New udon place in downtown Sunnyvale that replaced a ramen shop, with virtually the same interior as the previous shop. It's a cozy interior but not very large - may be difficult for larger parties. They advertise handmade chewy udon noodles. Service was friendly and efficient. They only have 1 bathroom (gender-neutral) to service the entire restaurant - so the line can get long. Mentai cream udon: absolutely delicious - highly recommend! The sauce was the perfect balance between creamy but not too thick, and it was well-balanced in flavor with a hint of umami and a small kick of spice. The noodles were also very chewy which I like. Nami tempura set udon: I loved the tempura; it was really fresh, served piping hot, with an airy crispy outer layer. The udon itself was simple. For some reason the noodles tasted more doughy, and it felt a bit more like Korean knife cut noodles (kalgooksu) but good nonetheless. I felt that the broth lacked a bit of depth, but the simplicity of the flavor was good too. I highly recommend the additional gyudon bowl that you can add on for $3 with any entree. There was a pickled green with the rice and the gyudon itself was pretty tender and flavorful. It was so worth it! Overall the portions were generous, and I felt the pricing was very fair. read more

Zen - Nami Tempura Set (Classic) - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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This new Udon place replaced Ramen Seas. Had the Tonkotsu Udon with mini rice bowl. Also tried the Niku Udon. The Tonkotsu had the pork broth while the Niku had the bonito dashi broth. The two share the same ingredients: thin sliced beef similar to fatty brisket used in Vietnamese pho, a poached egg, al dente noodles, and naruto (fish cake slice). The Niku Udon had seaweed. The main difference is the type of broth. Tonkotsu had a slightly dense broth, slightly milky. This broth reminds me of a the creamy pork broth but not as bold in taste. Not too salty. The dashi broth definitely had full bonito (fish) flavor. Saltier that Tonkotsu. Clear lighter broth. The meat that they use was just ok. Texture was on the tough side. Thinly sliced but required more chewing. Tasty, though. The side of mini bowl has steamed white rice and slightly sweet flavored brisket in thin slices all curled together on top of the rice Ok for the price. It was only $3 if added to the Udon. read more

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I really liked the texture of the udon. I ordered the premium cold udon, and while it wasn't the traditional Japanese style, it was an interesting reverse take that worked surprisingly well. The broth was slightly on the salty side, but it paired perfectly with the cold udon. The service was friendly and efficient, even though the restaurant was very busy. It's a small, cozy place, which actually gives it an authentic Japanese neighborhood restaurant feel. The tempura was excellent, so good that it almost stole the spotlight from the udon! I'll definitely be back to try their chawanmushi, one of my all-time favorite Japanese dishes, especially during the winter. read more

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I really enjoyed the udon here! The service was a bit slow, but I imagine the recent grand opening has kept the staff incredibly busy. I'd definitely come back during a less hectic time. If you don't like CHEWY udon, then this may not be the place for you. // Warm Tempura Udon + Nami Tempura Set If you're looking for udon with tempura on the side, I highly recommend this combination. You can choose either warm or cold udon, and there are four tempura set options- I went with the Nami, which seemed to be the most popular. The dashi broth was comforting and flavorful, the udon was fresh with a great chewy texture, and the tempura arrived piping hot and crispy. // Mentai Cream Udon This was excellent. I only had a few bites of my friend's, but it had the perfect balance of rich, creamy, and savory flavors. I've had mentai cream udon elsewhere that was overly heavy or too salty, but this version was well-balanced and delicious. I'd definitely order it on my next visit. The food was worth the wait, though be prepared if you're visiting during peak hours. We came on a Friday evening and waited about 40-50 minutes for a table for two. The restaurant is fairly small, so I'd recommend visiting during off-peak times, especially since it's still new. Parking in downtown Sunnyvale can also be difficult during busy hours. read more

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The signage and overall look made this place seem promising. The restaurant is newly opened, and parts of the interior looked refreshed, but other parts still looked a bit old. I'm guessing it was only lightly refreshed after the previous restaurant closed. Our table was also a bit wobbly. There is a good selection of udon dishes, and the staff were friendly with quick service. I got the beef shabu cold udon, which looked like a good choice on a warm day. The broth was served separately to pour over the noodles. It was tasty, but there wasn't quite enough of it since the broth jar was less than half full. The menu does warn that the noodles will be chewy, and they definitely were. Honestly, it was too chewy for me. The beef was also pretty chewy and had a bit too much fat. I was hoping it would be more tender. Since there wasn't enough broth, the rest of the dish needed more flavor, including the beef. It looked promising but was pretty disappointing. I think they're going for the healthy restaurant trend, which I appreciate, but the food needs work. Hope it gets better. read more

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I must admit, I was a bit surprised to open Yelp and see that Zen sits below a 4-star rating. Maybe I'll end up having a different experience with some of their other dishes, but based on our n=1 experience, both the food and service were excellent. A friend and I ended up ordering the tempura udon set along with a gyudon rice bowl, which was offered as a $3 add-on (not sure if it was a promotion, but I'm certainly not one to turn down cheap food). Altogether, the portions were massive. While I'd like to think we're foodies, we both ended up leaving with leftovers. The tempura udon had noodles with just the right amount of chew, and the broth was rich and comforting. By the end of the meal, I had mixed feelings about the generous heap of ginger they added, but that's more of a personal preference than a knock on the dish. The tempura, however, was really the star of the show. It was evenly battered, light, and crispy, offering a satisfying contrast to the udon. As others have mentioned, the gyudon was also delicious, and for just $3, it honestly could've been a small meal on its own. For around $24 altogether, we thought Zen offered an excellent value for lunch. I can't speak to the rest of the menu just yet, but based on this visit alone, we'll definitely be back to try more. read more

Zen - I got the veggie tempura which was delicious. - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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We walked in on a Wednesday night and was able to snag a table right away. Since we came on a Summer Series night, Sunnyvale downtown was filled. We ordered the tonkatsu udon and the Niku udon. Since the restaurant was completely full, it took quite a long time for the udons to come. The toppings on the udon, I felt, were also a bit lackluster. The noodle texture however, is amazing and the broth are also flavorful. Overall, I will be back. read more

Zen - Niku Udon Tonkotsu Udon - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

The mentai cream udon here is so creamy and delicious especially with the egg. The tempura jou set was also pretty good as I ordered it chilled for the hot day. The tempura was very crispy and fried to perfection! read more

Zen is a new Japanese noodle shop in downtown Sunnyvale. They took over the spot from Ramen Seas and did a minor facelift to the place. It's a bit brighter and pretty clean. The service is friendly and efficient. The problem is the food. The Niku udon was a bit undercooked (very chewy), the beef was a bit tasteless and stringy. The tempura was generally undercooked. We actually sent one of them back because it was rock hard. They did replace and the replacement was slightly better. Overall the tempura needs to be breaded less and cooked more. The Gyudon rice bowl was probably the best thing we got, but it was a $3 add-on to the Niku udon. I hope they can improve. read more

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We are super disappointed that Ramen Seas closed. We've been dedicated customers for the last 4+ years. We came here with our newborn, then infant, and now toddler. We love coming here as a family - our toddler usually eats very well. The ramen /broth along with the chicken karaage. The Yaki -onigri was our favorite. We decided to come here to give it a chance. Unfortunately, they don't sell any of our favorite appetizers anymore. The udon was really doughy - our daughter didn't eat much and then was hungry again that night. Not too much toppings in all 3 off the dishes we ordered. We won't be returning. read more

Zen - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Udon It Newly opened Japanese restaurant replacing the former Ramen Seas** here in Downtown Sunnyvale. They specialize in Tempura sets and Udon Noodle soups, with the latter featuring their traditionally made four-ingredient Udon Noodles that take a full day to make, along with rich umami-filled broths that are done sans MSG. The Good: * Free street parking as well as a parking lot * Service was friendly and efficient. * Housemade noodles were nice and thick and had a great chew and mouthfeel. * Small curated menu * Sake and a the standard Asahi & Sapporo beers. * Mentai Cream Udon was simply superb and was ordered upon the recommendation of the waiter. Savory, salty, smoky, and an umami bomb on top of it. Reminded me of a carbonara of sorts, but with the nice thiccc noods instead of spaghetti. * Ebi Shumai was a nice, hearty rendition of this classic dumpling and came packed with shrimp in these fat little satials. The concomitant dipping sauce was another umami bomb and definitely had kombu in it. The Meh: * No outdoor dining The Ugly: * The Tonkotsu Udon was not our favorite. While the noodles were terrific and the broth was good, the rest of it needed some work. Firstly, the egg that came with it was so severely underdone that once Carissa went to open it, the whole thing just disintegrated into the broth, egg whites and all. Secondly, the "pork" (and I use that term loosely) that came with it was, to put it mildly, not good. It was gristly, tough, and had no seasoning whatsoever. I'm not sure if this is their intention, because if it is, then it's back to the drawing board. Conclusion: Overall, probably 3.5*, but I would definitely come back for the Mentai Cream Udon--and more of those noodles! **I'm not sure if it's a re-brand or new owners. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

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Was finally able to come try out Zen after hearing so much about the newly opened udon restaurant in Sunnyvale, and it did not disappoint! Finding parking is not difficult, as there are many free parking spots around the area. I tried their Tempura Udon, and I have to say, the noodles have to be some of the best in the bay area. The chewiness and texture was perfect, and paired perfectly with the broth. The soup itself carries a deep dashi flavor with tons of umami. I personally like to sprinkle some chili powder, which they do offer if you ask. The tempura was perfectly crispy, and paired really well with the soup. The only downside to my trip was coming solo. The counter showed a great selection of drinks, beer, and sake. I will definitely come back with friends to give more items and drinks a try . The interior of the restaurant is really calm, not too loud, clean, and has simple decour. I felt really at peace while eating here. Service was great as well. Friendly, attentive, and gave really good recommendations. read more

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came here on friday night after rumble. i do like a good cold udon bc usually the texture is better and not soggy! i do like Zen's udon texture and loved the chewiness! however my friends' warm nami udon was soggy and the cold nami udon has inconsistent textures! some were chewy and some were a bit overcooked! we do like the flavor but wish that there were more variety of udon flavors. i wish they could have mentaiko udon but COLD and would be amazing with some nagaimo mashed and ponzu! read more

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First time coming to the newly opened restaurant Zen where they do Handcrafted Udon! I was very excited to try out their new dishes! I've been a Long time customer when they were Ramen Seas! It seems like they have the same owners, kitchen and serving staff so that's a good thing! Their price range per food was about 17$ - 35$. I tried their Kawaebi shio appetizer. They're small crispy salted shrimp. I enjoyed the crunch and shrimpy umami flavor. I also ordered a Sapporo beer which paired well with the fried shrimp. For my main entree, I ordered the Mentai Cream Udon! And my goodness I was in love! The rich creamy texture of udon soaked with cream and spicy cod roe gave such an explosion of Umami goodness! It was like a Japanese version of an Italian creamy pasta. I'm definitely coming back to order this again. Service was great and attentive as well. 10/10 read more

Zen - Mentai Cream udon - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Great quality udon! Service was friendly and quick at opening, along with delicious food. I would definitely bring visiting friends to this restaurant. read more

Zen - Vegetable Tempura Set - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Ive passed by this place a couple of times since it changed from Ramen Seas. It's a little more expensive than it used to be when it was Ramen Seas, but the broth was really tasty, the noodles were great, and the meat was excellent. My favorite thing was actually the beef bowl on the side, I'll probably order it as a full dish next time. Definitely worth checking out. read more

Zen - Tonkatsu udon with side beef bowl - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

I love udon, first off the service was good, the seating was comfortable. I really wanted to love this place, but the udon was a bit starchy? And the broth was fishy? Not sure but I barely ate the noodles and broth, the vege tempura was good but a bit light in portions, it's a 1 star but will make it 3 star to support a local business read more

Zen - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Zen Handcrafted Udon has taken over the space once occupied by Ramen Seas, and fans of the former restaurant will immediately recognize the familiar decor. The dining room feels largely unchanged, but the menu has shifted its focus from ramen to handmade udon. On this visit, I tried the Mentai Cream Udon. The handmade noodles had a wonderful chewy texture, serving as the perfect canvas for the rich, creamy mentaiko sauce. The spicy cod roe brought plenty of umami, while the shiso and nori added freshness and balance. It's a dish that feels more like Japanese-style mentaiko pasta than a traditional bowl of udon, but it works surprisingly well. If you're curious about the new direction of the restaurant, this is a good place to start. The familiar setting may remind you of Ramen Seas, but the handmade udon is carving out its own identity. read more

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Service was fine. Food was terrible: 1. Noodles aren't udon. They remind me of Korean knife cut noodles. Definitely not udon even though their website shows food pictures with udon noodles. 2. I ordered the curry beef udon. This was the most watered down curry udon I have ever had and it was $20 3. Got the deluxe tempura ($30). Pieces were small and the squash and sweet potato were super thin. Like eating a potato chip. Learn from my $50 mistake. If you want udon, go elsewhere for now read more

Zen - This is supposed to be beef curry udon. As you can see, extremely watered down and the noodles aren't udon. - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

This was my 2nd time dining at Zen and this is hands down one of my favorite udon places in the bay (and I've tried several)! I personally love chewy, al dente noodles and the cold udon noodles are exactly that. It may be too al dente for some people, but I loved how qq they were. The dashi broth was so flavorful and all the toppings are on point (besides the tempura flakes which I would prefer on the side since they tend to get soggy). I also tried the veggie curry udon, which was a hit for me. The curry broth was rich, salty, and full of umami flavor. It was served with a side of tempura veggies, but I do wish there had been more toppings on the actual noodles themselves (like some veggies or maybe even an egg), since it only came with tiny sprinkle of green onions. Not to mention, the service is great here, the waiters have been super friendly and helpful. I'm not sure why this place has gotten low ratings, but I don't think it's deserved imo. I was also hesitant to go when I first saw some of the reviews, but I'm so glad I went out on a limb and tried it! I look forward to dining at Zen again, because I will definitely be back! read more

Zen - Nami Tempura Set (Classic) - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Came here to have our usual local ramen, and decided to stay to avoid a hangry family and udon sounded just as good. It wasn't. We had our speculations. The previous restaurants name was fully visible with only a small sign signifying the new place, plus a hand written note stating they did not serve ramen. No big deal, new businesses have budgets. The tables and surrounding areas still had construction dust from a quick indoor make over. Bigger deal as I believe if the front of house is dirty, what could the back of house look like. The biggest issue was the food. Both udon soups tasted identical to instant udon that I can make at home for $3, except these were $20-22 each. Tonkatsu udon- pork was inedible and egg was under cooked Tempura udon- hondashi with a heavy hand. Very fishy and definitely not what I would expect a 24 hour simmered broth to taste like (which is what the menu promises). And the classic tempura includes paper thin slices of kabocha and I think a sweet potato. The shrimp and tiny shishito pepper were the tastiest part of dinner. The ebi shumai tasted okay but was soaked from in I don't know, water? The service was fine. But I could have done without the cook repeatedly sneezing from the hallway. And the worst part, we were left still hungry enough to grab a burger right after. read more

I went there with my husband and my daughter last Saturday. Udon was homemade and texture was really great. I ordered Cold Shabu Udon, my husband had Cold Tempura Udon, and my daughter had Hot Tempura Udon. We also had salad and homemade Tofu as appetizer. The tofu was so soft and came with some toppings so we could try different toppings. The Udon had a lot of flavors and we could tell the sauce and broth are made at store as advertized! Highly recommended and we can't wait to try again in the near future. read more

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Trash. I'm not sure if they had the sign up when I visited, but I must've missed it if so because I was caught off guard to see that they only served udon. I paid over 20 dollars for the vegetable tempura udon, but the tempura was insultingly thin. The vegetable selection wasn't amazing either but shiitake and shishito tempura was interesting. The udon itself was beyond disappointing. The broth wasn't super flavorful and the noodles were a cheap pre-packaged brand that I guarantee was frozen. Absolutely nothing about this meal warranted the price tag. Don't waste your time or money. read more

Zen - Extremely thin piece of vegetable tempura - Noodles Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Ordered cold udon with Shabu beef. Noodle is very chewy , which is distinctive from other noodle places. The sauce is not as umami as I like. The ambience is not like brand new restaurant somehow maybe it take over from an old establishment and didn't do a fully remodel. read more

The food is really terrible! It doesn't even like they have a real chef to cook. Feel like a car washer shop's manager becomes a chef now.

I've been here twice since they opened. At first, I thought it might be similar to a ramen spot, but this place is focused on udon. If you're looking for a rich, heavy ramen-style experience, Its different. I enjoyed the food both times I visited. They make their own noodles , and I was surprised to learn that the tofu and chawanmushi are homemade as well. That's not something you see very often around the Bay Area. I tried both the hot and cold udon, and personally I preferred the cold udon. The noodles had great chew and I felt the texture stood out more when served cold. I also noticed was that the restaurant looked different between my first and second visit. It seems like they're still making improvements and working on the space. The seating was comfortable, and I enjoyed the atmosphere. What stood out to me most is that they're offering something a little different from what you usually find in the Bay Area. I think it's worth trying if you enjoy authentic udon. read more

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Their new menu is amazing! I gotta say, my new favorite is the mentaiko cream udon. I highly recommend people to try this place out! Plus, the service is great! read more

Excellent broth, was not too salty. Great tempura variety. Carrot tempura could have been cooked a little longer. Shabu beef cold udon was very refreshing and the noodles had a nice chewy texture. read more

The food was delicious. I'll definitely, come back and tell my friends about it. Friendly service, and really welcoming space!