Marugame Monzo

Marugame or marukame is apparently a location in Japan that is known for good udon and now every good udon place slaps it on their restaurant name. Location - It's in the Chinatown plaza. It's on the side with all the restaurants. Don't go around in a circle like me. There was no problem parking and no line at 1:30pm. Value - The pricing was surprisingly good. Every hyped restaurant in the bay area where I come from have jacked up prices. We are talking $6-12 udon depending on which one you choose. Food - I really loved the Negitoro Wrap appetizer! That's what makes me interested in coming back to try others. I was confused when it arrived first but once you build and insert it, it makes sense. Fresh and crisp. Yes, the udon was chewier than most restaurants that use the prepackaged noodles, but don't expect too much. Service - This was VERY GOOD! The waitress was very friendly and the workers all said thank you when I left.

Place has good ambience, much like how you would find a Japanese restaurant. They make the Udon in house and you can watch the person make it right on the dining floor as you eat. I got the Beef Udon which was good, but the fish/sardine base soup was a little overpowering for me. Once the Beef flavor seeps into the soup, the fish taste became more bearable. The Seaweed Udon has a milder taste on its soup, so I will probably get that one next time. The takoyaki was on point! I will definitely get it again. As for the deep fried chicken skins, it was a little too salty for my taste. Went great with the Beef Udon, though. It cut out a lot of the fish taste. Great experience overall, the service was great and the server was really helpful. Would come back again.

Dined in around 8pm and there were only two other tables inside. Not sure if they get a busy crowd in here or not. Parking is a nightmare though, and ended up having to park in the plaza across the street. Tried out the takoyaki which comes out in a skillet, still sizzling. It was delicious, and is incredibly hot so give it time to cool down. The only downside of it coming out in a skillet was that it continues cooking and several of the pieces ending up getting charred on the side resting on the skillet. For udon, we tried the beef and the hot dragon udon. Both broths we're flavorful and the noodles were great. The hot dragon has a rolling heat, so very enjoyable in the beginning but continues to build up. If you sit at the counter you can get a view of them making the udon noodles.