I've been going to Marugame udon for literally decades and now I only go to udon Yama when I'm looking for a tasty and affordable udon in Waikiki. For the most part their offerings are indiscernible with the benefit of not having to wait at udon Yama. Their noodles are flavorful and chewy and they make it fresh at the store front. Also if you're lucky or patient enough to get fresh tempura it definitely makes a difference otherwise tempura that has been sitting for some time is not that great in general. read more

Always my first stop and first choice when in Hawaii!! Katsu curry set Is hands down the best. Their udon is also very yummy. Highly recommend for a quick bite! read more

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The food is terrible here. This place is trying to be Marukame udon, don't be fooled ok. The shrimp and squid tempura was rubbery and cold. The curry udon tasted like watery, S and B curry on udon. With some overcooked carrots in it. No flavor at all. It was also very pricey. It came out to about $25 with tax. Not good. The line moved quickly and the restaurant was clean but wow, I was not expecting that level of poor taste and quality of the food. Terrible. read more

I'd say its almost a Marugame dupe... We saw the line for Marugame and did not want to wait. There is one back in SF where Im from so I wasn't too upset about missing out. We went into the Stix Asia mall to see this identical menu to Marugame. There was no line and we were able to sit wherever. I ordered the Kake udon and the Nikutama. The only thing I will say is maybe the soup in the kake dish was slightly watery but it still tasted good to me. The nikutama tastes the same and it was delicious. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the meat was sweet/salty. It definitely satisfied the udon craving on our end and if you ever just want udon and don't feel like waiting, this is the place to try! read more

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

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Sorry we didn't dine in and took take out but the food was awesome. We really enjoyed out takeout We will be back again read more

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

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Great little udon spot that also has tempura. Much shorter lines than other udon spots. Also, you can also grab other food while you're. read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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

Awesome food at a great price. Super friendly staff!! Delicious udon. Staff was all Japanese, so you know it's authentic.

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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Delicious meal after a long, tiring day. We shared the nikutama (hot) and the pork katsu curry. Loved both dishes. I admit I don't have udon often, so I don't have many other experiences to draw comparisons from, but I really enjoyed it. The katsu curry was also delicious and moderately spicy. Wish we had more of an appetite to also have some of the tempura they offered. Line was long and out into the main hall as it was dinner time, but moved relatively quickly. All you have to do is grab a tray and grab any tempura you'd like down the line until you make it to the register where you can order your main dishes. We were given a beeper to tell us when our food was ready, which took less than 10 minutes. Would love to have this again if I were in the area. Since this is in stix asia food hall, it's quite touristy and very busy, but overall a good area for groups to order separately and find a table together. Note that some places are sit down service, but this in particular was casual/fast food dining. read more

Udon Yama - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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One of the best ramen ever! It tastes VERY AUTHENTIC. It tastes healthy, broth has no fat! I usually get this on cold days or when I'm feeling sick. This is my comfort food. If you're looking for a quality healthy ramen, this is where you should go! This place is so underrated. Ambiance? Great! Not crowded at all, service is fast! read more

Udon Yama - Nikutama (to-go, soup is separated upon request) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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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

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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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

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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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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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

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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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

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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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

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

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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