Marugame Udon
Udon noodle restaurant · Sawtelle ·
Cafeteria-style udon shop with customizable bowls & tempura
Cafeteria-style udon shop with customizable bowls & tempura
"Standing in line to eat is a fact of life on Sawtelle, and Marugame Udon is no exception. (If you’re in a rush, it’s best to hit this spot outside prime lunch hours.) This udon restaurant is set up cafeteria-style, where you wait in a theme park-style line before picking your bowl of udon—we like the one with sweet braised beef—and then slide your tray down the counter to grab your choice of crispy tempura. It’s affordable, filling, and a great quick meal in a pinch." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore, cathy park
"This busy Japanese chain (with locations in Sawtelle, Torrance, and DTLA) has a cafeteria set-up that makes it ideal for hungry toddlers who unwisely pushed their oatmeal on the floor this morning. Slide your tray down the ordering line while telling the chefs which noodles and toppings you want (the cold beef-tsuke is our favorite), make a pit-stop at the heat-lamp tempura station, grab a drink, and pay up. The interactive process is fun for kids, plus portions are shareable, prices are reasonable, and the staff are pros at handling high chairs and noodle spills." - garrett snyder, brant cox, cathy park
"With a few locations across Los Angeles, including Sawtelle Japantown, Torrance, and Downtown, this cafeteria-style udon shop offers a good range of quick-cooked wheat noodles that accommodate a wide range of palates. The slightly sweet beef marinade lends well to picky kids, who will wolf up the tender udon and savory broth. (There’s also chicken katsu, tempura, and curry in case beef udon soup isn’t something kids favor.) The ample portions make sharing dishes easy for families. The best part is that the friendly staff are prepared for all ages — always ready to bring over high chairs and help clean up noodle messes." - Nicole Adlman
"Standing in line to eat is a fact of life on Sawtelle, and Marugame Udon is no exception. (If you’re in a rush, it’s best to hit this spot outside prime lunch hours.) This udon restaurant is set up cafeteria-style, where you wait in a theme park-style line before picking your bowl of udon—we like the one with sweet braised beef—and then slide your tray down the counter to grab your choice of crispy tempura. It’s affordable, filling, and a great quick meal in a pinch." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore
"Marugame Udon has grown its presence around Los Angeles with five outposts. The Sanuki-style nikutama bowl comes with a scant amount of sweetened broth, shredded beef, and chubby udon noodles. Ask for it to be served cold for the ultimate antidote to a hot day." - Matthew Kang
