Sanuki Udon

I stopped by Sanuki Udon and tried the shrimp tempura, beef and rice, and beef udon. The noodles had a nice texture, and the broth had good flavor. The shrimp tempura was crispy, and the beef was tender and tasty. I also got the chicken onigiri, which was really good. The prices here are great, you can get a lot of food for under $50. It’s a popular spot for college students since it’s close to campus. It can get busy, but the service is fast, so you don’t wait long for your food. It’s a solid place to grab a meal alone or with friends.

The food was a bit disappointing. I love Sanuki udon and Japanese-style tempura, but the udon wasn’t warm and the tempura had no heat at all. The staff, however, were friendly and helpful. Other than the lower price compared to NYC spots that make fresh noodles, nothing really stood out. Since it’s right by the school, it seems like a convenient place for students to grab a quick meal or chat with friends, but not somewhere I would go out of my way to visit.

The food was mediocre at most. Came here for the first time and was hoping for something good. It’s a self-serving restaurant. I’m not sure if the person in the front speaking English or not, because after I gave her my order for the noodles, she looked at me and asked me to point out the one I just ordered on the menu with pictures. That was weird. The texture of the udon was nice and chewy. The flavor of the curry was nice, but I think they put too much starch in it, and it was too gluey. The pork katsu looked burnt and it was extremely tough and dry. You can see the muscle fibers in the photos. I also got a bunch of tempura. I got shrimps, chicken karaage, and a fried soft boiled egg. The fried chicken was also extremely dry. You can also see the layers on the inside, and that makes me wonder if it’s real chicken pieces. The shrimp was average. Probably the only item that didn’t disappoint. However, it wasn’t a compliment. You basically got what you ordered, and that’s expected. The fried soft boiled egg was alright. It was still runny on the inside. Overall, it was an okay meal. Great for students who are on a budget. Don’t bother traveling here to eat. In addition, I saw one of the noodle making workers using his phone at the site using the same hands with the same gloves that he wore to both MAKING the noodles AND CLEANING. Well, we all know how dirty our phones are, right?

Sanuki Udon is a great spot and a popular go-to for NYU students. The restaurant feels very nice and cozy inside. The food is delicious and full of flavor. It is a perfect place to grab a great meal.

We visited Sanuki Udon on a Saturday night. Service was quick and efficient and their customer service gets the job done. We ordered the beef udon, shrimp tempura, white rice, and chicken karaage. The udon in our case was very oily. Udon soup is known to be light and something nice to sip on. However, I had to keep wiping my mouth because of how oily it is. Noodle texture is great and it’s an alright portion size. Beef is very fatty and not of great texture or flavor. Overall, we paid $50, drinks included, which I thought was a bit too pricey, considering it’s supposed to be a quick place to eat. Overall, this is a fast-food udon spot and the quality of the food reflects that. Not sure I’d go out of my way to get here but definitely not a to-go spot.

As an Asian I don’t like it. The curry tastes too sweet and the dumplings is not dry and the skin is thick. Apart from that, they use chicken breast for the fried chicken. Maybe American likes it but Asian don’t. It is not authentic.

Quick yummy Japanese Udon noodles with plenty of side dishes to choose from. The restaurant is located in the New York University area so the place is full of students. And that what make it so good in price and size! I saw a bowl of noodle other people were having and knew I wouldn't be able to eat more than just a bowl of noodle. I had a bowl of mapo tufu Udon with soup and really enjoyed it!

Great concept: casual+straight forward fare. Housemade udon, which are genuinely excellent as chewy & thick. You can request vegetarian broth. You can see & then choose from tempura options. You can help yourself to oolong tea or water. You can make your own tempura sauce. Clean & efficient dining areas. Professional+kind staff. Downside: - the tempura I chose happened to be more soft than crispy. this is a big deal to me since alternatively I feel I could go to Raku for good udon & made-to-order crispy tempura :\ or even save my craving for the tempura spot in Mitsuwa, yes across the Hudson River in NJ - things get pricey quickly. I went with the most affordable option at $9.50 and chose 3 vegetarian tempuras: $1.85 chrysanthemum garland, $1.85 Japanese squash, $2.95 soft-boiled egg. Came out to $16.15. +3% card surcharge +tax, ~$18. Then there’s a screen for suggested tip & I went with 15% (regardless it’s not formal dining, the place felt well-maintained with cleanliness & tray cleaning. maybe 15% can be a stretch.). Total came to $20.52. Now, the part that can’t be confirmed with proof: I chose to do a 1hr walk home and had moments of suddenly bad #2 anxiety (not the good #2). To the point where I didn’t have enough time to scope out an emergency situation. I hadn’t eaten anything else that day to trigger this reaction, so unfortunately this meal was the source :\. As with undercooked eggs, consumption is alllllways a disclosed risk. I think I got unlucky with mine, and maybe unlucky with the heat lamp duration, because I take pride in my stomach of steel. Which ended up as a stomach of goo that night… Honestly, this wasn’t a total dealbreaker since I’m still more sad about the soft tempuras & pricepoint, lol… I really wanted to love the place+eagerly return. I get it, though. The place is in the heart of NYU, where the area is teeming with affluent students that can pay with student currency card. The business knows thy demographic. Ymmv!

Sanuki Udon is a hidden gem that serves some of the most authentic Japanese noodles you'll find outside of Japan. The udon here is perfectly chewy and springy. You can tell they're made fresh, with that satisfying bite and subtle wheat flavor that pairs beautifully with the rich, flavorful broth. I tried the Beef Udon and the Tempura Udon, and both were incredible. The broth was light but deeply savory, and the beef was tender and slightly sweet. The tempura came out crispy and not greasy, even after sitting in the soup for a bit. You can tell there's real care put into every bowl. I loved that there's free hot oolong tea and lots of toppings on the side. The restaurant itself has a cozy, casual vibe, nothing too fancy, just comforting and welcoming. Service is quick and friendly, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality.

Really solid udon and tempura + free toppings and Oolong tea!!!! The free oolong is amazing. Service is quick and clean and everyone is nice. Nice place to eat even if you're alone and want to treat yourself a bit. A bit pricy for some of the other bowls though so I usually just get the cheapest option

Good food and great service for us loved the noodles and the tempura because it was super crunch

My partner was craving this when reminiscing on time spent in Japan, so we came to see how it compared. I love the cafeteria style, and I love getting to pick and choose my tempura sides. I got the curry udon, which was delicious, with shrimp and zucchini tempura. You can watch in a room to the side how they make their noodles in house, which is very cool. Each bowl is created for you, right in front of you, with homemade noodles! I had wished the lighting was a little softer to give it a home-ier feel (with comfort fried foods and soup, you get the vibe), but it is cafeteria style so I guess it makes sense why it isn't. I can imagine this is a common spot for NYU students, but I hope to go back often myself!

Not bad considering the affordable price you can get it for! I got the beef bowl, and everything was really good and extremely flavorful! However, the only thing I'd say is that the beef was fatty. Next time I'll opt for a shrimp tempura udon bowl, or something without the beef, but it was great for a cheap and quick meal! I love how they have a self-serve bar on the side, and had tempura sauce and flakes, scallion, complimentary tea, to-go containers, etc. Overall, I'd recommend coming here for a quick and easy meal!

I came when they first opened, and this time I was shocked to see some bowls, like pork cutlet curry and beef udon, are now actually $1 cheaper...like who does that nowadays?! Plus, they offer free unlimited oolong tea! Huge bang for your buck and perfect for students. What really surprised me was they actually make udon with Japanese-imported wheat flour! ＊Beef Udon $14.50 A hot bowl of soup udon hit so hard on a chilly, rainy day. The rich and savory broth felt like a warm hug. The beef slices were tender and not overly fatty, and the udon noodles were super springy and chewy which is clearly different from the cheap frozen one. ＊Pork Cutlet Curry Udon $15.95 If you're craving something more filling, the curry udon comes with slices of katsu pork cutlet. There was definitely more fried batter than actual pork, but it was still tasty and paired really well with the curry. ＊Tempura - Mochi $2.25, Zucchini with Cheese $1.85, Japanese Yam $1.85, Eggplant $1.85 Most of their tempura ranges from $1.85 to $2.95 (with the soft-boiled egg on the higher end). The veggie ones were nothing special, but the mochi tempura was surprisingly good. I thought it'd be stale and hard after sitting on the counter for a while, but it was the opposite--the mochi inside was still super stretchy and soft, with a nice seaweed flavor from the crispy batter.

Curry udon with tempura. Hot tea included for free. Highly recommend getting the karage add-on and ordering the wet curry udon (with soup). Really quick service!

Got the curry and was very dissapointed. Curry was watered down af. Marugame would never. But i liked their tempura. The tempura mochi was interesting and delicious. The chew was yummy. The service is a quick grab a try and go down the line type of service. Very chill vibes and lots of seating. Mostly self serve experience after you get through the line and lots of NYU students as it borders the campus. Would recommend to try as we dont ha e Marugame in NYC and the experience and food is close/similar.

I love how it's a place of order, pay and sit anywhere type of establishment. My favorite is the beef udon noodle soup with shrimp tempera on the side. The batter is so light and crispy, I always get this side no matter what. They open at 11:30am and it gets crowded quick but also the turnaround for a seat is fast. The tables can be a bit too close together so getting to the seat by the window you gotta squeeze in without trying to hit someone's food next to you or you can sit at the high bar facing the window which I love. They have 2 unisex bathrooms available but you need a code to open it so ask the cashier. They have take out containers readily available for you to grab on your own if you don't finish your meal.

Literally a college cafeteria, feels like everyone who eats here goes to NYU. Really reminds me of maragame udon, but with a lot more udon style options. If I'm ever craving udon again and want something fast, efficient, and somewhat more affordable, I think this is the place to go to in Manhattan.

A self service fast dining udon place, definitely a new concept in nyc. This was my first time here and I was impressed! I got the pork cutlet udon and the pork cutlet was still crispy even tho it's been sitting out in the hot plate. The curry sauce was also good. They also have a self serve bar with free tea and water, tempura dipping sauce as well as condiments. Would definitely come back again if I want a quick bite.

Quick, fresh udon shop! Def focused on efficiently, this udon shop lets you pick your toppings yourself from the hot bar of fried foods in front of you as you move down the counter. Just tell the chefs what type of udon you'd like (I usually go for a kake udon) and pick whatever your heart desires. Drinks available at the cashier and there is a toppings + sauce bar after you pay. Plenty of seating and not too pricey - it really depends how much tempura you get! The possibilities are endless for your bowl.

Quick and convenient, this fast paced Udon spot is located near Washington Square Park. You walk in, grab a plate for your choice of tempura (if you want) and a tray, choose your udon that's cooked in front of you, then choose from a variety of tempura of your liking (individually priced), then pay at the register. There's a self serve station for sauce, free tea, and utensils. The staff are friendly and place is clean. There's even a window to look into how they make their Japan Sanuki Udon.

NYC's First Udon Station is set up conveniently with an actual tray line -- grab your tray, order your entrée, pick your tempura, and you'll be slurping in minutes! They serve udon made with Japanese-imported flour and cook the noodles with soft water for that perfect, chewy bite. The Tonkotsu, Mentaiko Cheese, and Pork Katsu Curry Udon are all hits -- flavorful, satisfying, and super affordable. Honestly, it's hard to pick a favorite because they're all that good. But the Mentaiko Cheese Udon? An absolute must-try! And don't skip the mochi -- you'll thank me later. Bonus: FREE Oolong tea! Flavorful, fast, and officially one of my new favorite udon spots in NYC. Follow me @foodie.elite on IG and Tiktok for more!

Great hearty fast food restaurant. Items are self serve and is very organized and efficient. They have plenty of seating for group and solo dining. A bit pricey but the large portion makes it worth it. Great for a cold day

I saw this spot on Instagram, and also heard about it through friends, and so I decided to check it out. And I'm glad I did! This spot is a self-service restaurant where you start at one end of the line, and walk along a counter to receive different parts of your meal. First, you grab a tray and a smaller plate that will hold the tempura. You then order your entree and/or sides from the menu, and depending on how busy it is you will either stand there and wait for your order (we went when it wasn't busy so our bowls came out within 1 minute!) or bring a number to your table. As you wait, if there is no one in front of you in line, you can browse the tempura section. Once you receive your entree, you proceed along the counter, picking up any pieces of tempura you like with the tongs, each of which has a different price (but all of which is relatively affordable). At the end of the counter, you can order any drinks and pay before you head off to your table. I loved that there was a sauce/topping bar where there was a hot and cold version of the tempura sauce, which was such a great touch to their crispy tempura. There is also this radish topping, green onions, shredded ginger, and crispy tempura bits that you can grab for the table for either your tempura sauce or to add to your udon. There were also a few other sauces for your katsu--as well as free hot tea! After you are done with your meal, you bring your tray up to the cleaning station. I got the mentaiko cheese udon. I thought the udon was just okay. Though I did appreciate that the udon/entree prices overall are fairly affordable so that you can grab a few tempura to your tray without your entire meal being too pricey--it ended up being a little over $20 total which isn't terrible. I have had plenty of mentaiko udon/noodle dishes and I didn't think this quite hit the mark since the cheese they added was parmesan which I'm not sure should be the cheese of choice here. There was also arugula added which it was also my first time having arugula with mentaiko udon as well. I'm a huge fan of udon and tempura, but I think the tempura and sauce bar was the star of the show! Some pieces of the tempura I had were misses (fish cake, fried mochi on a stick). The mochi just didn't hit right--it just tasted like non-cheese but with a cheesy texture on a stick that was fried. Loved the tempura enoki, Japanese yam, and shrimp though! What I ordered: -Mentaiko Cheese Udon -Tempura (enoki, Japanese yam, shrimp, fish cake, mochi skewer)

I read online somewhere this is like the Japanese version of Chipotle. I agree but it's much calmer. You grab a tray & a small plate for tempura. Then you pick your "base" udon or rice. Then you can pick fresh tempura each a la carte. There is even a tempura sauce making station Pros: - clean space - freshly made in front of you - yummy tempura choices like shrimp, tofu, mochi, eggplant, etc - perfect noodle texture - everything is nice and hot - a decent amount of seating when it's slower Cons: - my pork was fattier than I prefer. My friend's charsu piece was a lot very fat - can get pricey quickly because of the tempura add ons - limited seating during busy times, but this isn't a true pro, just a comment

After watching a tiktok video on this place, we decided to give it a try. The lady on the video said that this place was cheap, which wasn't. I got mapo tofu udon, shrimp and egg plant tempura for sides. My friend got cold udon which some extra toppings and shrimp, squash, enoki, and some green veggie tempura. Both of our total was $25+ with the drink. The price just for the udon itself, i found it overpriced. Tempuras were really cheap. I don't think i will be back to try it again.

The Pork Udon surprisingly had a huge portion of pork. I'd never had so much meat in an udon dish before, which I appreciated. The pork was soft and tender. The udon noodles also weren't overcooked like they were when I visited during the soft opening. Instead, the noodles were al dente. The katsu didn't stand out to me, but it wasn't as dry as the katsu I had last time. The sweet potato tempura was good, not too heavily breaded. The tea wasn't watery and had a nice strength to the taste. It was nice to have a warm drink while I waited for my udon to be ready. On a weekday evening, this place didn't have an abundance of free seats, but there were a few seats for individuals. The seating was a little tight. There was also a 5-minute wait for udon maximum. Overall, I was really happy I came back to give this place another try.

I found this to be an interesting and casual restaurant. At the front you order from a list of dishes - I chose the pork cutlet curry udon, and then there's a self-serve area where you choose from an assortment of ready made tempura/fried items. You bring everything up and then pay at cashier. The tempura aren't buffet style though, you pay for each individually so it does add up

Place is a short walk from Washington square park and by NYU. Fast, casual atmosphere. Staff was friendly and helped us out with the menu and making suggestions. I wish there were more options with tons of vegetables, but other than that the broth and udon noodles were really good. Portion is generous and prices are fair.

Been here a few times and I'm so glad that this place opened up in the city. First of all, NYC is severely lacking in no frills Japanese food - Sanuki offers that quintessential cafeteria-style Udon restaurant that is so beloved on the west coast and in Japan. Better late than never! I've had a few of their udon, including the curry beef and regular beef udon which has a nice clean broth, the noodles have a nice chew - it's not going to be the best udon of your life but it's so affordable and is a great value if you're not trying to spend too much while also getting a very filling meal. My favorite part of all this though is the hot tempura bar where you get to choose a la carte how many pieces and what kind of tempura you'd like with your meal. I regularly see pork katsu cutlets, shrimp tempura, fried tofu, fried whole boiled egg, chrysanthemum, and crab stick. They may have rotating options, not sure. I got enoki last time too. Also shout out to the free hot tea, the hot/cold tempura sauce, the scallions and ginger/radish paste you can have with your meal and the extremely well-organized area that gives you all of this. Honestly you will leave here stuffed and fulfilled and this place is doing SUCH a service to the NYC food scene. While it's no Marugame Udon from Japan, it may be the best the city has yet.

Pleasantly surprised by Sanuki Udon. I've tried fast food udon before and wasn't a fan, particularly by the cleanliness. This place didn't strike me in that same way fortunately, and it was quite orderly. I learned I'm not too into sweet soy sauce beef, so I stuck with Wakame Udon ($9.95), which had seaweed on top of the udon. The udon was pretty standard, I just wish they offered more broth. The star of my dish was the seaweed that made the meal extra comforting. The added tempura side dishes we got were all pretty good. I particularly liked the sweet potato balls and yam tempura. They also offered free tea and water! For a quick casual grab it yourself meal, I would definitely come again.

Decent spot for a quick meal, if you're in the mood for udon, tempura, or both. The setup resembles a high school cafeteria -- come in, grab a tray, ask for a specific udon bowl, pick up some tempura, then pay at the cashier. Efficiency, ya know? The udon was fine, especially considering how quick it took to get from the kitchen to my mouth (just a minute or two). The tempura didn't particularly stand out, but again, for a quick service setup, I'm glad I got it. I'm sure the NYU crowd appreciates an affordable, hot meal in the area.

I'm impressed with this casual fast food udon place ! It's clean and has a nice warm feel to it first of all with a nice mural of WSP on one wall so it doesn't feel cheap The concept is like a cafeteria. Grab a try and a plate for tempura you're having some, ask the noodle attendant what dish you want then walk passed a line up of tempura and plate what you want. Pay at the cashier. Turn around and you'll see where you get utensils as well as bowls for the tempura sauce and also there is condiments such as hot chile flakes , scallions , tempura flakes and other stuff. Also, complimentary hot oolong tea and water. I got the kake soup N1. It's a standard broth for 9 dollars. I also got shrimp tempura and a crab one as well as a tempura soft boiled egg. The egg was 3 dollars ! The shrimp are 2 a piece. Still a great deal. The broth was light and tasty but the noodles made the soup. Fantastic chew. The shrimp tempura was surprisingly good. So was the egg. The crab was a big thick piece of artificial crab. I really didn't like it as much as the shrimp. The egg is a nice compliment to the soup. All in all for 20 dollars I got a big bowl of soup, and 4 pieces of tempura and a can of coke for 20 bucks. It's a bargain. I had leftover soup and the takeout bowls etc are right by the condiments. Locals should keep this place in mind esp solo dinners for a comforting meal that won't break the bank.

This is my first time in a place like this, and it did not disappoint! I wish I took pictures of some of the temporary selection, they were amazing! Sesame, chicken rice was delicious, and the service was super fast and friendly. Right by the NYU library and Washington Square Park, this is your next lunch spot!

This place is good for when you want some udon. I can probably eat about 10 of those crab stick tempuras. The fishcake udon wasnt for me or my taste preference cause it was on the sweet side and it wasnt what i was expecting. Tried a bunch of things and always go back to the tonkatsu udon and the crab stick tempuras on the side. Their packaging to go is always on point and neat. Love that part about this business.

supper good udon! highly recommend! Shrimp supper good! Location very good. nice soup

Was actually very disappointed. It seems like whenever a franchise opens up a restaurant in nyc it's usually not as good for some reason. I was super excited to try them because the one in Japan was great! We went close to closing time around 7:30pm so maybe that could be why it wasn't that fresh? Curry katsu udon 2/5: do not reco getting this, barely any soup, udon too soft, and katsu was overly soggy from the curry Beef udon 3.5/5: this was wayyyy better than the curry katsu since you don't have to worry about the meat getting soggy and there's more soup in this one for you to enjoy What we did enjoy is when you spend over $40 you get a wooden utensil set, cup, or tote bag!

Walked in with 3 of my friends on a rainy weekday and it was packed. This place is similar to a chipotle but udon style. You order what you want, pay, then sit down. If you leave a google/yelp review you can get a free drink too! The side dishes weren't bad but depending on time of day, sometimes they have older fried things just chilling and when you eat it, you get that "old" oil taste. The udon noodles are not great, especially if you've eaten at udon places like raku that make their own udon. They seem to make their own udon in the back (you can see it through the door) but something....about the noodles just not great. I think if you're looking for a low budget place to eat some warm noodles, this is it but you're also 2-3 blocks from St. Marks that has awesome food choices...

Casual self served udon place. They make the udon in house and there's a window where you can see the chef making the noodles while you eat. I've been to the branch is Hawaii and this one tastes an operate very similarly. So you would go in, pick your noodles, pick your tempura and pay. Prices are pretty standard in New York although I felt tempura was a bit steep. Unfortunately, when I went there were several types of tempura that was empty that I wanted, and I didn't even have the option to wait for them to come out because the line moves fast and I had to pay before sitting down to eat. There's a place make your own tempura dip and getting utensils. Overall food was good and udon was perfectly chewy. The tempura was also very good with a good outer crunch. I felt the karaage a bit dry and tough.

I heard about this place since it was gaining traction in social media for its low prices. It's like a cafeteria style restaurant, where you get to add tempura to your own tray and choose one of their many udons. There's also a little condiment bar and dispensers for hot tea! The food also came out pretty fast, which is a huge plus if you're in a rush. I stuck with the dipping udon, which was such a good price for a very reasonable portion of noodles. It was also really delicious and had the perfect texture! The tempura left much to be desired since it tasted like it had been under the heating lamps for a while, and the batter was thicker/denser than I had wanted. Overall, it was a good experience, but I don't think I would come back to eat the tempura.

The place is spacious and clean. Considering it's in Manhattan, the prices are quite reasonable. The staff were also very friendly and nice. The quality was almost the same as Marukame Seimen I had in Japan -- really delicious. Highly recommended!

When you walk in it looks like a cafeteria with trays that you pick up. The instructions say to take a tray and tempura plate, you then tell the worker what soup you want and they give it to you on the spot then you move your tray along and take whatever tempura you want if you want it and then pay at the cash register. There is also a sauce making station that tells you how to mix the tempura sauce with radish paste. The workers were all so nice and answered our questions on the way out every single person said good bye to us. The place is kept clean and there are two bathrooms in the back. The noodles are so fresh, made there and you can taste it. The broth is too salty for me so I didn't drink much of it. All the tempura was 50% of when we went so that was cool. I wish I was hungry enough to eat more. I wanted to try the mochi tempura. I got the chrysanthemum tempura not knowing what it was. It was delicious though, tasted like a veggie like broccoli rabe or asparagus but didn't have much flavor. My friend got a soft boiled egg tempura, never had that either. It was interesting to eat tempura with a soft center and the egg was kind of sweet. I would def come back here again. Very reasonably priced I think I paid about $10 for soup and tempura! I got the basic #1 soup.

This cozy little restaurant would be my go-to lunch spot if I lived in the area. Sanuki Udon is a great place for a delicious, warm meal after a long day at work or school; the service was fast, friendly and excellent. If you go to NYU or are ever in the area, visit Sanuki Udon and enjoy a relaxing meal.

Very reasonably priced Udon in a convenient NYU location. The ordering system is very efficient, where you request your choice of udon and move down the line to pick your tempura pieces. Depending on how busy the place is, the staff may prepare your udon on the spot or give you a Table Flag to bring your order in a bit. I ordered the Beef Udon, which came with THICC + tasty slices of beef, unlike other spots that may give the hotpot beef, so this was a pleasant surprise! Their broth is very savory as well. The tempura was very fresh, where the staff are constantly frying veggies and other protein. Highly recommend the Chrysanthemum Tempura - it was surprisingly really nice + light! The Sweet Potato Tempura was also sliced + fried perfectly. They have a separate counter of toppings, tea, and takeaway containers right behind the register, which is very convenient. The staff is prompt and there's ample seating. Overall, Sanuki Udon is a perfect spot for a quick bite, solo dining (or not), and most of all - reasonably priced!

Came in on a Wednesday lunchtime. The line was a bit out the door! Staff was friendly. This is a self-serve udon place where you pick up a tray, get your pick of udon or rice from the menu, then grab your selection of tempura as you bring your tray down to checkout. Then you can get some free condiments including hot oolong tea and tempura sauce. I got the kake udon (basic one with bonito flake soup), with tempura (Japanese squash, fish cake, garland chrysanthemum, and shrimp). Everything was good and flavors were straightforward! I would recommend the squash and shrimp for tempura. I was curious and don't regret trying out the chrysanthemum but I likely wouldn't get it again -- tasted a bit too floral (?) for me. Overall if you're looking for some decent udon, a lowkey and casual spot, this is the place!

It was a good, quick eat. Definitely brought me back to a similar type of shop I went to in Osaka, but the food wasn't as amazing. A bit expensive but I think that's due to the location of the establishment. Otherwise, the people were friendly and there's ample seating for sitting with friends or discussions with ample white background noice. Lots of fried foods, but that's okay too because you can take a walk with your friends at the park :)

Sanuki Udon was such a pleasant surprise. I heard about it online because of the very reasonably priced udon and tempura and it not only is cheap (for New York) but it tastes fantastic. You order your udon up front and grab a tray to get your own tempura. I got the beef udon which was $13 and one of the more expensive options. Most beef udons I have had at other places are at least $20 and can be up to $25 so $13 is cheap. They have a solid selection of tempura including squash/pumpkin, shrimp, tofu, sweet potato, and fries and karaage. Every tempura was under $2. The total for two beef udons and around 3 tempuras each was $41! The udon was amazing and not a reflection of the cheap prices. The udon is fresh and chewy and the amount of beef they give you is insane. The slices are thick and high quality. The tempura were all crispy and fresh and every one I tried was great. They have a station for tempura dipping sauce and some toppings for the udon. It also comes with free hot tea and water. They make the udon right in front of you and I was probably in and out within 20 minutes. You seat yourself but everything in the restaurant was clean. Highly recommend this spot because it's so good and if I didn't know already I would've mistaken this food for a higher end udon shop.

Right now, there are having 50% summer sale off every tempura item! I've heard of this buffet style udon spot that opened up in NYC. And I finally got to try it out recently. I went in with a friend and to our luck, they were having a sale on their tempura/fried side options. With the sale now, it's worth it. The whole ordering process is super quick and easy. It's basically lunch cafeteria style. You just choose a entree (could be rice or udon based). Of course, you should try the udon at a place called Sanuki Udon. You can choose an udon entree as cheap as $9 or a speciality/popular one like beef udon which cost a bit more. Then, you can pick and choose tempura or fried options as a side. Lastly, there is free water and tea options available for self-serve. I personally got the beef udon. The broth was very rich. Udon noodles were soft. I personally chose 3 shrimp tempuras. They are probably the bigger tempura options, so it was filling. I had a filling meal for a decent price.

Saw this place on social media and was drawn in by the 50% tempura offer. It's right by Washington Square Park and the NYU buildings. This is probably a popular spot for students during the school year as the offerings are decently priced and the food is filling. I went with the beef udon and for the tempura I got the crab claw stick, shrimp, fish cake and chrysanthemum garland. A few of the tempura were empty when I was placing my order but it looks like they're constantly replenishing it (might just take a while since only a few pieces of tempura are made at a time). My favorite was the crab stick and fish cake tempura. The chrysanthemum one was a bit too oily for me. The beef udon was very filling. The soup was flavorful but not oily and it felt like there was an endless amount of noodles. It was one of the best udon I've ever had, the noodles had just the right amount of chew and didn't have that sour taste that some udon has. I think the udon is made in house as you can see into their kitchen prep area, similar to how Din Tai Fung is. Definitely getting my money's worth here. My brother got the kamaage udon that comes with a dipping soup. It had a very clean soy sauce flavor. He also got their taro fries and fried tofu. The fries and tofu were both soft so they weren't really that memorable. I appreciated how there were directions everywhere so you're guided on how to order. After paying, there's another station with katsu sauce (cold and hot), ginger, radish, scallions, tempura bits, hot oolong tea, cold water and utensils. There's even take out containers and bags in case you can't finish your meal. They really thought of everything you might need. Bathrooms need a code to access and were clean. The hand soap smelled like yuzu and there were paper towels which is always nice.

Came here a second time because udon. I am ecstatic that LA's equivalent of Marugame Udon came to NYC. Tomato egg curry- I am not usually a fan of curry but I am of tomato. The curry flavor is strong and a bit sweet. It is good, but not for my taste. Good thing we got extra noodles to soak all the extra sauce. Beef udon- the beef is super tender, not to mention well portioned. Last time I had pork but the beef might be even better. The udon itself is chewy, delicious, as good as udon can be. The self-serve bar of scallions, tempura flakes, DIY tempura sauce, and hot TEA. Genius. This place definitely hits the spot. Will be back again. Again. And again.

Stopped by for udon and the noodles were perfectly chewy with a great bite! The shrimp tempura was also solid. Would definitely come back for the udon!

My favorite place to eat around wsq. Fast, delicious, cheap. Their broth is just elite, every single one of their noodle tastes good. Free cold and hot water plus tea. Their staffs are pretty friendly and the restaurant is very clean and well kept.

A couple of months ago I was able to come for dinner with some colleagues. We were so excited to try them since their opening. We were interested in the taste, service and how their operation works especially since some of my colleagues work in similar cuisine. When we arrive on a friday after work (5ish pm) there was no line as it was still early and pre-dinner rush. We were able to see how everything works but sadly there were limited tempura offerings on the display as it's in between rush hours. There were many options but we were really looking forward to certain items (seen on online menu and on those instagram reels) but didn't ask about them as we didn't wish to bother the staff... there are other lovely options available so we were still able to have a lovely meal. Service: quick and easy. You enter, grab a tray and place your order. Watch as they spin/turn the bowl in hot water to clean and keep bowls warm while they cook the udon noodles. Then after getting the order, proceed down the line to take any tempura items that catch your fancy. (We were thoroughly impressed by the spinning bowl thingie). Then there is a condiment section on the side after you pay at the register. That was fun to combine sauces/condiments both for your udon and tempura. Then we have to find a large table to fit all of us (at the back of the dining room) which we saw a large window into their kitchen. There wasn't anyone making fresh udon at the time, but I bet the demonstration is awesome. Taste: love the fat chewy udon noodles. Everything was great, although I did wish my tempura were abit hotter. But it was as expected as it was sitting out for awhile under the heat lamp. Suggestions: separate tongs for each tempura plate. There were shared ones (I think for veggies is okay) but there are some food allergies for people which would make sharing tongs for multiple dishes a hazard. Such as a tong touching meat vs vegetables (not suitable for vegetarians) or tongs touching shellfish and then other food items (shellfish allergen). Overall, it was a lovely experience. First of its kind here in NYC. It's more of a nice gimmick and best for that neighborhood as they have more NYU students looking for a quick and fulfilling meal... but once or twice is enough for me. The tempura are Ala cart which can add up to a large bill. If I'm ever in the area again, would love to return and see if they have those other tempura options to go with my udon.

(Overall: A) - I was really impressed with Sanuki Udon as a great lunch outing for around $20 depending on what you order. They are quick and mostly self serve, with a tempura bar to pick your own tempura and customize your dipping sauce, and free oolong tea to go with it. All of the food is high quality and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend others in the area to try. (Beef Udon: A) - This is a well made udon at an affordable price with tender beef, chewy udon, and clever garnish for flavor development. Very well done. (Tempura: A+) - Love their tempura as it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside without a lingering oil taste and fried just beautifully. You can also see the detail they put into each piece with the extra leaf along the eggplant and the dusted greens on the crab stick. They also have many interesting options you don't normally find for tempura, including crysanthemum greens, crab, egg, and eggplant, all of which I tried. -- Food: +1 Presentation: +1 Price: +1 Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +2 Overall: +5 A Insta/Beli: @amei_eats

Worth getting out of the cold to enjoy a bowl of udon. Noodles are made on site which is a nice touch. Staff is courteous.

Been meaning to come here ever since I saw it open a few months ago. First off, I really like the look and aesthetic of the restaurant, it's easy to navigate directionally speaking and the layout of everything is placed in a way that flows very well. There are directions for how you order and get your tempura right when you walk in which is easy to follow and also saves on wait staff and time. We got the tonkatsu udon, beef udon, and some tempura including the garland chrysanthemum, kabocha, soft boiled egg, fish cake, crab stick, and shrimp along with a side of kaarage. Both udons were prepared fresh and quickly and were quite good. The noodles are good and bouncy though I expected the tonkatsu udon to be a bit richer. I appreciated the chili paste though. The beef udon soup had a nice, soy-sauce beef flavor though the meat was cut a bit too thick I think, considering it's essentially the cut used in gyudon and what I suspect it's supposed to mimick. All the tempura was fried quite well, I'm glad that none of the pieces I had were soggy. The ones I enjoyed in particular were the garland chrysanthemum, kabocha, shrimp, and crab stick, exactly how I want them. The soft boiled egg was pretty close to how it should be done though I expected it to taste better, and same goes for the fish cake. The kaarage was crispy and hot as well though I really gotta prefer thigh meat here. One thing I really have to give props to is the self-service station where you can get hot oolong tea, water, and customize your own tempura dipping sauce how you like it. Also at this station are fresh fried tempura bits that you can take and add to your own bowls which is a big plus because I haven't seen that in NYC yet (super common in Japan), and who doesn't just love a bunch of crunchy fried bits amongst your noods. When we came, they were also doing multiple promotions which was nice. All the tempura is 50% off during the summer ( I assume to entice customers due to many college students going back home, thereby eliminating quite a big portion of their immediate customer base) and if you spent $40 or more, you could choose between some assorted utensils, washclothes, etc. $60 or more gets you a cute chef teddy bear which I would immediately want if I wasn't allergic haha. Either way, pretty good experience, and reasonably priced, everything we ordered here came out to about $40 so definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

I was so excited to visit Sanuki because it was advertised as NYC's first self-serve udon place. However, the only thing that is actually self-serve is the tempura. For the udon itself, you order your base and the bowl is made for you. The udon was freshly made and the broth was tasty, but the tempura was not impressive. My sweet potato tempura was overcooked and tasted like it had been sitting out for a while. The shrimp was good, though. For a fast-casual place, it was as also quite pricey. I ended up spending $30 just for myself, which is a lot more than I was expecting. Unfortunately, I would not recommend Sanuki as I would have preferred to spend $30 on higher quality udon.