Waikato Udon — Restaurant in Hamilton

Overrated and disappointing! I’ve been to Japan many times, and this is not the kind of udon I expected. This place serves a variation where you pour a small bottle of sauce over the noodles instead of dipping or enjoying them in a hot soup.

The flavour was overly salty (because this is not a soup but diluted soy sauce and you can not drink) and greasy (all fried stuff were on top of the noodles), made worse by the addition of mayonnaise (if you have diabetes you must avoid this combination).

See my dish on the left side and check the colour of the soup (or I should say the diluted soy sauce & mayonnaise.. oh, disgusting!). Mine was even worse as I ordered Stamina and it had soy sauce marinated (again!) beef on top of all these mentioned.

The more I ate, the saltier it became because of all these weird combinations. I was hoping for a comforting bowl of hot soup udon, but instead received something quite different and not in a good way (diluted soy sauce, oily fried stuff on top of the noodles, mayonnaise and soy sauce marinated beef!)

If this style suits your taste, that’s fine, but it’s definitely not for me. I wouldn’t return.

Don’t be swayed by hype. this dish did not meet our standards, and we left most of it unfinished. (See the photo I uploaded.) Not recommended for anyone expecting a traditional, well-balanced...

I recently visited Waikato Udon, a cozy and authentic Japanese udon house tucked away on Grey Street, Hamilton. I ordered two of their best sellers — Niku Udon and Gyu Don — and both were absolutely delicious. The flavours felt fresh, balanced, and a little special, the kind of taste that makes you want to come back.

The service was on the slower side, but with only two hardworking staff members — one taking orders and serving, the other cooking — it’s completely understandable. They were upfront about the wait time, and since everything is freshly prepared to order, the short delay felt well worth it.

The shop itself is quite small, with limited seating, so it’s best to avoid peak hours if you can. Parking can also be tricky around lunchtime. On the plus side, they offer vegetarian options and can cater to certain dietary restrictions, which is great for inclusivity.

Overall, Waikato Udon is a hidden gem for those who appreciate authentic Japanese flavours and don’t mind a relaxed pace for freshly made food. A little patience here goes a long way — and your taste buds...

Best udon noodle in Hamilton. But, I ate Pork Curry udon and only got 2 thin, tiny slivers of pork pieces. No more than 2mm thickness and about 2-3cm in length of meat. I kept mixing the udon hoping to find more pork at the bottom of my bowl, but nope. Anyhow, the udon and the curry sauce were really, really good. Loved the texture and length of the udon. Tried their chicken karage too, pretty decent. edit/update: Now i understand the dish better. Much respect to the owner for that clarification and fix...