Motonobu Udon

I wish I lived closer. A bit of a trek from Vancouver’s west side but well worth it. The noodles were some of the best chewy and satisfying I have had in a long time. The shiitake tempura, fried to perfection and the broth, well I got the curry broth. It was tasty but I tried my companion’s plain broth and it was much better. I liked the curry but it was overpowering the other subtleties of the broth and a little rich. Good amount of noodles and brisket in the bowl. Service was great, loved watching the kitchen, parking was plentiful. I felt the prices were reasonable for the value of food.I can’t wait to go back.

Really good! Large portion size. Only complaint is I feel the seaweed didn't pair well in the mazementai - kind of flavourless and too much of it. Otherwise, the mentaiko and udon were perfect. Shiso tempura is really fun and similar to fried kale. The sushi had so much ikura on top! Very busy place, filled up less than ten minutes after opening. Has a nice electronic queueing system.

TL;dr: food is pretty flavourless but has little msg so lose-win situation, handmade noodles were tasty, a bit expensive for small portions 🍜 Food Quality/Quantity: 3/5 We were pretty disappointed at our bowls of noodles. First of all the soup base is pretty plain and portions are average. Their tempura was lacking in flavour and was pretty average as well. Their inari’s were okay for $3.95 per piece. Nothing was especially spectacular and honestly tasted like something I could’ve made at home. 🏠 Service/Atmosphere: Came on a Sunday night around 6:30 and it was packed, we were placed in a waitlist. Service is ok but there isn’t much interaction with servers, probably due to the store being packed and busy. We weren’t even finished with our food yet but we could tell the staff working there wanted us to leave so we promptly left despite only being there for 20 minutes. Overall, I would not visit again simply because there wasn’t anything that stood out, everything was very average. Additionally it was quite expensive for such basic food.

I found the same udon I used to eat in Japan here. The udon noodles are different from those in other udon restaurants. The burdock tempura and squid tempura are flavors you can't find anywhere else. The fried tofu sushi was more ordinary than I expected. Next time I go, I want to try all the other types of udon

honestly a teENSy bit disappointing… i ordered the mazementai with pretty high expectations but it was just okay? it wasn’t as flavourful as i expected, especially the pollock roe. a little bit bland tasting. the egg was good and i liked the little crumbs on top, but otherwise it wasn’t very outstanding. i added the niku brisket (the big slice) and also tried the pork belly—the PORK BELLY WAS AMAZING , it had a super nice smoky flavour. the brisket was also really fatty and melty, which i appreciated. the aburi salmon and tuna were pretty good, not the best i’ve had but it was a good addition to the meal—like a nice flavour switch-up in between bites of udon and meat.

Udon noodle itself is pretty good! But the combination of mazementai udon tastes too complicated. I would say the beef brisket mix with creamy mentaiko and fire tofu was a bit of messy. However, the service it seems needs to be improved. I was sitting by a table with water split on the floor and the server seems not interested in attended to it, since that sitting area is really narrow, which is I have to step on the wet floor and I don’t really feel comfortable to this. No smile, and no checking if everything is okay. I mean if you want to try something new it’s worth to go but then for second time, I may need to reconsider 😅

We had the prawn Udon and the Curry egg swirl Udon with extra sheets of tofu. The Curry was extremely good and flavorfull. The tofu was also good but didn't really fit to the tofu because its a little sweet. The prawn udon was good too, but the tempura was soaked from the soup so it wasn't crispy anymore. I would recommend that they put it next to it, not inside. The udon had the perfect consistency! Also, the food came 5 minutes after we ordered!

I had the Spicy Tan Tan, which is one of their popular dishes. I’d consider the spice level mild, which is what I prefer. Pork was delicious. Soup was a bit bitter for my liking but still delicious overall. I finished the whole thing pretty fast, I was hungry and it was filling enough. Service was fast, good and attentive. Cute clean spot. Unfortunately they don’t have any vegan hot soup options at this time. Their soup are fish based. The tofu in the Inari sushi are marinated in fish sauce from what I remember. They have one vegetarian dish which is a dry noodle dish.

I found this amazing restaurant around my place. After reading reviews and their website, I gave a try and this surprised me. All their udon is hand made and their dishes have an amazing flavour. I ordered the NikuGoboten, Udon with Beef Brisket and Burdock Tempura! It was divine!!! My partner ordered the Spicy Tantan Udon, which it is Braised Pork Belly, Shanghai Bok Choy, Green Onion, Cilantro, Chili Oil served with Chicken and Dashi Broth. It was sooooo good!! Anyway, loved the experience here, busy restaurant with an amazing customer service. Hopefully you will enjoy your experience here!!! Cheers

There are very few udon specialty restaurants in metro van. So we came over despite the 30 min drive. I picked a less busy time to come on the weekend, 2pm ish and it was great. Parking in the street was convenient, and we got seated right away. One thing I didn't like though, was that there were multiple doors that were partly open the entire time, and that made both us and the food cold. She shop was medium sized end the servers were friendly. The menu has a decent variety of both soup and dry udon along with a few unique aburi sushi opens. We tried one of the popular items in each of these categories and was generally impressed. I particularly enjoyed the dry mixed udon (forgot the actual name). But it was flavorful and wholesome. Very likely to be back again. Whenever we crave udon. Food 9, Service 7, Ambiance 7, Value 8

Walked in with a group of four on a Saturday for lunch and were seated right away, we might have lucked out because every seat in the restaurant was full. We came at the recommendation of the Vancouver bib gourmand list and were not disappointed. The udon here is deliciously fresh, cooked to perfection, and paired well within each preparation. Aside from the udon, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the brisket was - incredibly tender and succulent with a hint of sweetness. I highly recommend this place for its high quality food for great value.

A very downtown feel. Intrigued by all the chatter and wanted to check for ourselves. Storefront is very unassuming. Inside is modern and minimalist. We had the Niku Toji and Tenwaka. Good presentation and taste. Was good, but didn't really blow me away. It's good to have a different type of udon restaurant. On a side note, we wanted an order to go. Asked the server questions regarding the items on the menu, and to be honest, her English was very poor.

Very typical Japanese = less for more. Minimalist crammed space underdecorated and minimal signage. Wait is okay. Had the udon with beef brisket and tofu and lay off the sushi since it was a friend's treat. Wouldn't say this soup base was extraordinary as I have had similar or better in town. The food was served in these giant wares, which I imagine are not preheated as the food got cooled rather very quickly. You pay a premium for the award winning joint and a bowl of msg flavoured soup udon. Curious about the rest of the menu though. May come back, may not.

Came here on a whim and 30 minutes til closing. They were very nice about it and seated us right away. We were served almost instantly and by the time we were getting ready to leave, patrons were still chatting and eating. It didn't seem like they were getting rushed either. The mentai was absolutely delicious, but a bit overly salted. The pollock roe was likely already very salty, so just be wary when ordering this. I'm still dreaming about this dish now that we've return back to NYC. Everything about this well done. The udon noodles were springy and fresh. The shiso and nori was a fun addition. I totally recommend it. My partner said the mazementai was also a bit salty for him, but the overall balance of the ingredients were good.

Came here with my partner for a little dinner date! We were coming in expecting a long wait, but actually it was pretty empty on a Wednesday night! We were seated right away and there were still a lot of tables open. I ordered the niku udon (beef brisket) with ebiten (two shrimp tempura) as an add-on. Also got shiitake tempura on the side. The highlight of the night was the brisket! So tender for my soft mouth. And they gave two large pieces, which I'm thankful for! The udon noodles were also really good--I usually don't like them but they cooked them almost al dente, which I enjoyed a lot! The broth was just okay, not my favourite. The tempura bits felt like unnecessary calories as they just became soggy immediately and blended into the broth. I didn't like that they put my prawn tempura in the soup--I thought it would be served on a separate plate. Next time I would ask for that. It defeats the purpose of being deep fried as they got soggy. The tempura is also not worth the price--it was mediocre. The batter isn't as crispy or flakey as I would expect. The shiitake tempura was also only okay. The batter was the same as the prawn tempura and it was too meaty as they serve the entire mushroom. Smaller pieces/slices would've been better. Also a few of the mushrooms were on top of mayonnaise, which made them nearly slathered in it. Mayonnaise should've been provided in a separate dish?? I also didn't even like the mayonnaise and preferred the tempura sauce. Service was amazing and it's a nice quaint restaurant.

Fancy Asian udon place near PNE. Parking is available on the side streets. The inside is upscale but a bit plain. Not too much artwork. However, there is a nice large kitchen which naturally draws one's eyes in. Guess the kitchen is the decor. Staff are friendly and cheerful. The udon here is a bit pricier, but it's honestly some of the springiest noodles I've had in town. Pick a bowl, then load up on options. Options are honestly quite overpriced. But if one wants to splurge, the quality is there.

Best inarizushi I've ever had! Pleasantly surprised by both of the specialty sushi options here (inari and aburi), visually appealing and very tasty. Would come again just for the inarizushi. Everything else we tried wasn't as memorable but was overall a very solid, high-quality and and satisfying meal, would recommend. As noted by others, the service and ambiance is typical for a smaller-size Japanese restaurant - no complaints.

Food was really good with a great price! The only downside is that the restaurant is small so the wait time can be long. Make sure you put your name on the waitlist! Right now they don't have Yelp option though.. so you have to put your name in yourself. I ordered Mazementai. It was pretty good! But can be filling with the creamy mentai. The beef in it was a little too chewy for me. I wish it was more tender. Overall I would rate it 4/5. My friend ordered their udon special and the broth tasted very clean. The curry udon was pretty good too

Have you noticed that a majority of Japanese restaurants across Canada and the US are actually run and operated by South Koreans? Well this place is definitely not one of them as they are purely and traditionally Japanese. The service was very courteous and attentive. They were able to explain the dishes very simple and easy to understand. The udon noodle (thick wheat flour) in their signature soups are their speciality and they didn't disappoint. The dining area is inviting and not too loud. It is a comfortable environment to have lunch or dinner. They have ample seating and are good for small to medium sized groups. Their prices are fair and you get value for what you pay for. Can't wait to visit again

I had heard both good and bad things about Motonobu and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my meal here. Wanting to get a taste of both the hot and cold udon, my friend and I ordered two udon to share including: NikuTofu (with added egg swirl): we got this one hot and although the noodles came a tiny bit softer than I prefer, the broth was tasty without being overly salty. There was a decent amount of tender beef and although the egg swirl was more aesthetic than anything, I was glad I got this add on. UbeShisoEbiTen: this is one from their special menu of tempura shrimp, with cold udon in a plum and shiso flavoured sesame oil sauce topped with seaweed. I really enjoyed the chewy texture of the noodles here and the flavour was unexpected but exactly as advertised. The plum definitely stood out but balanced well with the shiso. The prawn tempura was also very large and crispy as well. I also liked how there was quite a bit of seaweed on top which gave it a little extra texture and flavour. Overall, we were both happy with the meal here and although there are reviews of lineups, we were able to snag a table with no wait on a Sunday afternoon. Definitely a must visit if you love udon!

Crispy tempura, chewy perfectly done udon. Hostess greeted and seated is promptly, asked what we wanted to drink. We opted for water, as she left to get our beverages we continued perusing the menu. When she returned with the water she asked if we were ready to order and we were. I ordered shishito pepper tempura, and the NikuGoboten (Beef Brisket, Burdock Tempura) udon (hot) you can order either hot or cold. My wife ordered the Curry Tamago Toji(Japanese Curry, Egg Swirl)(hot) plus an add on of 2pc ebiten (prawn tempura) our friend ordered the Mentai (cold)(Creamy Pollock Roe Sauce, Onsen Egg, Shiso, Nori, Shiso tempura) The food came out fairly quickly with the tempura peppers coming first followed by all of our orders. I will only be reviewing my order of the tempura peppers and the nikugoboten. The tempura was very crispy and remained so even after cooling, the peppers had a nice mild taste and paired well with the dipping sauce. The udon was delicious, light but flavourful broth; perfectly chewy udon noodles; superb tender melt in your mouth Brisket slices, and crispy Burdock tempura(unless you let is soak in the broth I took them out) Everything I ate was good, though I am a big eater so the portion size wasn't filling enough for me. The addition of the tempura peppers made it OK so I didn't need to order more but I could probably eat at least 2 portions of udon by themselves and I would be good; probably 3 would make me completely satisfied.

Absolutely delicious udon here. Was quite the drive for us but well worth it. The noodles are bouncy and got the perfect amount of chew. I opted for the curry udon and it was a flavor bomb. The portion size was big and left be satisfied. Service was quick and friendly. We had to wait about a half hour for a table but was well worth it. Will be coming back

Trendy hidden noodle joint! Service is up to standards for most Japanese places. They come to fill water but generally leave you alone. Cold Ten Waka - this is probably the best cold noodle dish I've had for a long time. The addition of Tempura was great. I personally did not miss the soup. There was still liquid in the bowl from flavorings that kept the noodles moist enough to not seem dry but not saturated enough for you to think they were soggy. Great noodles, home made to boot. NikuGoboten - this was for my mom. She liked the beef but not fond of the burdock. Portion size on the smaller side. NikuToji - Samel criticism. Small portion for price. However the meet & noodle were good. Nice clean establishment. Ambience is all about being able to watch the kitchen staff cook and assemble the dishes. Great to have this establishment in the Hastings area. Not too many udon shops like this around.

Got a chance to visit this little gem - small place - so try to reserve a table if you can ! Service team was friendly and attentive - Pricing seemed to be on the steeper end of things in terms of portion for $ value - however taste wise , will back up the price tag. The temperature of the broth - was on the colder side of things - would of liked it to have a warm you up feeling. - however the noodles , and base blended very nicely with each other. It just all melts together. https://www.instagram.com/vanleo.eatsfood1015/ Ika Tempura was delicious - move aside prawns - I wouldn't mind if they added a bit more batter - to give it more of a crunch though ! What is your fav dish? Hoping to give this one another go - probably when the weather gets chilly

Very expensive, but still cheaper than a flight to Tokyo. When you first enter, your eyes are drawn to the kitchen counter where a crew of Japanese cooks with serious expressions are frantically putting together orders. The restaurant looks very new, and the decor is modern and minimalist. No fortune cats and fake bamboo here. The server was very polite and attentive. She took time to explain the menu and answer questions. Our order consisted of one plain udon with tofu, one udon with beef brisket with side order of Ebi (prawn tempura) and one cold order of udon with burdock and fried tofu. Food arrived in 5-10 minutes. Noodles were firm, not soggy and limp like almost everywhere else. If you've only ever eaten frozen udon noodles, you will be in for a treat. Broth was almost transparent and delicately flavoured. It was ready to consume right away; no need to wait for it to cool down. The prawn tempura's batter was among the crunchiest I've ever had, as long as it didn't sit in the broth too long. There was more brisket than noodles in my bowl, so I felt somewhat better about dropping $25+ for my upgraded order. Brisket was savory, but a bit too fatty for my liking. This was a case of quantity over quality. We also attempted to order some sushi, but we were told that they were "sold out". This seemed odd since we arrived at 5pm. I guess we'll have to come back another day. We came during a heatwave. There is no air conditioning, and all doors and windows were wide open. However, the extra circulation could not overcome the heat coming from both the boiling water from the kitchen and heatwave outside. I was quickly drenched in sweat because of the hot food and sauna-like surroundings. Because of the unbearable heat, we rushed through our meal so we could leave as soon as possible. Motonobu was like purgatory: food was heavenly, but hot as hell. Motonobu is a great place to eat...... but best to come during the fall or winter.

First time and what a good find! Udon has a wonderful texture and bite, dashi broth was flavorful, prawns were good size and maintained it's texture. Tofu was full of flavor. Service staff friendly and served without long wait. Ambiance is casual.

So this restaurant has an open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking and preparing the food. It is very clean and minimalistic. We had to wait a while to be seated so it could get busy during rush hours. There was a certification for Michelin stars at some point that should be noted. we two different types of udon, and we enjoyed them fine. The curry has a very strong taste, which is great and different than other watered down versions. The beef brisket in the Mentaiko was very salty and not juicy or tender. The sauce in the udon became very salty and I was not able to finish it. The Aburi salmon was torched at a lower heat setting and has therefore cooked more of the salmon than in other Aburi dishes in town. The rice was not that firm - quite mushy.

I've been asking myself for ages why Vancouver never had an udon spot. Our prayers were finally answered a few years ago. Motonobu Udon specializes in one thing; udon. They're not too far away from Le Gateau Bake Shop. There's about 7-8 tables (total of 20 seats). Service has always been friendly and they usually come by to offer refills. The menu consists of traditional udon (hot/cold), speciality udon, side dishes, inari sushi and pressed sushi. Udon bowls range from $8.50 to $18.50. Trip #1 - TenTofu ($17.50) - two pieces of prawn tempura but they really shouldn't put it in the bowl as it gets soggy quickly. Broth was decent but lacked depth. Added some togarashi (chili pepper) to give it some oomph. - Mentai ($15.50) - one of their specialty udon bowls. Good creamy sauce that goes perfectly with the springy, toothsome udon. - TofuWaka ($12.50 hot) - added the Japanese curry ($1.50) option, which was fantastic. Easily everyone's favourite bowl. Trip #2 - GobotenWaka ($13.00 hot) - burdock had quite the crunch. Broth was clean and the dashi came through. - Spicy TanTan ($18.50) - broth had a nice complexity, didn't feel too heavy for a tantan. Liked the touch of heat. Trip #3 - Curry tamago toji ($12.00 hot) - tamago was enjoyable and the curry broth, once again, tasty. Noodles had a nice elasticity but lost their texture near the end. - GobotenTofuWaka ($15.00 hot) - K's first time coming here and she enjoyed her bowl. - UmeWaka ($12.50 hot) - A added an onsen ($2.50), said the broth was very tasty. Check out Motonobu if you're an udon lover.

Get here when the place opens if you want to be part of the first seating! Not a huge restaurant, maybe room for 30ish people max. This place is perfect for a cold night, seemed like the hot udon was the staple item here but the dry udon dishes sounded really good as well. I got the beef brisket udon with squid tempura side. I really enjoyed the flavor of the broth and texture of the udon. The beef brisket was really tender but some pieces were a little too fatty. The squid tempura comes with two large pieces, probably good to share. The squid tempura was a little thicker than I would prefer. My daughter ordered the aburi salmon sushi and the ikura on top was super generous. She enjoyed the pressed sushi but the rice to fish ratio was a little off, way too much rice. Overall, everyone enjoyed all the udon options and the broth definitely stands out compared to other places.

*Small Family Restaurant Series* Continuing my journey of exploring local small family run restaurants ... came across this Handmade Udon shop ... Their menu is well designed as it gives you choices of fixed item Udon and ones that you can start with a Plain Udon and add your own toppings! Highlight of our meal ... Ten Waka ... this is a bowl of Udon that comes with 2 large Tempura Prawns in a bed of wakame seaweed submerged in the bonito broth ( you can tell it is house made and not from powder with its rich and deep umami flavour! ) with udon noodles ... all meld together in perfect harmony!! Temperature of the broth is perfect!! Nasu Ohitashi .. chilled eggplant in a savoury sour sauce ... perfect paring if you are having a bowl of hot udon ... its subtle flavour and slight tanginess refreshes your palate in-between slurps of the bonito broth!! Service is friendly and efficient and we were lucky to find free street parking not usual in Vancouver these days! I will for sure be back to try out other items and maybe bring a few friends so we can share more items!

A great little gem on East Hastings! The udon had the perfect texture - soft, smooth, and chewy! I really like how flavorful the dashi broth was too, and the serving portions of each bowl was just enough for you to be satisfied, and not fall into a food coma. The egg swirl made the broth really creamy in texture, which I thought was a nice addition to the udon. I also liked how tender the meat was. Overall, a great experience, and tasty udon!

First timers here. This place was recommended by a friend of mine who lives in Canada. The Japanese udon with excellent dashi stock. Dashi has so much flavor, mixture of bonito flake and others similar to Kansai udon. We both ordered Nikutoji, hot noodle in egg mixed dashi with good amount of tender brisket. Dashi was a little sweeter side that goes really well with eggs and the meat. I also had one order of Inari sushi with salmon roe on top, that was amazing!!! They serve a variety of toppings on Inari. Their Inari age, the bean curd that holds sushi rice is the best of all I've tried!! Seriously these are must try.

I found this place on the Michelin guide and decided to give this place a try since me and my best friend were craving something warm and soup. I got the beef brisket and although the udon and soup were delicious I wasn't a big fan of the beef brisket I still enjoy my bowl. The servers here are so sweet!! The place is clean and perfect size and they have a huge washroom. I would come back here to try something different next time :)

Finally tried this udon spot! Located right by Kootenay Loop, the spot is quite nice and airy. Put down your name and then wait for it to be called! I tried the TenTofu hot udon, which came with two pieces of prawn tempura and thin fried tofu. At $17.50, I thought this meal was quite pricy - literally the tempura, tofu and udon noodles, nothing more. I was expecting more crunch from the prawn tempura as well.

Second time at Motonobu Udon and ordered the Maze Mentai again. It was so good. Service was quick.

Finally found a good udon place. I love the traditional udon, as well as the special ones. The soup ones are nice and hot. You can add curry to the broth for a different flavour. There's also cold udon or mixed style udon if you don't want the broth.

This is a small joint serving bowls of Udon in dashi broth. And your choice of toppings...theres lots of options. They also have a cold udon option and a brothless option. They also have a few side dishes. Food-wise, very solid place for a bowl of udon and maybe some sides. For a quick service type place, quick no frills type of meal, the food is excellent, easy 4.5/5 for what it is. This is not fine dining by any means. And much better than a certain chain of Udon places that just opened up a location here in Vancouver. 'nuff said. Service was also great. Friendly staff, attentive enough. Green tea is $1.50, and they keep refilling it for you. We ordered 2 hot bowls of udon with soup. The dashi broth is excellent. If anything, a tad on the salty side. The brisket portion is generous. the onsen egg is perfect. I ordered some of the burdock root tempura on mine, but this was undercooked for some pieces; too tough. Shame, because I like burdock root. We also got the negi tuna (not toro), onion salmon, and eggplant ohitashi. The eggplant is a nice snack, and the negi tuna is good. Just cubes of tuna sashimi with green onions in a sauce. The salmon is fine too, but I did not like it as much. A little plain. Hours of operation are kind of annoying since they close at 8. Location is also somewhat challenging for parking. Street parking only, and often full. Go at 7 when its free parking, but not too late since they close at 8... The restaurant itself is simple, clean, and no-frills. Totally fine. Tables were spaced reasonably and not too crowded. If i felt like a quick bowl of udon, happy to return here.

Great udon spot that opened near PNE a couple of years ago. I've been to it a couple of times since but it isn't one of my frequents because there's always a wait outside. But then again, good food is worth the wait right? The menu isn't too extensive here but you have your basics with a couple of specialties to choose from. I also like that you can choose between hot or cold udon options for the same dish. My favourite here is the tantan udon. It has the perfect amount of heat and creaminess of the soup that makes it a well rounded bowl of noodle soup.

I had a great time dining here at Motonobu Udon. The udon is delicious and the service was friendly and fast. Definitely would come back here for udon.

There is good reason why they got the Michelin Star. To be able to have a bowl of noodles where the broth has its own flavour, the tofu had its own flavour, the beef brisket was so soft. The udon was cooked perfectly. This bowl of udon took me back to kumamoto. The other bowl was just as good. This was the first time trying the pollock roe sauce that was so creamy. A total UMAMI BOMB. The staff are polite we had a wait of 30 minutes so we went to get a coffee. They called me when my table was ready. .

My sister has been wanting to try this place for a while so we decided to go after a long day. Right off the bat, we loved the atmosphere of the place. It was very bright, homey feeling, and has an open concept. The food was DELICIOUS and worth every penny. Will definitely be coming back here with my partner because she has been wanting to try it as well. :)

Overall more of a 3.5-4 star rating. The udon itself is really well made. The texture is perfectly al dente. We ordered the hot mentai udon and the NikuGoboten udon. Strangely enough the hot mentai udon was kinda cold? I think the onsen egg was (ironically) cold and this when I punctured it to stir the noodles around it made my udon turn lukewarm instead of hot. The NikuGoboten's broth was deliciously deep and rich. The brisket was also good. We got 2 x salmon inari and one of the tuna. Pretty yummy but not rave worthy.

This place is fire!! I ordered their half tuna and salmon aburi and mazementai bowl. What stood out to me were the texture of the udon, it was perfectly cooked. The creamy-ness and balance of the pickled plum had me eating non stop. The portions are also pretty big for its pricing. The aburi sushi was delicious, a bonus was topping their salmon aburi with ikura, a well thought out choice. Service was attentive and the restaurant was very clean. I would definitely recommend this restaurant, 5 stars for sure!

I tried the NikuGoboten, which is udon in soup with beef brisket & burdock tempura. There's an option to order hot or cold broth. The noodles are so fresh and are made entirely from scratch. The soup was light but flavourful and the beef brisket was so tender. The portions are a bit small, next time I'll order a few appies as well. There was a lineup when I was leaving, it's a good idea to make a reso.

Before today, I had never eaten at a restaurant solely dedicated to the art of udon, but now I am so glad that I've remedied this. We called ahead on a Sunday at noon to ask if there was a wait, and the staff member took the time to figure out the seating situation and offer us a reservation for 12:30. I really appreciated this little bit of extra effort that was made without having to request it. We ordered three different udon dishes, and wow. My mouth started watering as soon as the smell of the broth hit my nose. You can tell that the udon noodles are handmade and don't have any preservatives. The specialty udon items are bit pricy ($17-20), but the traditional udon items are quite reasonably priced ($10-16). We also got a mochi red bean dessert with sake and hojicha ice cream--the ice cream is made in house, and the mochi tasted fresh too. Overall, an incredibly satisfying meal. Best of all, the service was so genuine. From both of the staff members we interacted with, I felt like I could sense sincerity and friendliness. One of the servers told us as we were leaving to come back again, and I told her we would. I certainly intend to uphold that promise.

I love mentaiko udon and my cousin took me to this restaurant when I came to visit Vancouver. We arrived early before the restaurant opened, and surprisingly, there were already a few people in line waiting. I can't tell you how amazing the Mentai udon was. It was plated beautifully and was extremely delicious - I definitely savored it and ate up every last bite. I think about eating the Mentai udon all the time and need to go back to Vancouver for it. I loved how the udon is hand-made with the Motonubu original sauce, broth, and flavor combination. There was so many combinations of udon to choose from. For the mentai, they had both a cold and hot version with the differences being that the cold version had shiso tempura and an onsen egg instead of a poached egg for the hot version. For an upgraded version of the Mentai udon, you can get the MazeMentai, which added beef belly, Japanese pickled plum, thin-fried tofu, green onion, sesame seed, and chili oil. The MazeMentai was good, but the original Mentai was perfect for me. My brother enjoyed the SpicyTanTan, which was creamy and spicy as it's aptly named. The inari sampler looked delicious, which my cousin ate up. My only issue is I wish there were more noodles in the dish, especially for the price. However, it was filling and delicious. Next time, I'll just add extra noodles. You can also add multiple items to any of the udon like beef belly, tempura, tofu, etc.

I've been here many times for my favorite udon but this time i had the worst service. Arrived at 1:30 weekday and there was only ONE customer in the restaurant. The server insisted that he can only let me sit at the small counter, and said he had to leave the tables for other customers(?) (see photo). I totally understand if they're busy and I would have no choice, but the restaurant was empty at that time I walked in and it's already passed rush hour. I asked for small table again because i don't like the tight fitting counter and I know I'm going to order appis too. He gave me an angry look and then pointed to the table. By the time I finished my meal there's still plenty of tables. Not to mention the server threw menu on my table and of course not showing any appreciation. Food was great as usual but honestly I don't feel like coming here anymore.

There aren't many restaurants that focus on udon but Motonobu is one of the best without a doubt. It's simple and flavorful and the noodle texture is perfect. Hot udon is perfect for a cold day and cold udon is perfect for a hot day. It's also great how my server left the credit card machine at my table instead of staring into my soul as I pay.

It's great to have a restaurant focus on udon noodles. Udon noodle is a craft and everyone makes it differently. Came for lunch today with a friend and we shared the AnkakeEbiYuzokosho, Aburi Salmon, Gomaae Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Tea Ice Cream. It's an expensive lunch but this place was on our radar for awhile. Yes, it worth it if you never had hand made udon and another opportunity besides raman. The udon was good but I prefer mines a bit more chewy but the broth was light yet rich and flavourful. The Aburi Salmon (good amount of Ikura) and Gomaae were delicious. The ice cream was so amazing. Loved that everything is hand made on site and no MSG detected. So I ended up enjoying the other dishes more than the udon noodle soup. Service was friendly and fast. The decor is light and minimalist. I would come back in the summertime to try the cold udon and more ice cream.

You know a place is awesome when you come back again and again. - and we've done everything from take out to table for 2 to having our whole family eat inside - and it still leaves you wanting to come back. I've never been disappointed in anything I order here but today I got the Maze Mentai which is particularly good. Amazing flavor and the mixture of everything - seaweed, green onions, tempura bits, sauce, fresh udon, tofu strips, beef belly - just mixes together so so so well. Top it off with that basted egg and it's perfect. Everyone wanted more of mine. It reminds me of Tokyo Mazesoba. Someone else ordered tan tan. It's not bad - the pork belly is particularly good - but it's not as well balanced as the maze mentai. The regular mentai is good too. Not that any of the other udon combos are slouches.

The restaurant is bright and welcoming. The staff were friendly. I loved how fresh the udon was. The broth was very tasty and the brisket melts in your mouth.

This place opened up during the Pandemic and I was a little hesitant to go and try, and on top of that I didn't come out of the house until recently. I went by with my friends for a small lunch thingy. We passed by and sat down instantly as we passed the rush. We were seated right where the sun hits us in the faces. There was another table beside us, I should have asked to move us to the other table. But seriously, they need to organize their seating a little better. Anyways, me and my friends ordered a bowl of udon each. I ordered the Mentai Udon which is one of their specialty. It was made cold with Mentaiko (salmon fish eggs) and a soft egg on the side and tempura. It was delicious and the flavour they did for the mentaiko was pretty good! Their style of tossing the mentaiko right into the sauce cooks the fish eggs instead of leaving them orange really takes away the colour. But I think it might be intentional though. From what I heard, this is the first dedicated udon place in Vancouver. So I am quite excited for this place. It is sad to hear that the timing of the place opening was just not perfect, but I am rooting for y'all. Will be visiting again for more udon.

Motonobu Udon is a new, up and coming restaurant that I'm very excited to have in the community. I went for the first time back on Tuesday (Oct. 6) and really enjoyed my experience. After reading reviews that talked about the long wait times for walk-in customers, I decided to make a reservation. I made that reservation on the same day I visited, just hours before, and had no problems. When I arrived, I was seated right away. The space is gorgeous. Inside felt as bright and airy as being outside, and I liked that the kitchen was open. I found the servers to be very attentive - my cup of water was never less than half empty - which I appreciated. They also did a good job of describing the menu. Having seen a number of foodies post on Instagram about the NikuTenWaka (beef brisket, prawn tempura, seaweed) udon, I was all set to try that, but my server made the specials sound too good to pass up! My dish was a cold udon in a pesto sauce, served with pieces of octopus. At first, I wasn't sure there was enough to make me full, but a quarter of the way through eating I realized how wrong I was. I was deceived because of how gigantic the bowl was! Anyway, I ended up eating it all and went into a very nice food coma when I got home. This was my first time trying fresh, homemade udon, so I was super happy with the texture. The pesto sauce was smooth and herbaceous and the pieces of octopus were tender. The cost came to $19, which I thought was of great value given the portion size (plus, I presume octopus isn't the cheapest of proteins). I also split an eggplant appetizer with the friend I was dining with. The eggplant was soft and bursting with umami flavour in every bite. Usually, a new restaurant takes a couple months to work out the kinks. Opening during a pandemic presents even more challenges! So with those things in mind, I was thoroughly impressed with the staff at Motonobu. I look forward to my return visit.

I had high expectation before eating at this udon restaurant, because I knew it was running by Japanese. I had udon in different cities in Japan, so my eating experience here would definitely be comparing with the ones that I had in Japan for sure. We were trying to come here in the evening one night, but we didn't make reservation. The wait was pretty long, so we left. This time we came here before they opened at 11:30am. When the door was open, a server told us that he would take the ones who made reservation first. Then I realized that people called and reserved a table on phone! I went to Google and searched for this restaurant. They have no website except a phone number. I thought people could make reservation online. Anyhow, we came here early enough, so we could take a table right away. Thanks God! Due to covid, all the tables are 2m apart, which was great. The restaurant opened a big window that fresh air could get into the restaurant. A couple of tables were outside the restaurant (i.e. they had outdoor seating). I came here with my family. A couple of us ordered Niku Tofu udon (hot) and one ordered a TenWaka udon (hot). When the dishes arrived at our table, the look and presentation were very nice. The bowl was quite big and the portion of the udon was a lot. The broth was very clear and it was good that it was not too salty. It depended on what you ordered for your dish. They had beef brisket, seaweed, egg wash, prawn tempera, and tofu for the options. However, the core of the dish which was the udon itself was not good (at least to me). I felt like I was eating some flour dough in thick and long shape. The udon was not mushy, but I could not feel the chewy texture (i.e. it should have some firmness on the texture, but there was none). Literally it was just flour dough. I was very disappointed at the udon itself. When I was in Japan, I had eaten some handmade udon. Wow, it was so good, but I did not find this "satisfaction" at this newly open udon restaurant in Vancouver. If a foreigner has never visited Japan and has never tried the local handmade udon, the udon at Motonobu Udon was good enough for him/her. However, if he/she has tried the real handmade udon in Japan, the udon at Motonobu Udon was NOT okay..... Sorry I am being so honest, but this is true... Also, I understand that I was eating in Vancouver. Pricing should be higher; however, I only paid 460 yen-560 yen, which was about $5.66-$6 CAD. I could get a bowl of very delicious and hot udon with some tempera and other side dishes. Here I had to pay 3 times more - $18 CAD for a big bowl of udon (that I could get 3 bowls of udon combo in Japan). I would probably not visit this restaurant again (at least myself) unless my friends or family really really really want to come here for a meal together as a gathering. There is street parking, so don't worry about not finding a parking spot.

Loved this cute little place! The noodles were the right texture for me and the meat was so tender! The broth was good as well. We also tried the half salmon and tuna aburi as well as the negi tuna. The flavors were really tasty and the negi tuna sauce complimented the fish really well! Super light and refreshing. Would definitely go again!

I read some reviews that indicated that prices are too high, but the strengths and the key ingredients at this place are the soup, Dashi. They don't use MSG, and to bring this deep, delicious broth, it takes a lot of labour and money. Considering that factor, 18 bucks for certain dishes is not expensive at all. That is probably why they gained the Michellen recognition recently. Please keep up with genuine Dashi making for your store, Motonobu-san!

Udon is one of my favorites in Japanese cuisine, I went there even they hadn't had their restaurant sign ready... hahaha The menu was simple when I went there, there should be more options now. We ordered one Goboten and one EbitenToji. The food came in 5 minutes and the portion was good enough. The udon was so tender and definitely different from other udon places. They have their home-made udon in store and if you want more udon, you can ask them for free! The only thing I don't really was that they put the tempera in the broth instead of having a small side dish with tempera , the tempera batter basically absorbed the broth and no longer crispy when it came. It kind of wasted the texture of tempera. The broth was light flavored, not much MSG. I even finished the broth at the end. The price might be a bit pricy for just a bowl of udon compared to other places, like the more toppings you want in the bowl, the more you pay, but this restaurant is dedicated to HOME- MADE fresh udon instead of using frozen udon. If you love udon, you will taste the difference for sure! The service was awesome, staff members were really friendly and warm. I am looking forward in my next visit!

Let me tell you, u-don want to be missing out on this place. We need more places that focus on udon. Their menu is pretty basic, with variations of either having beef brisket (niku), tofu, prawn tempura (ten), toji egg or seaweed (waka). They have a few appetizers available and a mentai udon. I'm sure they'll be adding more to their specialty udon later on. We attempted to try this place on Saturday, but the line was quite long even before they were open. So we tried again today and got there even earlier. We were there at 10:45 and were the first ones. Another group behind us probably came 10 minutes later and as it came closer to 11:30 there was a line of probably close to 10 groups of people. They handed out menus and was going to starting taking people's orders to expedite the process. But since we were the first ones, we were seated first and then our order was taken. I tried the ten waka udon and added tofu and a toji egg. Our food came out pretty fast and the servers were really friendly and checked on us to make sure everything was ok and to fill our water. My friend had the cold udon, which came with a tempura egg. He was really happy with it. Crisp on the outside and a runny yolk on the inside. The sauce that went with it was tasty too. My bowl of udon was very satisfying. There was plenty of udon and had a good chew. The prawn tempura was crisp and the prawn was quite large. The toji egg is similar to a scrambled egg, but more flavourful. The broth was delicious and not too salty. Overall, I was very happy with my bowl of udon. It can seem a bit pricey for a bowl of noodles, but it is a very large portion and the quality makes up for it. If I'm ever craving a bowl of udon, I'd happily come back here.