Marugame udon is in London!

Marugame is a huge Japanese udon noodle chain. They are cheap, fast and comforting, and they are everywhere. Think of Pret a Manger in London, except Pret doesn’t do hand-made udon cooked to order.

One of many things I enjoy doing when I’m in Japan is randomly popping into those udon places whenever I fancy. A bowl of simple udon costs something like ¥300 (£2) and I can just enjoy the yummy hearty udon noodles without any money worries – so good for your mental health.

I was so excited when I found out that the Marugame invasion was happening in London! Will it be like Marugame and other similar udon chains in Japan? Let’s find out.

Locations

At the time of writing, there are two restaurants open in London – Liverpool Street and The O2. According to their website, Canary Wharf and St. Christopher’s Place are coming soon. We went to the Liverpool Street branch.

First impression

Large signs, bright lights, large glass windows revealing the happy diners and enthusiastic crew inside… it was immediately inviting.

We were warmly greeted by a member of staff who checked our temperature which was refreshing and reassuring as London at the moment (early November 2021) seems to be behaving like a pandemic is the thing of a far gone past. The same staff then quickly asked if we’ve been to their restaurant before, this is because Marugame uses a unique self-service system.

The Marugame way

I would advise you to know, or at least to have a rough idea of what you are having before going inside. Marugame is basically a canteen style restaurant, you take a tray and take a journey towards the till whilst you take what you want along the way. First you order your udon which will be prepared to order and should be ready in just a couple of minutes. After receiving your udon, proceed to the tempura station, take what you want on a plate, the price of each tempura is displayed clearly.

Rice balls, drinks and sweets will follow, then to your final destination, the till. You will only pay for your food and no service charge will be added, just like Japan! After paying for your food, head to the ‘condiment station’. There were green onions, chilli flakes, ginger, tempura bits etc… Don’t forget to take your chopsticks and spoons also whilst you’re here.

The udon

C and I both ordered ka’ma’a’ge udon which comes with dipping broth. In Japan, where the notion of vegetarianism does not quite exist, the broth is always fish based, but in the UK, you get a choice of fish or veg broth. C had a fish broth which he said was tasty and reminded him of the one he had in Japan. I ordered a veg broth and it was lacking the deep umami that dipping broth needed and just did not match with or carry the lovely udon well.

I really enjoyed the udon noodles, silky, chewy, smooth, comforting, it was 100% the taste of Japan!

We had 1 tempura each, C the squid, I the egg. They were nice, the normal cheap and cheerful udon restaurant standard.

The value

Udon restaurants like these are all about being quick and convenient and offering simple good food for a very affordable price and I think London Marugame achieved it pretty well. £3.45 for a portion of udon with dipping broth is a rare find in London. All other udon dishes are around £5-7.

They are also currently offering 2 pieces of free tempura on your first visit when you sign up with ‘Marugame club’ which is really generous. Just be mindful that the offer expires after 7 days of signing up. Signing up with the club also means you can start collecting your ‘Bowl Stamps’ which you can get on each visit (£5.95 minimum spent).

Final thoughts

My first visit to London Marugame udon was a happy experience. The fresh udon noodles, the self-service style, affordable prices, the décor and a comfortable and informal atmosphere that you can just ‘be’… it all reminded me of such udon joints in Japan. At the same time, young, diverse, excited, friendly and enthusiastic staff members added that little London spark that Japanese Marugame do not have which was a wonderful bonus.

I can not wait to go back.

Marugame Udon London Liverpool Street

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Would I visit again?: 5/5