MARUGAME UDON AND TEMPURA (SAWTELLE, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Marugame Udon and Tempura
2029 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
www.marugameudon.com
Tel: 424.317.2222
Cuisine: Asian
$ (under $15)
Mon, 10/2/2017, 7:00pm walk-in

    (4 Piglets)

Udon is absolutely delicious, especially if it's handmade on the premises. Marugame Udon and Tempura is no exception. The fresh noodles are chewy and delicate, with a nice bite to them. The restaurant itself is completely different than Marugame Monzo located in Little Tokyo. This Sawtelle location is simple, with the focus on the udon and tempura themselves. 

Marugame Udon and Tempura takes you back to your childhood, running like a cafeteria where you pick your dishes. You start with the type of udon you want and they make it on the spot. Afterwards, you roll your tray along the counter and start choosing from the variety of tempura like a buffet line. You also have the option of ordering a rice bowl and at the end of the line, you pay and add extra toppings to your heart's desire at the condiment counter. When all of that is finished, you seat yourself and dig in! 

outdoor seating

Rolling out the dough

Cooking the noodles-made to order

Seating

Communal Seating

Tempura

More Tempura

And more tempura (this one is like an onion blossom)

Cooking up the tempura

So happy!

Condiments

KAKE ($4.50): Served with Our Signature House Made Broth. This was meh to me. I thought the noodles were delicious but the broth itself was a little bland. It was simple and there was no substance. It would be a good alternative to the chicken soup if you were sick and wanted something plain. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. NIKUTAMA-HOT ($7.50 REGULAR): Kake Sauce with Sweet Beef and Soft Boiled Egg. I thought this was delicious. It is recommended you stir everything together and break up the yolk. It creates a nice, creamy sauce that goes well with the udon. The udon was perfect and the sauce was thick and a little sweet. The beef was ok. Reminded me of yoshinoya beef. 

CURRY ($5.50-REGULAR): Served with Classic Japanese Style Curry Soup. I thought this was pretty good. It tasted like authentic curry soup. The noodles were coated well with the curry once mixed. It had a depth of flavor. It wasn't spicy. 

A selection of tempura I picked out including asparagus!

Overall, Marugame Udon and Tempura is pretty good if you want a fast and decent noodle soup without all the fuss. I thought the line went by pretty quickly. I like that there is a variety of tempura and noodle soups to choose from as well as cold or hot options. It's not fancy. It's straight forward and to the point. I actually prefer Marugame Monzo to this restaurant, just for the fact that there are different menu items that I enjoy thoroughly at Monzo vs this location. Tip: Eat the tempura quickly or it becomes soggy if you wait. 

Notable Dishes: Nikutama and Chicken Tempura