We love the food and service at Motonobu! We've been a few times now and every time the service is quick and food is out within minutes of ordering. I would call it a fast casual vibe in a very nice setting. Our favorite is the Spicy Tan Tan udon bowl and we sub the pork with beef brisket (adds $1). It always hits the spot, especially on rainy days! Highly recommend! read more

Motonobu Udon - Spicy Tan Tan (sub pork with beef brisket, +$1) - unbelievably delicious! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Mentai udon! How unique and delicious! Loved how creamy the mentai sauce was and the egg yolk added another element of umami. The shisho leaves were an appreciated herbal addition read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Shishito pepper tempura is sooooo good!!!! I cannot stop eating it. My fav is the cold udon since it's such a good deal, comes with a tempura egg too. Their service depends, sometimes they are very friendly, sometimes there is this one unhappy server who looks like she hates us. read more

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I tried this place when it first opened and I ordered through a delivery service. The portion at the time was quite small given the premium price and I was not really happy about that. However there are not a lot of place that's specialize in Udon in Vancouver area (compared to a million Ramen place), I gave it a second chance this winter and I was surprised by the improvement in portion size. Since then, I have came back to this place with different people. The Udon here is fresh, which elevates the flavour and texture of the dish. I have been trying the MazeMentai both times Im here recently and the flavour is rich and creamy. The only thing that's varied is the brisket. The first time I got a more meaty pieces while the second time I got ones with fatty cap. My husband would prefer the former while I like the latter. Small tips is that the hour online said it closes at 8pm, which means no more new customers or new orders, but they are happy if you arrive like 7:45 and still take you in no problem. It often has a wait line during weekends peak hour but you can put your name in the list and walk around. Free street parking around the block is available so not a big problem. Interior is not the emphasis here. They used to have less sitting with glass wall to the kitchen so you can see people making the noodle fresh. But the new setup added more sitting and you can't no longer see the noodle making, which is a bit of a shame. All in all, I will definitely come back whenever I crave for Udon, but won't try to order it through delivery service. read more

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Best udon spot I've ever been to! Came here on a Saturday afternoon and got seated and greeted right away. We got checked up on regularly and service was pretty good. My udon was incredibly delicious. Hands down the best I've ever had. The broth was super flavorful, noodles were cooked to perfection, and the beef brisket was very, very tender. Definitely coming back if I'm in the area again. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I love udon and it can be tricky to find an exceptional spot in the lower mainland. Motonobu Udon is top tier. They are often busy in weekends and evening with line ups. Typically, the wait is not too long. Make sure to put your name down inside the restaurant before waiting outside. There are menu options for cold and hot udon, so it is perfect for any season. My go to picks are Mentai and the Goboten Tofu Waka! read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Located a couple min drive east of PNE.. finding parking isn't the easiest.. we enjoyed our food overall but everyone was in agreement that the soup broth was too salty and too sweet.. udon noodles were over cooked.. however, the pork and beef toppings were gorgeously soft and melt in your mouth (yum!!).. tempura had a light, crispy and thin batter - perfectly doneness.. there is one unisex bathroom the size of a downtown loft lol - in need of a good scrub down read more

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I ordered the nikutofu because I wanted to try the beef brisket and the tofu. The beef is tender and the slices are big. The tofu is sweet and soft. They serve a clear broth with some green onion and tenkatsu which gives a nice crunch to the dish. The meal is reasonably priced for the portion and I love how the portion is as big as the bowl. read more

Motonobu Udon - Nikutofu udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've wanted to try this udon spot for awhile now, but it's not in the most central location for me (close to PNE). We decided to go for lunch and arrived before 11:30 am, knowing that it gets busy and there were at least 4 groups ahead of us in line waiting for first seating. By 12 pm, the restaurant was entirely full so it was a good call to arrive prior to opening. There is free parking in the neighbourhood around it. I ordered the MazeMentai ($17.95) and my bf got the Spicy tantan ($18.75) which were both listed as "popular" on their menu. The MazeMentai was delicious and they were very generous with toppings. Every bite had some topping in it. Unfortunately, the Spicy tantan wasn't very good surprisingly, and we regretted ordering that. It just wasn't very tasty or particularly flavourful. However, the udon was cooked well in both cases - chewy and not soft/overcooked. The portion size is decent. I could have eaten more, especially the MazeMentai as it was delicious, but it was filling enough for a lunch. I really want to come back again and try something else in addition to the MazeMentai again. That was so good! I'd just avoid the Spicy tantan despite it being "popular". read more

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I had to try it. It's Michelin bib gourmand recommended so I felt like I should try it and see how it was. The noodle is really good. You can tell that it isn't your typical frozen noodle that you buy in the frozen section of your grocery store. The broth was umami and tasty. And we got lucky and got seated right away. We also got inari as a side and they are good too but the star is the udon. The noodle is chewy and has that texture of handmade noodle. Definitely not your typical udon you get at a Japanese restaurant. I got the tempura udon and I kind wish they had put the tempura on the side so the batter didn't get so soggy. I guess you could request that if you read my review. Yes, if you love Japanese food and you love noodles, you should try this place. Maybe try going right after lunch rush to avoid the line ups. But if you don't mind lining up, you can anytime they are open. Keep in mind, they do close between lunch and dinner time. read more

Motonobu Udon - Inari - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Motonobu Udon specializes in udon, offering a variety of udon dishes on the menu. This sounded very interesting, and I finally had a chance to try it. We ordered Niku Toji (beef brisket and egg swirl) and Maze Mentai (creamy pollock roe sauce, poached egg, beef brisket, seaweed, Japanese pickled plum, thin fried tofu, green onion, sesame seeds, and chili oil) and Inari sampler. Maze Mentai is a bit spicy. Without soup, we enjoyed the ingredients on top of the noodles, such as beef brisket, poached egg, and pickled plum, which blended and matched well. Since I grew up in Osaka and had many opportunities to enjoy Sanuki Udon (a signature Japanese udon style), I'm accustomed to a thin, light broth, so the broth in their Niku Toji wasn't quite to my taste. The noodles were also a bit firmer than I expected, differing from the Japanese al dente style. Based on my experience in Japan, udon's al dente texture should be slightly firm and chewy, creating the perfect balance, but here, the noodles were a bit harder than I would have liked.The beef brisket was tender and delicious. Inari Sampler was just ok. I think the udon at this place can be hit or miss. I'll try another dish on my next visit. read more

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Food was delicious -- we had the brisket and it was soft and fatty. Refills for udon was also cheap if you're still hungry (1.50). I ordered a side of ebi tempura which was very freshly made. The ambience is simplistic. The service was quick. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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3.5!stars total. Niku hot ramen. Good size of brisket. Light mild soup brought. The udon is good. Overall it was good but not great. read more

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I'd say the broth is the best part of the meal as it has so much flavor! The udon is cooked perfectly and a little bouncy. There are three thick pork belly pieces in the Tantan udon. For the shrimp tempura the batter can be a bit crispier and best served on the side. Servers are very attentive and the service is fast. The restaurant was a bit warm and they need a bigger sign outside. read more

Motonobu Udon - Tantan Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Amazing restaurant in East Van (bordering Burnaby) We went on a Friday evening at 6PM and got seated right away. But the restaurant filled up quickly after with a wait on our way out. We ordered the half and half pressed sushi to share. Some of the best aburi sushi I've had in Vancouver. I ordered the beef brisket and egg udon, the brisket was so tender and broth was flavourful. The udon was perfectly chewy. My partner ordered the tan tan spicy noodles, it had a good amount of heat, great tender pieces of pork belly and the broth had a nice nutty flavour. Everything was delicious, even the dessert at the end. The ice cream was very light, almost like mousse. I can't wait to come back to try some of the other dishes on the menu. read more

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Loved this place. Small intimate noodle shop with amazing food. I ordered the brisket udon as well as some tea. It was everything I ever asked for. The broth was super flavorful. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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. read more

Motonobu Udon - Spicy Tantan - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We had beef brisket and special ebiten udon. The beef brisket is thick and large. It is thicker and larger compared to other udon or noodle places I have been to. Which is a plus. Considered values and flavor. 5/5 The ebiten udon is below expectations. I expected Japanese style tempura, not a Chinese style fried shrimp. For this reason 2/5. Street parking. read more

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One of the best bowls of soup noodles around (a catch all including udon, ramen, pho, and other soupy noodle bowls). We tried the nikutoji (traditional broth with braised beef and egg swirl) as well as the tan tan style udon. Both were very good, but the nikutoji was to die for. The flavours in the broth were complex, full of umami, and well balanced so that subtle flavours came across as well as the deeper flavours. There was a generous portion of braised beef that had incredible flavour and was super tender. The pork belly in the tan tan was also top notch and the tan tan was also flavourful in a very different way. We also tried the Inari sushi which was less to our taste, but neither of us had tried it before so we hadn't been expecting a cold wet tofu skin wrap... but maybe we just don't like Inari and they made them perfectly. Overall, more of a 4.5 star (nikutoji 5/5) but rounded up for great value. Service was also attentive and fast. Looking forward to coming back for one of my favourite bowls of soup noodles in town! read more

I have been eager to try this popular little spot for quite a while and so when the opportunity arose, expectations were high. Needless to say, they were overall met! Motonobu is a clean and quaint little restaurant with an open kitchen concept and minimal seating. Luckily, I came in a Tuesday so there was no waiting required. Service was prompt and the food came out lightning fast which I never consider to be a bad thing. Mazementai (mentaiko udon) - This one is a soupless style udon with a pollock roe sauce and it was quite delicious! After mixing all the aspects of the bowl together, I found there was a generous portion of sauce to coat the chewy and springy udon noodles and many other sides to complement the mix of flavours and textures in your mouth. I found the flavour to be perfect but it was a bit overwhelming (saltier side of things). However, be warned there is one piece of pickled plum in there that I mindlessly picked up and tossed in my mouth....was not fun for my taste buds lol. If you are scatter brained when eating like me, watch out for that!! Nikutoji (egg swirl soup and beef belly udon) - Minor mistake in eating the strong flavoured udon before the nice clean soup based one but oh well.... This soup was very light and clean but with lovely added texture of the egg swirl. I think I would've enjoyed this one more if I ate it before the other udon. The beef belly is tender and not too salty. Udon was once again cooked to perfection! This dish is surely great for those who want something light and don't enjoy too much salt. Salmon aburi - No particular thoughts towards this one. If you like extra sear and more structure and solidity to your oshi, I'd recommend ordering this at other places. Overall, I am not completely certain if I would go out of my way from Richmond to return. Nonetheless, I quite enjoyed the experience and if in the area, would like to return again to try other items on the menu! read more

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My favourite place for a comforting bowl of udon. I've been a few times over the years and always leave satisfied. The portions are quite large and they have a few specials on their menu. Servers are friendly and food comes out pretty quick even when busy. I always get hot udon and the broth is always comforting. The tempura is crisp and the prawns always large and tender. The noodles have a nice chew. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a bowl of noodles. Sometimes there's a wait, but it's worth it! read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I have been to Motonobu on two occasions and it is absolutely delicious! I can definitely see why it has the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand designation. Both times I got the NikuToji (Beef Brisket, Egg Swirl) and it was perfection. Of course had to get extra udon. The noodle lover in me gives this 100/10. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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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 read more

Motonobu Udon - NikuGoboten - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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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. read more

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10/10 would recommend, really enjoyed this place. The prices are reasonable, the servings are fair, and the service is quick. We tried the hot nikutoji and the mazementai udons. The udon noodles were the perfect texture, nice and bouncy, and the flavour was perfectly rich. The place was very casual and a lot less busy than I expected. I've been on a quest to find the best udon around, and I think my search has ended here. If you're in the area, and if you aren't, try the udon here! read more

Motonobu Udon - Nikutoji udon (hot) - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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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. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Stellar spot for udon in Metro Vancouver. I tried the NikuToji and the best part of it was the beef brisket that was used. It was soft, fatty, and really melted in your mouth! The egg swirled in the soup was also a great addition to the broth. read more

Motonobu Udon - NikuToji - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Absolutely chefs kiss right here!! There are no reservations allowed so we were either going to go early or late. Tired from a long day of walking around, we ended up napping and coming here late. There was zero wait around 7pm on a Friday! Mostly full restaurant, but quick service. I usually don't like things too salty and the soup here was perfect. The portion was quite big for a reasonable price. I didn't even finish the second piece of niku which I discovered after getting full...these portions at these prices? America would never. Absolutely worth checking out. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I've found my new favorite udon eatery in B.C.! Been hearing the hype about this place and it definitely didn't disappoint. Each giant bowl is made with fresh handmade noodles and their own signature broth and you can order it hot or cold. We opted for the hot since it was a chilly January day. They have a variety of choices and I got the "popular" Niku Toji that came loaded with very tender BBQ beef brisket slices and a swirl egg mixed in with the broth. The smoky brisket was a change from the traditional items to add to a bowl of udon but paired well. You can also get add ons and I got the soft boiled egg coated in tempura batter. For our other bowl we got the Spicy Tan Tan Udon which is another of their popular choices. It was filled with tender braised pork belly, bok choy, green onion and cilantro, chili oil and pieces of chicken. We also got the veggie tempura served on the side to preserve the crunchiness. The ambiance is modern and the server we had was very attentive and even when they got busy she came to check on us regularly! I've heard their sushi is good but simply was stuffed from our udon which means we'll need to go back soon! read more

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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. read more

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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 read more

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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. read more

Motonobu Udon - Shishito pepper tempura - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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My first time Motonubu Udon. I highly recommend Mazemantai . Delicious . Lots of flavor exploding in each slurp.. a little sour plum or sticky thick egg or chewy beef brisket. If you want something simple.. try TenWaka.. mild and simple taste of udon with prawns tempura and seaweed. It was around 8 pm , restaurant is pretty empty. Service is fast. Food connects us all. #yummydiversityinfood read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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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. read more

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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 read more

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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. read more

Motonobu Udon - Beef brisket with prawn tempura. - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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. read more

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A tad underwhelming but that may have been due to the hype from my friends. Nonetheless a good spot for comfort udon. read more

Motonobu Udon - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

*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! read more

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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! read more