizona. My first meal here did not disappoint! The care and attention the staff and chefs took was a delight to see. I wanted to try a bit of everything and decided to try some of the dishes they recommended. I can't wait to go back and try other dishes as well as the specials they are now offering. I recommend sitting at the bar for your first time to experience the open kitchen and ambiance of the restaurant. Next time we sit at the Horigotatsu. We started with the tempura sampler, along with some crudo and nigiri. Our udon dish we selected was the Carbonara. We finished the meal with the Age Cream. I highly suggest trying Udon Shin!

Doreen N.

I'm a total udon lover and udon is on my top 10 favorite list of things to eat! Naturally, I was excited to hear about Udon Shin's recent opening in town. We came during their 2nd week of opening, and to avoid lines, it was around 9:40PM on a Saturday night. We were seated right away in the booths where you remove your shoes. I love the integration of the cultural Japanese vibe, decor and ambiance. The staff were incredibly hospitable and different servers would assist in taking our orders, bringing and clearing our dishes which made the dining experience very inviting and smooth. We ordered the hamachi crudo which was beautifully prepared! I loved the citrus paired with the spice of serrano peppers, it nicely melded the flavors with the hamachi. I also had the ebi tempura, very good, but pricey for $10. For udon, I got the A5 wagyu kamatama. They did mention that udon dishes take 30 mins bc they're made to order. It was extremely tasty, noodles were made perfectly. The addition of wagyu and egg definitely elevated the savory dish. However, it does come at a very steep cost of $44. Overall, I thought the food and service were phenomenal, but be prepared for a high tab. Would definitely come back, but only for special occasions or for friends or family in town.

Dwayne O.

Udon Shin We went in between lunch and dinner since we were in the Tempe / Mesa area and arrived at 3:45pm with no wait. Entered the front door into a hallway with the receptionist behind a podium, then was asked to remove your shoes, was led to a Japanese style room with white panels, the room had about 3 steps up with one long table where the table height was just above the floor and had a sunken floor for your legs and feet, with a seat pad, which was not the easiest to get into. The 2 of us shared a table with other people. I believe the table could accommodate 10 people. They were on one end and we were on the other end. A little awkward initially but it worked. We were handed the 2 menus, a regular one and one with specials, the waiter explained things well but was expecting us to make a decision right then, so we asked to give us a minute to think things over. We decided on our meal, we started with the Ebi Set which use to be called the Chef Tempura. The Ebi Set contained 2 large tempura black tigerk shrimp, kabocha, zucchini and red bell pepper, the black tiger shrimp were about the largest that I have ever seen, close to 10 inches and incredibly delicious. The A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Donburi was a small bowl with a bed of rice, A5 Wagyu and dry flat noodles. Tasty but very small bowl, was not what was expected, probably would have passed and get sushi instead. Udon Carbonara Carbonara style with namatamago (raw jidori egg), cheese, bacon tempura (served raw or undercooked). Now if you are expecting a soup base, this is a creamy cheese sauce, the bacon tempura is very good and the best part of this entree, but the overall dish is a little different than expected. The udon was a good combination in noodles in a cheese creamy sauce. Although a popular dish, I believe it is popular because it is the least expensive udon dish at $33 as opposed to $44 or $49 for other udon selections. Age Cream Fried artisanal japanese milk bread with house made cream filling, the bread is pretty interesting, tasty with a lot of cream, pretty good. Service was very good, always there asking what they can do or topping off drinks, very attentive. Overall, if rating on purely on food would give a 3.0 to 3.5, service a 4.5 to 5, quantity of food a 3, price point of food a 2 way over price, come on I was just in Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto last year and the beauty of Japan was excellent food for favorable price point. So I would overall, with the overall extremely high price for udon, small quantity, taste/quality i would give udon shin an overall 3. People are not going to come back with those price point of dishes, the first word of mouth recommendation will be extreme high prices over quality of food

Trinity N.

I ate here for the first time after seeing it on Instagram. I sat at the bar, and the server was very friendly. He explained the menu, gave me recommendations, and made me feel welcome. Since I sat at the bar I talked with the chefs, who were also incredibly hospitable. The entire staff was warm and friendly. The chefs recommended the fatty tuna nigiri and some hand rolls. I also asked them to make me a uni hand roll with caviar, and it was absolutely delicious. They recommended a yuzu highball as well, which was refreshing and paired perfectly with my meal. For my main dish, I ordered the carbonara udon with giant tempura bacon. While I usually enjoy bacon, I wasn't particularly in the mood for it at the time, so I only had a few bites. However, the udon itself was excellent. If you're looking for more authentic Japanese udon, I highly recommend this place.

Sam L.

So promising but ultimately disappointed. Missing the masterful attention to detail you come across easily in Japan. Udon was fantastic and our waitress gave great service. Cold udon is elite and the wagyu bukkake is no exception. Where things went wrong were the details like poorly seared wagyu, undercooked rice and patchy tempura, and most criminally, the cream sando which was soaked in oil and borderline inedible. Unfortunately the aftertaste of it is lingering on my palette. The best I've had was Godaime Hanayama Udon in Ginza and was less than $12 a bowl. Marugame is not far behind. Premium prices on top of the lackluster execution makes it very difficult to imagine returning.

Kimberly P.

Hubs and I arrived here on Saturday 15 minutes before opening and there was already a decent line forming. You will wait outside and then the host will let you inside to place you on their waitlist. There are two areas to sit at. If you're dining at the bar area, then you do not need to take off your shoes. If you're dining in the table area, then you will need to put your shoes in designated cubbies. We sat at the bar. The ambience is inviting and warm. The service was friendly but the food did take a bit of time to get to us. We didn't mind it though as they're still new. We ordered the wagyu kamatama udon and the wagyu sando. The sando is not on the menu but you can ask for it. Bear in mind, the prices here are on the upscale side. The sando was $55 on its own. The udon noodles were delicious and the perfect texture. The dessert was simple but also very tasty. Parking itself can be a bit tricky because it is a shared lot with many other businesses. Try to come early if you can. We will definitely return to try the carbonara udon!

Brandon Y.

I really enjoyed the experience here at Udon Shin! Felt like an oasis where people can have an experience similar to Japan without leaving Phoenix. Keep in mind prices are noticeably higher than a local Japanese restaurant in the valley. I was grateful to make it in with no wait. The udon carbonara was really tasty. It comes with parmigiano reggiano, egg yolk, butter, chives and a sort of bacon tempura. Combined it almost tastes sweet. Markel the server was great. Ambiance was certainly elevated Japanese.

Betty J.

Came here the day after opening. Only had to wait about an hour, the line wasn't too bad. The service was friendly & attentive! Got my order out quickly & there were no issues :) Big fan of the udon carbonara. Very flavorful and creamy. Also liked the bacon tempura, it went very well with it. I like the ambiance & think it was a fun experience. I was worried about the place smelling like toes tbh but there were no odors lol

Olivia K.

Exciting to have an Udon Shin in Arizona! I hate to say it, but we were extremely disappointed. My group went on the Grand Opening Day- we were the second and third tables to be sat: I have mixed feelings, so I'll be sorting my review into three categories: Food, Ambiance, and Service. ----- Food: The flavor of the food was excellent. We received our entrees before the starters, which I would not have preferred. The carbonara udon was EXCELLENT: the bacon was flavorful and the tempura batter was crisp. The egg and the butter tasted wonderful with the noodles. The udon had divine texture and flavor. I also enjoyed my partner's A5 Wagyu Bukkake- however, the portion of meat was small for the price (almost fifty dollars!) and staff forgot the broth part of the udon for about ten minutes. The Hamachi Crudo was very beautiful, but I didn't feel as though the amount or flavor were stellar for the price. The sauce was difficult to eat. Our group also split the Wagyu Sandos- the meat was buttery, and the caviar added a perfect touch of freshness. I did feel as though the milk bread was a tad oily (this is a nitpick; it was still AWESOME). If the bread was less oily it would have been ABSOLUTELY perfect. Ambiance: The interior was lovely. We did not feel like we were in Mesa, Arizona. The corridor to take shoes off was narrow and crowded- bring shoes that are easy to remove. I also appreciated the beautifully thin water glasses and elegant light fixtures. The presentation of the food was upscale. Beautiful craftsmanship! Service: The service was, respectfully, awful. Firstly, we came as a group of 8- I asked that the host seat us nearby our other half of the group, and they did not. We had the same server, so not sure why they did not just seat us at two tables next to one another- it would have been easier for all involved. Upon sitting, we were asked if we would prefer sparkling or still water. Assuming it was complementary, we all chose still. We later found out each water was NINE DOLLARS (the soda was cheaper!) with no alternative initially given. After we had unknowingly accepted the premium water, only on our refill did the server conveniently mention there was tap water available- felt very deceptive. Especially after waiting for 3 hours in the heat, it should have been disclosed that the first offered option was not complementary. Our server also repeatedly brought the wrong food out- firstly, our starters came out after we had essentially finished our udon. One member of our party ordered the kake udon with bacon tempura- first, they brought out the bukkake udon (he did not order that), and then they brought the kake udon with shrimp tempura (he does not eat shrimp), and then after a long period, the bacon tempura finally arrived, alongside a side of a sauce and grated daikon (staff did not explain why these items were also given). My partner also ordered the A5 Wagyu Bukkake- and they forgot to bring out the pour over sauce for about ten minutes. At nearly fifty dollars, all components of the meal should be served together. We were also charged for a beer and a cola, that the OTHER HALF OF OUR PARTY ordered, not us. Afterwards, a different member of staff said our paying party member that he would be refunded for the error, with no real apology or offer to compensate for any other issues, such as the lack of sauce, receiving the wrong order 3 times in a row, etc. Finally, we felt as though the server was not prepared. For the grand opening, staff should be trained adequately. He appeared nervous, did not explain most items on the menu, repeatedly forgot items that we ordered (even with a notepad), and did not introduce himself. A different member of staff had to come and help several times, and then after that member had helped, our initial server came back and repeated the same info. It felt like staff were not communicating with one another at all. Staff also seemed annoyed when we pointed out we were wrongly charged. The other members of our party on the opposite end at least had a dessert and their waters compensated- we were not offered anything. ----- TL,DR: Food was excellent, but service was very bad for the price point. I understand first day jitters, but for the price point, the experience was horrendous. I had high expectations for the grand opening, but ultimately I and my group, were very let down. We were among the first customers in the restaurant- during a grand opening at a luxury price point, staff should be prepared to provide the best experience possible. Furthermore, my friends who visited Udon Shin in Japan remarked that it was FAR cheaper for water and pricing was much more transparent. (I understand import fees, but 9 DOLLARS for water with no initial alternative disclosed is ridiculous.) Honestly, we feel robbed. Two stars for food and ambiance. We will not be returning unless service improves. :( Disappointing!

Cindy C.

Food was delicious. Their udon has perfect texture but bit pricey for what you get. The sushi crudo was super fresh. Tempura was absolutely delicious. Overall, great meal, but for the price I wonder if I'd return. However, I recommend to try at least once and decide for yourself.

Meg L.

This place felt like I was back in Japan. We took our shoes off and sat at a table with cushioned seats. We got the carbonara and the kake udon with a side of tempura. It was delicious! Would definitely come back to try the drinks and desserts next time.

Amera P.

The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the service was good. The Chef Tempura is a must-try, and the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Donburi was delicious and one of the highlights of our meal. Unfortunately, the udon itself was just okay and not worth the hype in my opinion. The main reason for my rating is what happened after the meal. Neither my son nor I enjoyed the udon, and as shown in the photo, we left a large portion untouched. We asked for to-go containers so we could take the leftovers home, but were told the restaurant did not have any available. It was disappointing to pay full price for meals we barely ate and then be unable to take the remaining food with us because no takeout containers were available. While the staff was kind, this experience left us frustrated and significantly impacted our overall experience.