We ordered the Nikutama which is their best seller, udon with sweet beef, onion and hot spring egg. This was sooo good. The broth was very rich and a little bit on the salty side. The beef was perfectly tender and sweet. The egg was also cooked to perfection. We also got two potato croquettes on the side and they were also super tasty. If you like Marugame Udon then you'll like this spot and when we went around 11am, there was no line. Located in a nice plaza with ample seating and restrooms! read more

Udon Yama - Nikutama and potato croquettes; Follow me @RimyEats on Instagram - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Just to start absolutely nothing special about this place and candidly was a disappointment Food was meh. I got something simply as curry and rice. Taste was fine at best and portion was very small. Pricing was fine for Waikiki but no reason to go back to this place with all the other options in this location. read more

Udon Yama is located in the Stix Food Hall in the Waikiki shopping center, serving up some fine udon along with tempura side dishes. We stumbled across this place when walking inside the food hall and wanted a quick bite, and the service seemed to be pretty fast. Ordering was simple and easy because of their large display of the menu that has food pictures, prices, and names of dishes that were offered. The ordering concept is easy and well organized and makes the service go fast. All you need to do is walk up to the line and pick from there ala cart services they offer. They have many variety of tempura such as mushrooms, croquettes, and boiled eggs. After you get your desired items, you walk over to the chef and tell him what you want. We went ahead and got the curry udon along with their specialty nikutama udon. He quickly prepared the dish in front of our eyes and handed them over to place on our trays. After that, you go ahead and pay for your food and take a seat. The ambiance and dining area were beautifully presented. There was plenty of seating with chairs and tables. They also had chopsticks, napkins, and extra condiment provided for you on a separate table. The udon noodles were nice and firm with a nice snap back when chewing into them. They soaked up the curry very nicely, and I really enjoyed slurping them. The specialty udon was marvelous, and the broth tasted like no other. The meat was very marbled and had a nice fat to meat ratio. The soft boiled egg was a great addition to the dish as well. For the tempura, it tasted great but could have been a tab bit more fresher for as I feel it was sitting out in the hot lamps for a whole. Overall, Udon Yama was a great place to visit for a quick, fast, and healthy meal. The service was great, and the staff was standing by for any accommodations. Check out this place if you're wandering on what to eat while you're in the Stix plaza looking for food because I know you will be pleased. read more

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Was looking for a udon spot and gosh I was happy to find Udon Yama at the Stix food hall. I enjoyed how quick and attentive the service was when ordering. I can find myself coming back here daily just for the Udon! read more

Udon Yama - Nikutama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

If you are craving udon and don't want to wait in line at Marugame, definitely check this place out. Located inside of STIX & there was no wait at all when we came. The menu and food are all very similar to Marugame and I think the flavors/udon of the dish are pretty on part with Marugame as well. I ordered the Niku udon and the portion was generous. Also tried some of their tempuras: shrimp & fish cake read more

Udon Yama - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Comparable to marugame without the long lines. I liked the broth and the bouncy udon noodles. Egg was perfect but wish the broth was hotter. We also got fresh shrimp tempura as they were placing the items on the counter. Wish they had access to the counter from the kitchen though. The food had to pass through the line of people to be able to access the counter area. Also need to ask for onion and tempura flakes from register or else you missed out. Plenty of seating and tables, but I wouldn't go with a big group, 4 max, and self serve water available to all. We are staying a bit outside of Waikiki, so we drove and got validated with the purchase of our meal. (Reminder to print out your receipt since you have to take it to concierge which is in the middle part of this area) read more

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They are located in STIX ASIA where the old Waikiki Yokocho was located. In the lower level of Waikiki Shopping Plaza... you can park in the building and get 2 hr validated with a purchase of $35.00. I like the Japan feel of this restaurant. Nice and clean and room for a family to eat together. However when we did go, it was quit busy with a long line. We order the chicken katsu udon. I'm my opinion, it was a bit pricey. And it said it was spicy, but trust me... it's not at all, so don't worry. lol . The katsu was really crispy texture on the outside and soft and moist on the inside.( can tell it was just freshly fried) My Wife ordered the nikutama, and for $13 in Waikiki that was a deal... I would get that again and add fresh tempura as sides. Bonus: I like that they had a table with all the extra sauces and also really sturdy take out containers, so don't worry if you can't finish it all, you can take it to go. read more

Wasn't at all impressed by anything here. There was one guy working the register and making the udon (I always cringe at this set up since there often is no hand washing between transactions (handling food and money). I had to repeat my order three times - he kept forgetting my order. I had the buka which is supposed to come with a deeper broth, but the broth was quite bland and tasteless. The fishcake tempura was cold. read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great option for udon in Waikiki. No line, reasonable prices, pretty tasty. Kamaaina discount! I usually get a regular kake. Recently tried the vegetarian potato croquette, and I'll definitely get it next time - carbs on carbs! read more

New kid on the block, Udon Yama taking on the 500 lb gorilla in the house, Maragume Udon. Located in the Stix Food Hall, Udon Yama just opened earlier this year. Can't miss it as it is right at the entrance, with menu in pictures and bold letters and prices. No waiting at noon Sunday, while Maragume Udon a few blocks away had a waiting line wrapped around the block. Same setup as Maragume , where you go through a line getting your tempura options, select your choice of entree, and pay for your meal. Everything assembly style, where you can see the udon noodles being hand made. Our $11.45 large beef bowl came packed with very thick udon noodles, several slices of beef, green onions and yellow onions in a hearty broth. Broth makes all the difference in the world. Could have used more beef, as several of the beef came with layers of fat. Broth a bit on the thin and watery side. Our $11.95 large curry bowl also came with thick udon noodles, tiny bits of chicken, green onions and yellow onions in a semi spicy broth, much thicker and tastier than the beef broth. Short changed on the amount of meat. They expect a full 18% tip, even though fast food ordering, pickup, and we had to bus our finished tray. Uncomfortably hard chairs too vertical for comfort designed to get you in and out in the minimum amount of time. read more

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Was craving for some sort of soup or noodle back from Vegas .I decided to check out Udon Yama located down stairs inside the Waikiki Shopping plaza . It's a revamp Stix Waikiki use to be a Japan walk restaurants before Covid. I also seen a segment on Cheap eats on TV.My take on this place is pretty good the udon noodles is freshly made daily . The sides they have includes Sweet Potato, fried chicken, fried fish cake , shrimp tempura, vegetables tempura , croquettes, mushrooms, deep fried eggs. The time I went I guess it was a slow period the selection was mostly sold out . They needed to deep fry more products and put them out . Although I thought it was good so I'll be eating there in the future. Support local and be safe read more

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The imported soup stock from Japan is primo. So good. The Kake is the way to go to savor the broth. Don't even get the egg. Do enjoy some tempura on the side. Easy in and out because it's in the food hall. read more

Located in the newly renovated STIX Asia food court, Udon Yama is a duuupe of another popular udon chain in Waikiki. I was actually in line at the other popular udon spot to meet up with some friends that were visiting from the mainland first. But the line was just way too long so I suggested we check out this udon spot. Since I was rolling with a few homies (6 of us), the food court situation was a selling point for us. Although, we all ended up getting Udon- the idea that we could get food from different spots and still eat together was a big appeal. Here's the 4-1-1 Grab a tray + plate and pick out some tempuraed items ( I got the zucchini, egg, mushrooms, and croquet). Order your udon ( I got the "Nikutama" with beef and a soft boiled egg). Don't skip the sauce section for tempura and katsu sauce! Me and my boyfriend shared a large udon and ordered a side of extra noodles. The broth was potent enough that a little went a long way. I was actually between 3 or 4 stars but what really bumped up their rating in my opinion was the adorable folks that work here. There was a bit of a language barrier but the people were just so sweet. My biggest note is that I hope in the future that they can expand their tempura and broth options and keep their tempura as hot n' fresh as possible. read more

Udon Yama - two bowls of food on a table - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very clean Facility. Service was fast and friendly. Food was priced reasonably and tasted good. read more

Udon Yama - Curry udon / Kake - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We ordered 5 dishes. The udon in broth were fine. But the curry pork katsu rice.... The taste of the curry and rice was fine but the pork katsu was dark colored which means the cooking oil was used too much. Yup, it didn't taste fresh. It had a bitter taste so I had to peel off the breading to get any pork to eat. The zucchini and squid tempura were lightly colored and tasted fresh. I don't know how you can check the quality if the pork katsu because it's not on the self-serve counter like the tempura. The curry pork katsu comes out later, you have to wait for it. Maybe don't order it unless you see someone else with a lightly colored katsu before you. Forgot to take a pic. read more

Wanted to grab a quick bite to eat for dinner but we didn't want to wait for Marugame. I liked that this was the same self service system which made ordering very simple. The tempura / side items are available for your choosing although I will mention that the variety wasn't as plentiful as other places. FOOD: I got the nikutama udon regular size which I thought was decent but not anything crazy. I will mention that for the price that I paid, I felt that the portion was pretty small which left me not completely satisfied. I normally don't eat too much anyways so this was surprising to me. I do feel that the price is a little more than the value that you get but I also understand that materials is expensive nowadays and with inflation, costs go up. The portion size is what really got me which is why it's not a 4 stars for me. AMBIANCE: Inside of STIX food hall and you seat yourself. There is plenty of space so we didn't feel like we had to wait for a party to be done before taking a table. Good experience and I'm glad we got to try a place in the STIX Food Hall! read more

I legit thought this place in the new STIX Asia Food Hall (old Waikiki Yokocho) was Marukame Udon under a different name. The menu, layout and even tempura offerings looked so similar, but when we asked, they said it was a totally different entity from Marukame. I got the regular Hot Ontama ($6.95) with a soft boiled egg tempura and potato croquette. Total was $13.30 with tax; not too bad for a dinner in waikiki. The noodles weren't as chewy or bouncy as Marukame, they were very lackluster. The broth however was very flavorful, and I think I prefer it over Marukame. The regular was a good size for me, but not as big as any of us were expecting. The tempura were also all cold, despite it being prime dinner time (6:40/7p). I did like that they added tempura flakes and green onions; something that Marukame stopped doing. read more

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This is a Marugame Udon impostor. Actually it can't compare to Marugame at all. No place can beat the quality & taste of Marugame udon noodles & tempura. 3 stars for the mediocre food & service. read more

Udon Yama - Ontama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Need a quick udon shop, with some tempura fried topping items, a big area to sit, and accommodating space for others to enjoy a different type of food? This is your place. We're were shuffled down a lunch line, picked any tempura item we wanted, ordered the udon at the end and were out in a few minutes. The tempura zucchini could use a bit more flavor, but the croquette was good. Udon with curry could use a bit more flavor as it wasn't as good as the place that shall not be named on Kūhiō is. But a good alternative if you are on Kalākaua. read more

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the staff were so welcoming on our first night in HI! we came late night on a thursday, and it was not very busy. everything was super clean and well organized- self serve for toppings & utensils! as for the food, it was so yummy!! no complaints as it was exactly what i was craving. i would definitely stop by again if i find time on my trip :) read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here because it was closer than Marugame and reviews said it tasted the same. Well, I disagree. I got the Nikutama and I definitely prefer Marugame's. There was like two onion slices and the meat was really fatty. Portion was also kinda small. It filled me up (but I also had some musubi and shaved ice like an hour beforehand). Service was not good. There were two young guys and a woman working and the guy that helped ring us up clearly did not want to be there. I felt bad for the woman because she was working and the guy just went to go talk to his friends (the only other people there) instead. They only had one serving of udon, so we had to wait for them to make more noodles or something, idk tbh but it felt like they were unprepared. If you absolutely could not wait for marugame but wanted udon, I guess you could try this place out but I would pass on eating there again. read more

Wonderful Marugame clone but still without the long lines. Same menu and prices. Had Ontama Udon. Also almost identical. Sauce maybe a bit stronger. I'm glad to have a second location in Waikiki to get reasonably priced quality noodles. read more

Udon Yama - Ontama Udon - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is located at Stix Asia, Waikiki Shopping Plaza. You pick tempura on to your plate and then you order your udon right before you pay. Selfservice type restaurant. Had many tables and it was clean. I had kake udon (plain udon) and it was good. I liked the texture of the udon and the dashi (broth). Made me feel relaxed. Tempura was good but it wasn't hot. I wish it was at least warm. So I dipped in my hot broth. They had musubi (rice ball) too. Udon is a good price. Kake udon was only $5.95. Tempura was between $2.50 to $3.50. Musubi was $2.50 read more

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TLDR: Would I come back? Without a doubt. First off, I am by no means an udon connoisseur. Some of my more well-traveled friends mentioned that there are a few ways to elevate udon: noodle texture, taste of the broth, and freshness of ingredients. Overall, I would have to say that this bowl of udon was probably easily in my top 5 bowls of all time. With regard to the noodle texture, the udon noodles here are on the slightly softer side, with just a hint of bounciness/chewiness but giving them that fulfilling slurp. Regarding the broth, it was clear, flavorful, and packed a punch with a slight hint of the sweet beef. And with regards to freshness, how much more fresh can you get than seeing the server put together the bowl of udon right in front of your very eyes? On this trip, I ordered the hot nikutama, paired with a squid tempura, thick zucchini tempura, and a piece of shrimp tempura. Among the tempuras, I was most impressed with the zucchini, which despite being very thick kept its flavor and was well-battered. The nikutama udon also came with its own egg + sweet beef. The entire course was well worth the price, and made me truly appreciate the Asian Stix food hall for its offerings. read more

During my trip back, I ate a lot of plate lunches, fried, and oily dishes. This was probably one of the best meals I had during my trip back home. Udon in cold broth. Simple and refreshing. I ordered the cold Nikutama dish with a side of shrimp tempura. The shrimp tempura should have been replaced with a new batch as it was limp and cold. But the udon in cold broth was so refreshing. The broth taste was clean and did not feel heavy like others. The egg and beef accommodated the udon noodles well. The texture of the noodles was cooked perfectly as it was not too stiff or soft. With affordable pricing, this place is a must when in Waikiki. read more

In the new Asia Stix, they had a number of new places. We went to Udon Yama. They had one employee ring us up and one doing the cooking. I had the kake udon and my partner had the Nikutama udon. We also had some fried items. They were room temperature. Broth was good. Noodles were hot & fresh. Plenty of seating and a cold water dispenser with cups. read more

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Broth - 5 stars Udon 5+ Tempura fish cake-2 Ontama (egg)- egg melts in nicely to broth and adds a nice richness. read more

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My boyfriend and I were starving after 1.5 hrs of swimming in the ocean that we were not thinking clearly. We wanted to eat something warm and just ran into this fast food self service udon place just like marugame udon. Udon was not bad, so I'll rate 3 stars even though my boyfriend said 2 stars. Udon - 3/5. It's something you can make easily at home with a store bought Sanuki frozen udon. If you are craving something warm or udon, just go to Tsurutontan at Royal Hawaiian across the street. The price you pay for their udon will be 200 times more satisfying. And their udon is so much better! If you are looking for a self service one, I'd go to marugame instead of this one. Tempura - 2/5. They were sitting for a while so we didn't enjoy them. Nothing is bad, but I would recommend you to just go to taurutontan for udon around here. You won't feel disappointed like the way we are now. Ambiance - 2/5. It's a fast food joint. Service - it's a self service. read more

Marukame Dupe? Udon Yama is located in the Asian Food Hall (currently in soft opening) on the basement level of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. The restaurant is right down the escalators on Kalākaua Ave. This review is written largely based on the premise that you've already tried Marukame/Marugame. Udon Yama offers udon with a variety of "toppings." The prices are pretty affordable. Compared to Marukame, the tempura selection is very small. Additionally, you'll pick up your tempura or side items first and place your udon order at the end of the line. Parking: You're probably coming here because you're staying in Waikiki and are walking around. However, if you are driving here, the Waikiki Shopping Plaza has paid hourly parking. Beef Kake - the udon was good but not as chewy as Marukame. I really liked the soup over Marukame. The broth is sweeter than Marukame, and I thought it was well-balanced. Overall, this is a great place to visit if you're craving udon and want to skip the lines at Marukame. read more

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My favorite ONTAMA udon (with egg) can be found at Udon Yama at STIX Asia (was Yokocho in the basement of Waikiki Shopping Plaza) in Waikiki! It is similarly set up like the uh...other udon place with the long line, but the noodles, broth and tempura are a notch up in quality of ingredients and taste! The egg was super silky! They give kama'aina discount and are a great value to begin with. I'm a fan and predict the line for this place will grow and grow! read more

Udon Yama - ONTAMA udon (with egg) + shrimp tempura - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went here while on vacation and so happy that I did. Conveniently located in the STIX Asian food hall. Delicious udon noodles, I got the Nikutama Udon and I really enjoyed it! Husband got the pork katsu curry which was tasty too. Service was fast and they also have self serve tempura. Love the ambiance in the food hall, so many options to choose from. Definitely recommend! read more

Udon Yama - Pork Katsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Solid spot for udon! Came here for dinner with no worries of a super long line like at Marugame! The udon and tempura is just as good here! read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Really enjoyed this udon restaurant in the STIX food hall! I enjoyed all of the different tempura options you could get. I got squid, shrimp, mushroom, and sweet potato (my favorite one). The nikutama broth was flavorful and the beef was sweet and delicious. The portions were pretty decent. Since you get trays, chose tempura while you're in line, and wait for counter service, it can go a bit slowly but understandable since there's only a couple people working (who are all super nice). Overall, this place is great choice if you're in STIX! read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Great food and I thought the prices were reasonable. I had the gyudon and the gyudon udon and both were really good. No long wait either.

A very good udon spot! The nikutama udon had the perfect egg, shredded sweet beef, green onions and tempura crumbs. It needed a bit of chili powder for my tastes and a bit on the sweet side but still delicious and filling! read more

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My wife had the cold Udon #3 Bu Udon and I had the hot Udon #2 Nikutama Udon. We also shared Sweet Potato and Shrimp Tempuras. The both Udon was 5 Stars and The Tempura was 4 1/2 stars. The service was fast, kind and helpful. Ambiance is traditional Japanese Udon Style read more

Udon Yama - Eating Area - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Ordered beef udon. Quick service. Delicate flavors. There is a lot of advertising in the dining area touting the unique Japanese broth. Other than that, typical fast food restaurant ambiance. But the udon was good and hit the spot. read more

Udon Yama - Beef udon. Delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Everything was expensive in Honolulu Hawaii, especially Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki. I just walked into Stix Asia. There were a lot of restaurants. I was just checking the prices. It seemed that Udon Yama was the cheapest. I ordered curry Udon. It was tasty. I was born and raised in Japan. Curry udon was my favorite. I got the udon in a minute. The udon was very chewy. The curry soup was well done and very authentic. Later, I found that Marugame was cheaper. It was okay, I could still afford to buy udon at Yama. If I had gone to Marugame, I would have waited in the notoriously long line! Overall, If you are a Japanese food lover who is looking for cheap food. Yama is for you! Itadakimasu, Arigato! read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was going to go to the more famous udon place around the corner, but wasn't in the mood to stand in line in the strong wind for 45 minutes - not with how hungry I was. And I'm not sure if the other place would/could have been any better. The nikutama udon here justified my ordering beef, something I almost never do. The thin curly slices melted in my mouth, coated with runny egg and sweet onions, and the noodles themselves toed a precise line between chewy and soft. The flavor combination was dynamite, and could not be improved upon. I rarely finish a bowl of anything, but I finished this one. The only reason I reserve the fifth star here is that their tempura-ed items sit too long under the heater and aren't really hot when they get to you - even at peak dinnertime. Neither my purple yam or mixed vegetable tempura ended up being worth getting, even though I was able to doctor them up at the dedicated tempura-doctoring table complete with shichimi togarashi and serve-your-own tempura sauce. read more

Great value delicious and the Asian guy behind the counter is so friendly. I love this place so much. I have had a lot of udon in California and Japan and this is definitely legit. read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii