i liked the vibes and it was surprisingly no wait for lunch on saturday, cash only. the rice is a little bit mushy imo but the udon texture is good ambiance is small and cozy read more

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While I don't think it'll win any awards for the best udon in the city, Udon St. Marks is still a place that I think is worth venturing to when in the East Village. Given the closure of some very popular nearby spots (#1) I am genuinely happy to see them thriving in what might be the closest thing to a Lil Japan (#1) in NY. Like many of the establishments in the motherland, Udon St Marks is a tight fit. A narrow bar / counter stretches across the inside, where just over a dozen seats face an open kitchen of a rowdy staff cooking things up for folks. There is a few sit down tables for couples but they're in a narrow corner of the restaurant. For folks sitting on the counter, there is a chance of spillage and even the higher likelihood of coming out smelling like broth, but there are certainly worse things in life. This is the perfect solo dining meal, but also worthy of a date who is okay with close quarter eating. The food was always inconsistent over the years, but I find they've gotten better through the pandemic. I have always been a sucker for the nabeyaki udon + tempura combo, which comes with a side a bowl of rice. The soft udon noodles make for a nice contrast to the crunch of the assorted tempura. Their chige udon is a nice play between Korean stews (chigae) and udon and contains a good flavor'y mix of beef, kimchi, egg, and spinach. I also think the karaage (fried chicken) and maru-ten (fish cake + tempura) udon are worthy of consideration. Then there are the standout dishes that aren't udon based at all, which is where I give them the additional thumbs up. Their curry sets (croquette or cutlet) are super tasty and I am a big time sucker for their negi-tori don (fatty tuna over rice); which is so good I wish there was more of it. The gyoza and takoyaki (octopus balls) are solid, but certainly don't trump the main dishes whatsoever. Last I checked, they were cash only. Indoor dining service has resumed so that it's not exclusively a takeout joint. Service is friendly and they don't rush folks even when there is a wait. I would avoid bringing large groups of any kind here and would recommend ordering both a rice and noodle bowl for the best of both worlds. ____________ (#1) R.I.P. Village Yochoko, Angel's Share, Ramen Setagaya (#2) St. Marks, East Village. read more

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A good option for something quick, simple and affordable on st marks. Nothing to write home about but it does the job! I cant speak for the hot udon, but the cold udon contained so much mirin it tasted like sake, which I didn't love. They do have a minimum price per guest to be able to dine here- I think around $8 or something (totally reasonable but just an FYI if you weren't hungry enough for an entree or were just accompanying friends). read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This place is a cheap no frills udon place. They take cash only so make sure to have some on hand when visiting. The interior of the restaurant is pretty small and narrow but I appreciate that they had hangers for coats. We sat at the bar so we had full view of the open kitchen. Between the three of us we ordered takoyaki, karage, two niku udons, and a ika tempura udon. The takoyaki and karage was decent. They were both good but nothing mind blowing. I like that the chicken was in big chunks. As for the udon, the noodles were the frozen variety but cooked to a nice texture. Between the niku udon and the ika tempura udon, the niku udon is definitely better. They give a decent amount of beef in each portion and the broth was pretty satisfying. I found that the tempura in the tempura udon was much too soggy and eventually the breading of the tempura was all you could taste. Overall the service was quick and to the point while the food was decent especially at that price point. I would definitely come back for a quick and cheap udon fix. read more

Udon St Marks - Niku Udon Kara Age Takoyaki Ika-Ten Udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Firstly, the udon here is some of the best in the city. I used to frequent Udon West by Grand Central, and this is basically the same. I got the Nabeyaki Udon and it was exactly what I'd want. Very good and flavorful broth (and well balanced), noodles with good flavor and bite (not perfect but way way better than what I've gotten at Tsurutontan), and nicely done tempura. It is a fairly small restaurant (not surprising for St. Mark's Place), with a few seats at the bar and something like 4 or 5 tables. We came in with 3 people at about 6:45PM on a Wednesday and immediately got a table but there was a slight line a bit after. Service was quite prompt, though, which helped quite a bit. Also note: cash only! read more

Udon St Marks - Nabeyaki Udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I tried this place for the first time on Halloween. Needless to say I crave it on a weekly basis now. The employees were so friendly and sweet. You can be seated at the bar and watch the chefs prepare your meals or sit at a table for larger parties. I sat at the bar and really enjoyed watching them cook the noodles. Everything looked super clean too. Now the food. Omg. The spicy salmon and rice was the perfect portion size. It was so satisfying. But the noodles and broth are my FAVORITE part. The combo allows for the perfect pairing of the two. It was so nice to wash down my bites with sips of broth. For around $17 dollars I can't recommend it enough. They have vegetarian options too for my plant loving friends Just FYI, it is a cash only place. But they have an atm outside for convenance. read more

Udon St Marks - Their phone number - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Perfect lovely place for a lunch by one's self. I've had some more high end udons such as Tsurontontan, Raku, and hanon. However, I find myself returning to Udon St. Marks. While the broth is not as complex as a $20 bowl, and the noodles slightly softer and less bouncy, you simply can not beat the value of a bowl of udon here. The noodles are thick and the broth is slightly sweet and drinkable. Truly the item I come here for is the fish cake tempura. I don't know how they make it so good. It is so satisfying and chewy and savory. If I'm feeling really fancy, I may get the maru-ten udon, which already comes with a generous 4 triangles of the delicious aforementioned fish cake, and add a potato croquette- perfectly crispy, served very hot and just greasy enough. I do find that the croquette is much better when you request they bring it on a separate plate. I think it's a little weird when they put it on top of your soup and it gets very soggy very fast. read more

Udon St Marks - Maru-Ten Udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I'm surprised this place doesn't have a 4+ star rating! The menu options, including the sets, are a bang for your buck. I was eyeing the curry options and croquette options but ended up getting the hamburg set which came with rice and udon. For the udon you have a choice of cold or hot udon. I tried the cold udon it was SO delicious. I expected it to be tasteless because there wasn't any protein topping on it but boy was I wrong. It was very refreshing because of the coolness of the soup. There were small veggie toppings (I think) that added to the texture. The hamburg was yummy as well. The ice berg lettuce that came with the hamburg really completed it. I think the rice might be sushi rice because it was all clumped together. I couldn't finish all the rice and hamburg, which goes to show this is worth it The service was average, nothing bad to say. The waitress served us water in small plastic cups. I think she refilled it maybe once or twice. There were a few instances where I needed water but I couldn't find the waitress. But, it's all good. They have a very clean bathroom. They have a few tables and then a bar table. For the bar table they have a hook underneath so customers can hang their belongings there. This is a cash only place. read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I personally felt the udon was standard tasting. The rice dish was a bit too moist. The squid tempera was too soggy. The brocolli with tempura was still crisp. The takoyaki was really good though. I would come back for the takoyaki alone. It was ball-shaped, hot and filled with zesty octopus. Remember to bring cash. read more

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I have been going to this restaurant for almost 10 years. Why go? This is one of the best places to get Gyu don in NYC for a reasonable price (less than $10). You can order Gyu Don in many places in NYC but nobody makes the simmered beef over rice dish perfectly like Udon St Marks does. You can also try the many Udon dishes they have or better yet get a COMBO dish like Udon + Gyu don or Katsu Curry + Udon. What to note: It's cash only. On weekends it can get very busy and there is not alot of table seating. There's counter like seating and then 3 tables in the back, no more than ~15-20 people in the entire restaurant (including staff). The food is served very quick and the service is exactly what you would expect for a no frills Japanese restaurant. Truly a Japanese experience in NYC if you miss Tokyo/Osaka fast-food like restaurants. read more

It's a small udon restaurant with a few staff working. All were very nice and worked diligently to get the food to the table. The food tasted great and big portions as well. read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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A warm and cozy noodle house located in Lower East Side, St. Marks Place. Great place to sit in and enjoy a warm Udon noodle soup to unwind from a long day at work! After coming here on a Thursday night with a few others and being seated promptly, I ordered a Karaage Udon. It was absolutely fantastic - the chicken was juicy, soup was savory but not too salty, and the udon noodles were splendidly boiled with softness that could not possibly go without appreciation from the tongue. 10/10 - expect a return from me again. read more

Udon St Marks - Karaage Udon! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Cheap eats in the area. The service is great. The place is kind of small so it was cramped. The udon is great. My hamburg was just okay, would definitely go back to try other things. Remember it's cash only. They do have an ATM outside. read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Cozy and small restaurant in St. Mark's place. Udon was good but I think the rice bowls are better. Not much space for seating so you might want to come early or be prepared to wait a bit read more

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cash only and affordable udon spot in st. marks with limited seating and no frills. the udon here is great value (~11 for a reasonably sized bowl). broth hits the spot and has great flavor, and is filling. i was ecstatic when i noticed they offer hamburgs. but after trying, was left feeling unsatisfied and a little disappointed. it was definitely more like a lean beef patty with sweet sauce and salad. the sauce was too sweet and lacked the signature acidity and depth of flavor. the beef patty was too lean and over cooked, and reminded me a bit of a hockey putt. accessorizing the protein was a sad little handful of cabbage salad, which with the dressing and the lemon, to my surprise, was more enjoyable than the "hamburg" itself. there's a minimum spend of $8/pp here AND minimum of one order per person. if you're looking to share a meal even if it totals $16+ they will not allow it. servers survive on tips here so if you don't have enough cash on hand, i would recommend dining elsewhere or hitting them ATM before you come in. our server haggled us after the meal because we calculated the math wrong. which was mortifying! i would recommend just come here next time with at least $30 if you're a party of two.. ^^" overall for a simple bowl of udon i'd be back! i'd be hesitant to order anything but that unfortunately by for the price it's hard to beat if you're too lazy to cook but are craving noodles and soup. read more

Been coming here for 6 years. This place deserves 5 stars. Best udon for the price in NYC hands down. Amazing service in a cool little udon bar on St. Marks. Highly recommend Niku Udon or if you're hungry get the curry set! read more

Delivered on the promise of udon! I can't say that I was totally blown away but the food was solid and very satisfying. The staff were also very friendly and attentive. We came with a pretty large party and everyone enjoyed their food. Pretty straightforward no frills place which can be great sometimes! read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I'm glad this place is open again. Great tasting udon. I'm a fan because their soup is on the lighter side and not salty. All their menu items are on the cheaper side for nyc. I usually get the kitsune udon or Wakame udon which is a vegetable based broth. Their other udon is fish based broth. Friendly service. They have bar seating and tables in the back. They have limited seating. One bummer is they only accept cash. read more

The food here is my definition of comfort food. One of my top favorite restaurants that I always return to. I've been a frequent customer for this place for at least a decade now. I'm assuming there's been a change in management because of the updated store name (used to be Udon West) and some changes in their menu. Since reopening, prices have increased (but still worth the price!) and I noticed they don't serve fish cake with their udon anymore. Despite all that, their food tastes the same as I remember. I usually opt for their udon sets because it's the most worth it. I usually go for the spicy tuna set, kalbi set, or takoyaki set. I love the texture of their udon and I love the simplicity of their soup. If you're ever in the area craving for some udon, this is the spot! read more

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Affordable udon sets! Very tasty and delicious. Highly recommend asking for the spicy seasoning for the udon to get a boost of flavor and spice. Cash only! read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Super small little udon restaurant on St Mark's. They have a bar area with about a dozen? maybe less seats and like 2 or 3 tables. So it would be hard for a large group to be seated here. Also hard to be seated at lunch or dinner hour. But this place is popular for a reason! They have super cheap prices for a gold amount of food. In my opinion, the set meals at the back of the menu are the most worth it! I got the gyu don set for $11.25. Honestly its enough for two people if you are not too hungry. It came with a bowl of rice with stewed beef on top, which was super delicious. And also a bowl of udon. I cant tell if the udon is fresh since I do see that it comes in block form, and they throw it in and boil it, but it tastes pretty good to me. Water is self service in front of the bar area and they have little hooks underneath the bar area for you to put your coats or bags. Would love to come here during off hours ! read more

Udon St Marks - Gyudon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Terrible Experience! This is unacceptable!!! Total discrimination. After I had finished eating my order I was going to give my credit card to the waitress. Instead of the waitress, there was some guy, who didn't even told me who he is, and who came up to me and asked to pay with cash only. First of all. All other customers paid to the waitress directly. Why the waitress called someone to accept my payment (the waitress was staying together with that guy)? Second of all, they asked me to pay cash only and I replied to them that I am going to pay but I need to use Bank of America ATM. (I'm not using anything else) Then they both insisted on leaving my drivers license and I looked like a theft to other customers. This is terrible experience. I didn't refuse to pay. I even had my credit card presented to them. You have to announce to your customers that your place is cash only. Besides that, they insisted on leaving tips. Excuse me, for making me look like I am a theft because I ordered food for $11.25 and wanted to pay? And by the way, The food is mediocre. The staff who speaks English - only a waitress. No one else could even answer basic questions I asked. read more

Delicious, well priced, fast, and lovely service! I came here on a snowy night when all of my usual spots in the LES had 1hr+ waitlists. It's the perfect place for a cozy casual meal in East Village! Pros: Surprisingly wide variety of vegetarian/vegan options, affordable, great value for money, fast, great service! Cons: Not the most amazing meal/udon I've had in NYC. But pretty amazing for the price! Kitsune Udon: I was impressed by how flavorful the soup was even though it was a veggie broth, a lot of other places don't prioritize vegetable broths so they often end up lacking in flavor. But the vegetable broths were just as delicious as the fish broth- in it's sweet, savory, and light goodness. Kitsune was delicious and plentiful. Udon was cooked- soft but still bouncy and thick. Spicy Tuna Don Set Udon: I really did not except to get a full sized udon but it was just as big as the kitsune udon. Classic no frills udon that tasted just like the cheap udons I bought in Japan. Great value! Spicy Tuna Don: hearty and full. The spicy tuna has a good kick but isn't melt your mouth spicy. It doesn't have a spicy tuna sauce, which I would have loved for extra creaminess, but still delicious. Overall: great value- a perfect cheap eats that feels authentically Japanese. Our waitress was also so kind, cheerful, and attentive. Will definitely be coming back! read more

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I was so sad to see it closed. I'm happy they are open again. Their spicy tuna don is amazing!!!! Anywhere else I've had doesn't do it for me! I can't wait to come back! read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

What a great place to relax after work or school. The menu is diverse and you have many options to choose from. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend the set menu on the back of the menu. You will not be disappointed. The Yakiniku don is delicious and the fried chicken appetizer is juicy and comes with mayo and side salad. The Udon is springy and warm your stomach on a cold day in New York and the pippin hot tempura will be sure to sear your tongue so BE CAREFUL. TIP: THEY ONLY TAKE CASH SO BE PREPARED read more

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I love Gyu don. This restaurant has killer Gyu don. Little hole in the wall spot. Kitchen is right in front of you. Literally burners are 4 feet away. Go late. Sit at the counter. Get a Kirin on tap. Get the Gyu don. Leave very happy. read more

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Open again! Great team working here and delicious food! Soup still comes out hot during summer! Love it. Also option for cold udon too. Very nice renovations! read more

Udon St Marks - Veggie shrimp udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I used to frequent this spot often during my undergraduate years pre covid. Before covid, they only had 2 tables and most people sat at the bar. Now they have outdoor seating due to covid. However, many people smoke near the restaurant, so if you do not like the smell of cigarettes I do not recommend the outdoor seating. I highly recommend any of the tempura dishes that they offer. The batter they use for tempura is much thicker and savory than the batter that is used in tempura at sushi restaurants. I had the ika tempura set which comes with squid tempura over rice and a bowl of udon. I also added the fish cake and shrimp tempura to the udon. The udon has a very tasty broth and a generous portion of noodles and scallion. The rice dish came with a lot of fried squid and one fried broccoli over very soft and tasty rice. Overall- Great place for an affordable and very tasty meal. 5/5 would recommend. read more

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Best thing about this cozy nook in cranny spot- can't beat the prices for a neighborhood like St Marks. Quick meal for $10. Cash only. Service was commendable- one staff member doing it all for the 3-4 tables and bar seats. Not much seating and not much room inside. Definitely get what you expect out of a small humble udon spot. The menu includes udon with different toppings, sets of udon paired with tempura, rice bowls, appetizers, etc. Prices are under $15 for most sets and items. Food came in large portions but the items we ordered were very mediocre. @ tempura set (~$15) - includes a plain hot udon, assorted tempura (2 shrimp, and 4 vege in this case I remember green pepper, sweet potato/carrot?, kabocha squash), white rice, and dipping sauce. Hot udon tastes like standard packaged udon acceptable light dashi broth and soft smooth udon noodles. Tempura was terrible, anemic shrimp wrapped in thick uneven batter, veggies falling out of batter, dipping sauce is really really watered down. Rice was fine. @ veggie spring roll set (~$15) - hot udon with 4 springs rolls, rice, and dipping sauce. Udon same as the tempura set, standard. I don't like spring rolls, especially bad ones like these. Pale color, barely crispy, questionable filling. tl;dr cheap meal by neighborhood standards, extremely limited seating, cash only, food is sorta okay if you like packaged frozen udon, just don't get the tempura or spring rolls read more

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One of my favorite udon places in nyc! I love to get the shrimp tempura udon or the simmered beef udon. Highly recommend the simmered beef because the beef is thinly sliced, tender, and marinated so well! The price isn't that expensive - very affordable and great value! The only thing is that the place is very small and the seating is only by the bar and two small tables in the back. So when it's busy, the wait can be a bit long and the wait area is very small as well. Also this place is cash only read more

Udon St Marks - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

As always! This place has to be one of my favorite place to go for udon. Cheap and delicious! When we got there, there was a wait line to be seated but it was pretty quick. The wait time was about 10-15 minutes then we got seated and got our menus to see what's for food. They only accept cash. The menus are listed into categories and set combination meals. What I love about is there combo meals which is so worth getting. Each combo set comes with rice and hot/cold udon noodles with katsu or curry or your preferred choice. Food did not take long since we ordered then next minute, the food is served in front of you. I ordered a sausage set with cold udon. The sausage was cut finely with thin cuts. Very juicy and flavorful. Cold udon is my second favorite. The udon could serve as hot or not. Up to your preference. The udon is very chewy and a good amount for one person to eat. Very cold, flavorful, tasteful, and delicious!! The sets are $11 each. Total worth getting!! This place is definitely a go-to on anyone's list. Must-go if you like udon like I do!! :) read more

Udon St Marks - Sausage combo set with white rice and cold udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This spot never disappoints! The combo sets are such a great deal! I always get the spicy tuna Don set which comes with a bowl of warm udon and a big bowl of spicy tuna over rice for $14.95. The udon is bouncy and chewy and the spicy tuna don is fresh and satisfies my sushi/fish cravings! Service is great, and place is clean. I never had an issue with anything here. Definitely a go-to spot when you don't know where to eat. read more

Udon St Marks - Spicy Tuna Don Set Combo - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Came here yesterday because I was craving udon and something soupy since the weather turned colder. This was always on my list but I never got a chance to go. I got a seat at the bar and got the combo: curry set with udon $9.50. I added extra toppings (each listed different price depending on item). I added simmered beef $4.20+ seasoned tofu (kitsune) $3. Both were yummy. I finished everything as it was delish. Udon was soft, chewy and tender; very slurp worthy. I enjoyed the kitsune very much. There is a water station in middle, tables in the back and bar seating available only. Therr are hooks for your jacket/bags under the bar table. ****CASH ONLY**** read more

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I love this restaurant with all of my heart! Was so happy when they came back after the fire. Whenever I'm with a friend and we get hungry I always recommend this place. I've introduced so many people to this restaurant and they've all left feeling 100% satisfied! Coming here feels like I stepped into an alley restaurant in Japan and the vibes are just so comforting. Thank you so much to everyone that works here! You guys work so hard and no matter how busy it gets the quality of the food is always consistent! read more

Udon St Marks - Curry + Udon set w the addition of chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I stumbled upon this place sifting through the many options to eat. It did not disappoint. First of all it's cash only (there is an ATM) right outside the restaurant. It's a little lower than street level but the signage is easily visible. The inside reminded me of being somewhere in Tokyo: small, simple and unpretentious. I was seated quickly. The menu offers many iterations of udon....some veggie options were available. I opted for a simple udon set that came accompanied by spicy tuna negitoro. Despite the fact that the thought of udon lured me in here the negitoro was the winner. Smooth, fatty melt in your mouth goodness on top of a bed of rice...yum. All this plus a Sapporo was around $18. I couldn't finish my udon as the portions are generous. read more

Udon St Marks - Bar - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Great food. Great price. Great location. Just wonderful udon and bonito broth. I'll come here every time I'm in NYC. I think the owner hangs out at the bar sometimes as well. Love the no frills we're here to eat noodles vibe. Cash only. read more

This spot is a cash only spot with limited indoor seating and has outdoor seating in the middle of the populated St Marks Place. Because it is cash only, the prices are spectacular. They also offer a lot of combo options which is great for those who are indecisive and cannot decide what to eat. Just get both! It is also great bang for you buck. I got the curry and udon set which included a very generous portions of curry and rice with a bowl of savory udon. Both were very tasty. The curry is more on the watery side but that is actually perfect to mix in with the rice. The udon is a very good portion size for those who want a udon fix but also a bigger main dish. The soup for the udon is very flavorful read more

Udon St Marks - Curry Set Combo - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Note: Cash Only Quick, delicious, simple Japanese noodle or rice restaurant. I happen to be craving noodles and it was one of those NY days where it was raining and gloomy. You tell the person how many people in your party. Good for small groups. There are a few tables in the back. We sat on high bar stools by the wooden counter. There are hooks under the bar to hang your items. You get your own water from a dispenser on the left side. The noodles in a warm broth hits the spot - kare-age (fried chicken) it is! My friend ordered kari-age (shrimp and vegetable tempura) plus egg which cost a dollar more. There is 1 restroom in the back. read more

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Great price for great food!! The udon is super chewy and is paired with a great fish stock broth! Perfect for a cold day Cash only! read more

Udon St Marks - a bowl of soup and a bowl of noodles - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

never a bad time at udon st marks! i'm vegetarian and i love their tofu steak, noodles, veggie spring rolls, jasmine rice, and even a side of potato croquette. bestie and i also got a hot sake. yum!! read more

Udon St Marks - tofu, noodles, spring rolls - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York