We passed this place during a food excursion and decided to try their hand rolled udon. One of the best decisions we made during our trip! We only tried the carbonara udon, but it was truly memorable. The sauce was creamy although a little split, but not overly salty which allowed the subtle umami and miso flavors to shine. The noodles were cooked well and had a gentle chew. The bacon was juicy with lots of fatty bits. Next time I would add an ontama to it to make it even better. The service was great and quick. We sat at the counter so could watch the noodles being made. This is definitely among the top 3 places I ate in JTown during this visit! read more

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One star off for horrible parking and no designated validated structure Otherwise the food is delicious though can be pricey compared to other soup cuisine like Thai or Vietnamese. My sea urchin udon has an adequate amount of sea urchin. The duck udon has a few slices of duck unlike dishes like Bun Mang Vit or Mi Vit Tiem where there is a whole thigh and other meat portions. At least the meat here is deboned so non-Asians can eat Service is fast and food comes out immediately. I was in and out within 40 minute. I will come back eventually for something else but not in a while. read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Aight, I eat pretty plain food most of the time and occasionally get Instagram baited into trying viral stuff, including Menchirashi's carbonara udon in Tokyo, which I enjoyed despite the sauce being fairly light. Marugame Monzo's sauce, however, is the opposite of Menchirashi's. The sauce is SUPER flavorful with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a strong umami flavor from the bacon and miso. I added mentaiko since I did the same at Menchirashi and honestly, everything was fantastic. The udon itself is pretty much exactly like fresh udon in Japan. Perfectly bouncy, chewy, and satisfying. Staff were also wonderful and service was insanely fast. We probably waited less than 10 minutes for both our udon and tempura, and they consistently checked in to make sure everything was good. I can't wait to come back and try more of their menu, especially the uni cream udon. The only thing I didn't like was the shrimp tempura since it had a lot of batter and not a ton of shrimp, so it was on the greasy side. I did enjoy the soft boiled egg tempura though. The yolk exploded into the udon and somehow made the whole bowl even better hehe. There are plenty of tables inside with limited bar seating. If you're a 2 top you might be sharing a table real close with some neighbors (they put a divider). If there's a wait, write your name down on the clipboard outside! read more

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Ordered the miso carbonara udon & ikura don. The udon was great: creamy and flavorful, but definitely felt more like the carbonara part of the fusion. I regret the ikura don though. It took a while to come out, and it was too bland. I wish it was more like a poke bowl. read more

Marugame Monzo - Miso carbonara udon & ikura don - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I can't believe I have never written a Yelp review for Marugame Monzo before! This is literally what I get everytime I visited LA. My friend and I always said we need to try new restaurants but fail every time because we always ended up craving Marugame Monzo. They literally have the best cream udon in my opinion! They got the ratio RIGHHTTTT!! It's creamy but not crazy creamy that all you taste is heavy cream. I can taste the flavor from the protein!! The hand crafted udon noodles always cooked to perfection with the perfect texture. The noodles soaked up the sauce up so well!! I have tried different cream udon dishes here - the famous sea urchin cream udon, the carbonara udon, the mentai cream udon, the butter squid udon, etc... My fav would definitely be the mentai cream udon, as you get lots of yummy seafood (shrimps and scallops) in the sauce. The butter squid cream udon is also really good as well!! I like to pair my cream udon with a side of chicken karage!! I really like the batter that they use for the chicken! It's crunchy and airy and very well seasoned!! Service has always been amazing! You get seated fairly quickly and the staff are super attentive! They always check up on you to see how you are doing. The restaurant is small and they make the best of the space they have. I like the glass window/bar area where you can see the chef make the udon noodles!! read more

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Had to bring my husband here because he loves udon and this is where you can get some of the best udon. We visited on a Saturday for lunch and to our surprise, there was no wait at all. We were seated right away. However, I wasn't too fond of the seating arrangement. Our table was shared with strangers, with a divider in the center to separate our groups. Our orders were placed very quickly. My husband ordered the Mentai Squid Butter Udon and I ordered the Beef Udon. Both bowls came out extremely quickly and at the same time, which was a happy sight to see. The broth here is exceptional. The beef udon was packed with flavor. I loved this very much since it was a colder day. Plenty of beef was provided to go along with the udon, which was a nice addition to the meal. It was a very fulfilling and delicious meal. The Mentai Squid Butter Udon was also very tasty, filled with lots of fished eggs and shredded nori. The broth was very soupy, not super creamy, and not too salty, which was surprising. I loved everything about it. Since this is Little Tokyo, parking can be found in many different lots all around, mostly paid parking. There is also street parking, which is likely metered parking. Overall, this is a wonderful restaurant, as their food is top quality. Service is fast and friendly as well which always makes the experience better. I only wish the restaurant was a bit bigger though since the seating can be a tight squeeze. Other than that, Marugame Monzo is amazing. read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place was nice and homey. I loved the Japanese interior and the service was also very nice. I've been to Japan for over 3 weeks this place definitely reminded me of Japan. My dish was okay the carbonara was a mild flavor but overall still good. My girlfriend beef udon was super flavorful and the beef was amazing. read more

Marugame Monzo - carbonara udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My boyfriend and I visited on a Friday afternoon and were seated immediately! We were really excited to try it out since we were in LA. I ordered the mentai squid butter udon and he got the sea urchin cream udon, we ordered a takoyaki appetizer to share. The udon was amazing - I loved how the udon noodles were thick and chewy! My boyfriend loved the cream udon, and he was glad that it wasn't too heavy. Portion sizes were perfect, they weren't stingy about the amount of squid / uni which we really liked, and pricing was very reasonable. We're really glad that we were able to come and visit, especially after I had it on my list for so long! read more

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There's always a super long line here whenever I pass by during the lunch and dinner rushes (along with the other popular restaurants down this particular street), it can get quite crowded. I have surprisingly eaten here before the cafeteria style Marugame Udon franchise started popping up all over SoCal so this was the standard of measurement for me. Pretty neat that you get to watch them make the noodles in front of you, so you know it's the legit fresh stuff. It's not the biggest restaurant, so it can get quite crowded and you can see how the line and wait can get fisted. Ambiance is casual but can get very crowded and busy and loud even on in the inside. Unfortunately, the last time I was here was with my friend's garbage ex who over ordered and over ate and then "split" the bill evenly amongst us, but the Uni Udon and the standard Kake Udon (clear soup with green onions and tempura flakes) were delicious and a great, easy to eat (if you can do seafood) choice to showcase both their regular soup noodles and their fancier fusion pasta style noodles. The udon has a deliciously thick chewy texture to the noodles and went great with both clear broth and creamy pasta. Since it's inception, I have had creamier uni udon, as this one is a bit "soupier" but still tasty either way. I think if I'm ready to brave the lines, I'll try some of their more unique signature udon dishes. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in little Tokyo! I tried their mentai squid butter udon and duck udon this time, which were very yummy. The mentai with its salty profile and the squid butter with its creamier rich hints worked well in the broth. It is on the saltier profile and the mentai eggs are small so if you have trypophobia, this isn't for you. I did like that I had duck udon as well as the 2 different broths were fun to try. The duck had a good grilled/smoky flavor initially and then had a good chew which complemented the clean broth and grilled green onion chunks. Overall, I love this place and if you have a friend, I recommend ordering 2 different udons and trying them as you can get tired of one flavor after a few bites but with 2 different udons, you can enjoy until the end! read more

Marugame Monzo - Duck Nanban Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This place has the best udon and will continue to be my favorite. Everything on the menu is great, and I recommend trying something different each time.. you really can't go wrong. It does get a bit tight and crowded, but they do a good job with seating, and there's a bar area too. The inside is always clean, which matters most to me. Pricing is great, and the customer service is solid. read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My second time here. Drove over 1.5 hours in traffic just to get here in time before last call orders from the kitchen. And it was totally worth it. They closed at 10pm on Saturday night, and we arrived around 9:40pm. The service was excellent. Our food came out pretty quickly. And it was still amaaaaazing! I had the Carbonara udon, and my friend had the Mentai Squid udon. We also ordered the tempura soft boiled eggs and shrimp. Every single bite was just umami overload. Adding one more photo to my last review. As usual in Little Tokyo, parking isn't great. You either pay for expensive parking lots or try your luck with street meters. I got lucky and found an open meter on 2nd Street and walked through the main plaza to get to 1st Street. read more

Marugame Monzo - Carbonara udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place was hidden in plain sight. I used to always go to Daikokuya and Far Bar, but this spot was never on my radar until I started hearing all the positive reviews so I had to check it out. I love udon, and this place serves some of the best in town. The two standout dishes seem to be the Uni and the Miso Carbonara. Since I'm not a fan of uni, I went with the Miso Carbonara. I also ordered the fried chicken bites and the tempura sampler. I started with the chicken, which was crispy and well seasoned definitely a strong start. The tempura sampler was solid, but nothing particularly memorable. But wow the noodles were the star. The texture was fantastic, and the miso really brought everything together, making the dish rich and flavorful. Next time, I'd probably try one of the more traditional udon dishes since you can always get a great carbonara at an Italian restaurant. That said, this place is definitely worth a visit, do yourself a favor and check it out. read more

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A great spot for udon. Feeling really hungry and passing by. The line wasn't that long this Sunday and was seated quickly. Inside I ordered the takoyaki and the uni udon. The udon was comforting, the texture of the noodles were firm but chewy, and the uni and cream were the dominant flavors. The takoyaki was good; deep fried. Id stop by again read more

Marugame Monzo - Uni Udon and Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Excellent soba and tempura dishes. Great service. Busy as usual ambiance Just love everything here read more

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With the recent heatwave a nice bowl of cold udon REALLYYYY hits the spot! The hand made noodles are perfectly soft and dense and chewy. Portions are SMALL here but trade off is they have cool flavors you might not be able to find elsewhere! The bowl is so big it's misleading but there's really not that much noodle. In the past I've tried their uni cream and mentai squid. They were pretty good but wouldn't get again. This time we all ordered from the cold udon section. Mad Tiger Udon ($16.75)-- Comes with soft boiled egg already, basically mazemen flavor profile. Salty, umami, good flavor! Heaviest option out of what we ordered. Starts to feel heavy and greasy at the end. Shiso Mentai Udon ($14.25)-- Acquired taste you either love it or you don't. It's very heavy seafood, ocean tasting with the mentaiko and seaweed flakes. But as an avid mentaiko fan this was wonderful (albeit tiny). Added an extra egg for I believe $2.25. Plum Shiso Bukkake Udon ($13.75)-- VERY acquired taste with the pickled plum paste. It's super salty. They even recommend mixing the plum paste in small portions and not using all of it right away. It's bright and refreshing if you like the taste and will taste absolutely horrid if you don't. If you like ume flavors in general this is perfect for you though! Good on a hot day especially. Shrimp tempura ($3.50)-- It was fried well, light and crisp, not oily. But pretty steep price point for the size. My complaint is the portion isn't enough to be filling. The Mad Tiger was enough given its heavier and more oily and has some protein. Heavy enough where you don't really want more of it. The mentaiko and plum left us feeling still kind of hungry after even with adding additional egg and shrimp tempura, respectively. The noodle portion is pretty small. We'd definitely need to add the $3 extra for extra portions if we come back next time since we left and got a second meal somewhere else right after. Would I get any of these flavors again? No. Would I be willing to come back again though? Yes. And definitely need to pay for more noodles because the standard size is not enough really. As for service, they asked to take our order almost right after we sat down and we weren't ready yet so asked for more time. And then after that it was really hard getting their attention to order because they're busy serving or cleaning. Parking is standard for Little Tokyo . Either get lucky with street parking or pay to park in a lot. read more

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I'm surprised I never reviewed this place even though I come at least twice a month! I brought my friends here for the first time yesterday and they enjoyed it. The servers are always kind and welcoming, I never received a bad service experience here. I usually get the mushroom cream, but I already came this week so I wanted to get the ankake mushroom udon ( my partner's absolute favorite) for the cold night. My friends both decided to have the miso carbonara udon and they enjoyed it thoroughly! The would definitely come back again and try something new. For our appetizer we got the fried chicken and it was crispy and piping hot when it came out. Definitely a great choice to share amongst 3 people. Highly recommend this spot, been coming here for the longest and I'm happy they received a Michelin Star ! read more

Marugame Monzo - Ankake mushroom udon and miso carbonara (left ones) - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's been a while since I've eaten at Monzo. I used to come here a lot about a decade ago and it was actually the first place I ever had a uni cream noodle dish. I was in the area playing Pokémon and noticed they had just opened and there was no line, which almost never happens. Since I was dining solo I grabbed a seat at the bar pretty quickly. I wasn't in the mood for something creamy this time so I ordered the mentai squid butter udon and also the agedashi tofu. The udon noodles were cooked perfectly with that nice chewy texture they're known for. The mentai butter sauce had lots of roe and tender pieces of squid. The agedashi tofu was good too, they gave a lot of grated radish but not quite enough sauce for me, though I still enjoyed it. Overall a very solid spot if you want more unique udon dishes. There's almost always a line here so timing your visit helps. Also being on the Michelin Guide feels well deserved. read more

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I recently visited Monzo to try their creamy udons since I was craving it! I got their Miso Carbonara along with Karaage and Takoyaki. My friend grabbed the Uni Udon as well. Flavor wise I did enjoy how creamy and light the Carbonara was. I didn't taste any of the miso unfortunately but the flavor was pretty solid. I did wish it was a bit more rich though. Only downside to this dish was the portion size being a bit small. I would definitely need to pay for more noodles in the future to get full. As for the the Karaage that was definitely my favorite part mostly due to the flavorful powder that was included with the mayo. The chicken was perfectly crunchy and flavorful. My friend also agreed that portions for the udon were quite small. As for service I don't have anything negative or positive to say really. The service was average and we had our food within 15-20 mins. I would definitely come visit again to try out their other options but I wouldn't come here if you were super super hungry since one portion doesn't really fill you. read more

Marugame Monzo - Karaage - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Food: I ordered two of my old favorites, the Mentai Squid Butter Udon and the Miso Carbonara Udon. The mentai squid butter came with that signature clear broth (salty, umami-rich, and comforting) priced at $12.95. It tasted good, genuinely enjoyable, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it used to taste even better ten years ago when I was in college. Maybe my palate changed, or maybe time just makes flavors feel more magical in hindsight. The miso carbonara was creamy and rich, everything you'd want from a fusion udon, priced at $12.50. Again, very satisfying, but slightly different from what my memory insisted it used to be. Still, both bowls were solid, savory, and comforting in that classic Marugame Monzo way. Price: Monzo has always offered generous portions at reasonable prices for Little Tokyo, and the signature dishes are still pretty approachable. The Miso Carbonara Udon sits at $12.50, and the Mentai Squid Butter Udon is $12.95, which is extremely fair considering the handmade noodles and the specialty flavors. The rest of their signature udon lineup stays mostly in the $11-$13 range, keeping things consistent with what you'd expect from a popular udon spot in LA. Ambiance: Marugame Monzo still has that cozy Little Tokyo charm. Compact, bustling, and centered around the open udon-making counter where chefs hand‑roll and cut noodles right in front of you. It's warm, slightly chaotic in a fun way, and smells richly of broth and dashi. It's the kind of place where the energy hits you the moment you step in, especially during dinner rushes. Even after all these years, the vibe still feels authentically comforting, very "Little Tokyo staple." But be ready to put your name down on list, stand in line, and wait for 10-30 minutes! Service: Service has always been quick and efficient at Monzo, and that hasn't changed. Staff move fast, they take orders, deliver steaming bowls, and turn tables without making you feel rushed. It's attentive in the way busy noodle shops tend to be: brisk but friendly. The bowls came out hot and fast, and the team kept the flow steady despite the crowd. Parking: Parking in Little Tokyo is, as always, an adventure. There's no dedicated parking for the restaurant, so you're left with the usual mix of paid lots, meters, and whatever street parking you can scavenge. The area is walkable, but depending on the time of day, you may end up parking several blocks away. It's very typical for the neighborhood, but worth knowing before you circle endlessly. read more

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Incredible. Very very intuitive and rich flavors. The noddles are hand made, very fresh, perfect texture. The staff are kind. The fried chicken was so good, so flavorful, tender and crispy in the perfect amount. Cozy and lively spot with delicious food. read more

Marugame Monzo - Fried chicken, miso udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Intimate udon spot in Little Tokyo! This place is absolutely delicious and super cute inside. Its a pretty small space so seats are close together, some tables having a divider, so be prepared to be in close proximity with other patrons! The staff here is so welcoming and attentive. We put in our order under five minutes and the food was out in less than 15! I usually order the Hot Sansai Udon, but I super recommend their Vegetiful Udon which is vegetarian. Its packed with mushrooms (my favorite), tofu, cabbage, and carrots. However their meat dishes are also really good. Come here if you are spending a day in Little Tokyo and want some nice hot soup!! read more

Marugame Monzo - Hot Sansai Udon + Vegetaful Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place is everything you want and more. They have a great selection of seating in door and outdoor, we chose to sit in door at the bar area. The seasoning in all the food hits all the umami profiles if you're looking for a savory treat. The staff was so kind in helping us pick from different options, we got the Udon special with the pork belly rice bowl. To drink we got the green tea and lemonade yuzu. I can't wait to come back and try the creamy Uni Udon!!!!!! I lovve uni and found out after that this was an option so I am super excited for our next trip back. read more

Came here for a lite bit after the lunch crowd, though the place was crowded (almost all the tables were full and more were coming in!) It's a michelin guide 2025 recipient. They have the top 5 udon listed on the wall when you first walk in, give them consideration as the decision is tough. we decided to split the udon carbanara which is unique, insanely rich (cheese/egg sauce -not a broth) and crispy, salty addicting bites of ham. The noodles are top notch - chewy like udon noodles should be. we also split the eggplant appetizer which was light and refreshing. love the generous portion of grated daikon as well. So good. they also have a yuzu honey soda (in a can) and it's so good. Tried to find it at the various Japanese stores in Little Tokyo, but couldn't. Order it. It's fantastic! read more

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Marugame Monzo gets quite busy during peak hours (weekends, dinners and such). They unfortunately don't have a Yelp waiting list so you will have to put your name down on a paper list. You'll also get seated much fast if you choose to sit outside but I'll be honest there's a lot of car fumes, street smells and vendors in this area and it certainly isn't a peaceful experience. For a party of four we probably waited 30ish minutes with the food coming out quickly after ordering. All the staff is very friendly! All of us tried the mentaiko udon which I thought was really yummy but personally thought it could have used a pinch more salt & cream (definitely preference and I think the majority would disagree with me). I'm comparing the creaminess and flavor to the mentaiko udon from another Japanese restaurant. read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Can you tell what we all ordered? Haha We all decided on the mentai cream udon despite the other udons being tempting too such as the miso carbonara udon and mentai squid ink udon. We absolutely devoured the udon so fast. It was perfection. It tastes exactly how you think it would. Very creamy (was abit too creamy for some of my friends but i say, enjoy and drink water!) and delicious. I licked my bowl clean. I'd definitely come back to try the other udons. It was definitely worth the wait! We went on Saturday around 5PM and got seated within 30 minutes because we wanted indoor seating. No one wanted outdoor seating despite there being no wait for outside lol. The food came relatively fast too! A perfect japanese experience. read more

Marugame Monzo - Mentai Cream Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love the food here.Fried chicken,assorted tempura,their rice bowl seasoning made it so good.Had the pork belly bowl,next time want to try the beef rice bowl.And absolutely to the Carbonera udon.Service is efficient and good.Worth the wait.Loved the Japanese vibe for seating area read more

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Marugame Monzo has great hand-made udon noodles and great prices! My group all enjoyed our respective dishes. The pork in the kakuni udon was super flavorful and the vegetable udon came with some unconventional yet delicious veggies. They also offer a wide variety of other types of udon. The portion sizes are on the smaller side, which isn't a problem if you're not looking to completely stuff yourself. As someone who usually cannot finish an entire bowl of ramen, it was perfect. You can ask for an extra order of noodles for +$3 which would bring the prices up to what I normally see for entrees these days. read more

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This is like udon lovers paradise. I absolutely loved this place so much but make sure you get here early or have someone to write your name down to secure your spot because it gets quite crowded. However I think this place is so worth the wait because every single one of the dishes here are so unique in taste and texture. My creamy udon carbonara hit the spot with the right amount of creaminess and richness. Additionally, my friends udon broth on the left was crazily good with the broth looking like a soup texture but somehow this restaurant got it to have a creamy texture which blended super well with the udon noodles and the veggies that came with it. The curry udon is also one of the best curry udons I've tried, they nailed the authentic curry taste with this dish. I highly recommend this spot and I hope to come back to try more! read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came here with a friend because he was craving udon :) Everything went so well! He had the Miso Carbonara Udon with extra noodles on the side, and I got the Vegeta "Full" Udon. The noodles were perfectly soft in texture, the broths were rich and flavorful (the best I've ever had! so creamy and comforting), and the portions were filling! They were also generous with the included toppings, which all felt high-quality Staff were friendly and helpful! They greeted and seated us immediately, poured us water as soon as we sat, and helped us with the menu. Our server was quick to assist us with our check and to-go containers Definitely recommend! read more

Marugame Monzo - Vegetaful Udon (bottom center), Miso Carbonara Udon (top left), extra noodles on side (top right) - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Marugame is one of my favorite go to spots for a quick weekday lunch. Emphasis on weekday as you can expect to wait a little bit if you come on a weekend. However, the food and service is well worth it. I opted for the mushroom udon with seafood while my girlfriend got the miso carbonara- both were exceptional! The mushroom udon was the perfect amount of creaminess and umami and I honestly didn't get that groggy feeling afterwards, which is rare when eating such a carb heavy meal. Her miso carbonara was a 5/5 as well, but definitely heavier than the mushroom. Our server was very attentive and came to check on us multiple times throughout the meal, even refilling our water and remembered that one was no ice! It's the little things that really make you want to come back. read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This is my go to spot in Little Tokyo! We went on a Saturday night so definitely busy. However, they have some outdoor seating which wasn't full so we got seated right away. I ordered the Sea Urchin Udon from their signature dishes. The udon is in an incredibly creamy sauce with a generous amount of uni mixed in. My friend found it to be a bit on the salty side, but I think it was as expected considering it is Uni. I absolutely love this place and will definietly be back! The duck udon caught my eye for next time. read more

Marugame Monzo - Sea Urchin Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is one of my favorite restaurants for freshly made udon so I used to come here all the time despite the hour waits and terrible parking. However, I've found myself coming here less and less this past year. Don't get me wrong, the Udon is still delicious but the quality has definitely deteriorated and the price has increased significantly. Therefore, I don't find it worth it waiting over an hour for a table and dealing with horrific parking. I just used UberEats to order the last 2 times and I hate to admit it but I was extremely disappointed with not only the quality but also the portion. The dish itself cost $31.75 but after tips, taxes, and fees, the total was $56! That's outrageous! The Udon is still soft and fresh but portion has definitely gotten smaller. There used to be a lot of huge pieces of sea urchin but now, there are only a few very tiny pieces. The sauce is still very creamy and flavorful and the dish is still very delicious. However, I have to admit that I'm very disappointed with how much the quantity and quality has deteriorated. I might return to dine in again but most likely will not order via UberEats again because I felt very ripped off unfortunately. read more

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Located in a small storefront in Little Tokyo, Marugame Monzo looks unassuming at first glance. However, their unique offerings are definitely worth stopping for. I had the Mentai Squid Butter Udon, and it was a treat! The rich and umami broth was awesome and the dish was full of some type of egg (squid I'm assuming). The noodles themselves were fresh and thick. Overall, tasty food! I would love to come back and try their carbonara or uni noodles! read more

Marugame Monzo - Mentai Squid Butter Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Went on a Friday afternoon and it felt like we came at the perfect time. It was just starting to get busy, but we were seated fairly quickly without much of a wait. Appetizer: * Takoyaki One of the best takoyaki I've tasted. Fresh, hot, and crisp on the outside while still soft inside. You can really tell it was made fresh and not sitting around. Entrees: * Uni Udon Such an interesting twist using sea urchin as the protein. The flavor was savory, rich, and surprisingly well balanced. Definitely unique and something you don't find everywhere. * Miso Carbonara Udon This one leans on the sweeter side but is very comforting. The sauce is creamy and rich with a deep umami miso flavor, almost like a Japanese style carbonara. The udon noodles were perfectly chewy and soaked up the sauce really well. Service was quick and excellent overall, very efficient and attentive. read more

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I remember coming here many moons ago! It's good to be back again to enjoy their udon. We ordered their specialty- it was good, but the portion was a bit small, so we added takoyaki, which made it enough for a chill afternoon lunch. The service felt a bit rushed, but all in all the food was good and the service was fast. read more

Marugame Monzo - Carbonara udon + takoyaki!! - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Little Toyko has some of the best eats. This is my second time coming here. I ordered the uni carbonara and it was delicious! I finished the whole bowl pretty quickly and I normally can't eat a lot in one sitting. I would recommend ordering an appetizer with it if you want to be more full. Service was incredible. Our server was very kind and friendly. He was trying to help our friend fix his bracelet and gave me wet wipes to clean a stain on my jacket. read more

Marugame Monzo - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's always fun to visit Little Tokyo and explore its endless choices of restaurants and stores. Since it was lunch time, we decided to get some hot udons at Marugame Monzo on this cool wintery Sunday. Inside it is quite cozy with its narrow aisle and seating for 40 guests (there was also tented outdoor seating in front by the curb). The décor is a fusion of Japanese and western classic styles, with open kitchen at the back. The restaurant was full, so we placed our names on the waiting list by the door, and the attentive staff gave us updates every couple of minutes. Since there were menus by the waiting list, we were able to browse and choose our orders. The turnaround was quite fast and we got seated after 20 minutes. For this visit, we ordered the following dishes: Nabeyaki Udon: Beautiful presentation of this traditional Japanese dish. The dash based broth was light but flavorful. The udon noodles were cooked perfectly and had very nice texture. The tempura shrimp was crispy outside and plump inside. The egg was slightly poached, and the shitake mushroom was savory. Motsunabe Udon: This was an interesting dish. The broth was flavorfully rich without being excessively oily. The intestine pieces were soft and pleasantly chewy. The fatty section of the intestines was tasty, and we didn't feel weight down by its richness. The lightly sauteed cabbage and bean sprouts were a nice counterbalance. Mentai Cream Udon: I truly was tempted to throw my personal reputation away and do the unthinkable act of licking the bowl at the end of the meal. Yes, it was that good. The sauce, blended with tender shrimp and delicate scallops, was creamy but light, and flavorfully umami with a tad of sweetness. Mentaiko provided a nice hint of spiciness. The udon noodles were perfectly al dente. Overall, an excellent dining experience. Highly recommended. read more

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My wife had the wonderful idea for me to try this restaurant it's one of her favorites especially in Little Tokyo. When we arrived, we had no wait at all during peak lunch hours, perhaps a bit lucky since I've seen plenty of lines and longer waits for this restaurant at other times. As it's Little Tokyo, parking can be found all around, plenty of lots and street meter parking. All I can say is WOW. Service was quick, from ordering, serving food, and any accommodations. We ordered the Beef Udon and Mentai Squid Butter Udon. Both orders came out at the same time, and was extremely quick. Beef Udon is what I expected, very well made in terms of the broth, toppings were cooked and seasoned well, super delicious. It was the perfect type of dish on any type of day but even better on a colder day. Noodles weren't tough and very easy to chew. Highly recommend as it's on their TOP 5 most ordered dishes. Portions are plentiful and serves one. As for the Mentai Squid Butter Udon, all I can say is that it's super DELICIOUS. The fish eggs were seasoned perfectly, mixed with the squid and udon created a mouthful of flavor. I would say that portions are not super big for this but the flavor made up for it compared to the other udon options. Other than the portions, super delicious, and highly recommend if you like squid flavoring and mentai mixed sauce, super flavorful. Overall, love the quality of the food and quick service. Only negative I have about this restaurant is that it's not very spacious as it's a smaller restaurant. We were seated in a table with a cover in the middle of the table. We sat across from each other but were essentially sitting next to other people side by side. Other than that, 10/10 food and definitely recommend to anyone in the area. Will be back to try all the other options. read more

Marugame Monzo - Beef Udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Marugame Monzo never disappoints. We went Saturday at 6pm with 4 people and didn't wait long at all. Udon was rich, creamy, and so good. Sea urchin (uni) udon is one of my favs--so creamy, rich, and buttery. read more

Marugame Monzo - Mentai cream udon, sea urchin udon, special udon - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California