Marugame Udon — Restaurant in London

Marugame Udon Japanese Noodles & Tempura: A Mixed Oni at the O2

Marugame Udon, located within the O2 in North Greenwich, offers a convenient option for Japanese cuisine lovers. Here's a detailed review of my experience:

Getting There and Parking

The O2 is easily accessible via public transport, with several Underground lines stopping nearby. The nearest stations are North Greenwich (Jubilee Line) and Canary Wharf (Jubilee Line and DLR). If you prefer to drive, there are also parking facilities available at the O2. The cost of parking varies depending on the duration and time of day, but you can find the latest rates on their website.

The Food: A Mixed Bag

Marugame Udon offers a selection of Japanese dishes, primarily focusing on udon noodles and tempura. Here's a breakdown of some of the items I tried:

Large Chicken Yaki Chicken Meatball: This dish was a bit of a disappointment. The chicken meatballs were not moist and unable to identify what part is used as mince and lacked umami, and the thick udon noodles were nice to slurp. The onsen egg (poached egg) was a nice addition, and the condiments, such as spring onion, pickles, fried crispy bits, and curry powder, provided some welcome flavor. The umami sauce was mild, which might be a good thing for some but a drawback for those seeking a more robust taste. I would recommend adding extra chicken meatball skewers to enhance the flavour of this large dish.

Half Crispy Katsu Chicken Piece: This dish was more authentic and enjoyable. The panko breadcrumbs were crispy and flavorful, although the chicken itself was a bit tough, even though it was served under the warmer. I suspect it would be much better if it were freshly cooked. The dish could be improved with some Japanese mayonnaise or Katsu curry sauce.

Chicken Karaage: The chicken karaage was a bit underwhelming compared to what I've had at other Japanese restaurants. The marination was lacking, even though the chicken was freshly cooked. It could be greatly improved with a stronger marinade.

The Restaurant Experience

Marugame Udon has a self-service canteen-style setup, where you pick your own tray, tell the kitchen staff what you want, and then pay at the counter. The restaurant itself is clean and modern, with a nice decor.

However, there was one unpleasant aspect to my dining experience. There was a strong, unpleasant smell coming from the self-service drinking machine where I was seated. This made it difficult to enjoy my meal and left a negative impression.

Overall

Marugame Udon offers a convenient and affordable option for Japanese food at the O2. While the food is not exceptional, it's passable. The restaurant itself is clean and modern, but the unpleasant smell from the drinking machine was a major drawback.

Summary

Marugame Udon is a decent option for a quick and casual Japanese meal at the O2. The food is not the best, but it's serviceable. The restaurant is clean and modern, but the unpleasant smell from the drinking machine is a major drawback.

Recommendation

If you're looking for a quick and convenient Japanese meal at the O2, Marugame Udon is an option. However, be prepared for a somewhat underwhelming dining experience. If you're willing to spend a little more, I would recommend exploring other Japanese restaurants...

May I first start with saying that we used to like the restaurant and had been visiting on a regular basis. Unfortunately we would not be returning neither to the O2 nor to any of their other shops in the future.

We walked into the restaurant with no other customers standing in line. One of the ladies behind the counter saw us and when catching our eyes quickly turned away. There were about 6 staff members behind the counter with us the being the only customers and no one greeted us. We took trays and stood at the ordering point. They were just chatting to each other as if we were not there. Some of them roamed aimlessly some tended to other things. I caught the eyes of one of the staff members and she then prompted one of her colleagues who mumbled something that sounded like ‘thought she was doing it’ and moved over in a most dissatisfied manner.

I ordered the beef and the woman put some ingredients in the ball and simply left it on the counter stating that it was the beef dish. I noticed there was no egg in it and asked and was told ‘oh, we have shortage so we won’t be putting any but you will get a discount at the counter’. I would have thought that if the dish would be missing one of the two vital ingredients she should have at least bothered to tell us this before making it. She did not even bothered when she had finished it. I asked if they could substitute with something else and was told no. I could however pay for extra beef if I wanted to. Great help! Apparently there was a sign at the door for shortage of eggs. I looked after and the shrift size was about that of a book. I guess it covered for the small print.

I was wondering if I should just walk off but took the dish nevertheless. Got to the tempura section. There was hardly any variety. Could not see the tempura sauce so asked if they had any and was responded to in a very patronizing manner that it was ‘there’, somewhere rather further away from where the tempuras were.

Got to the counter and received the enviable discount of 50 PENCE for the missing egg! Deal!

Went then to look for the sesame oil and was told ‘we don’t do this anymore’. My glass had food stuck on the outside of it that had not washed properly and the cutlery was disgusting.

Going there wasted not only £18 I am never getting back but also ruined my lunch break which I was looking forward to and wasted my time. Shame as I used to like the place but will not be rushing...

Great Udon and Great Service!

This branch of Marugame Udon is located inside the o2 Arena, a very short walk along the street of restaurants.

It was my first time visiting Marugame Udon, my friend recommended me to try to it. I went for lunch on a Wednesday and it wasn’t busy, me and my friend got a seat easily.

Upon entering, the staff were very friendly and were helpful in showing me where to pick up my order and pay.

The ordering system itself is very easy, you order what main dish you want to the chef, watch and wait for your dish as it is being prepared and you pick up any sides along the way, similar to how you order at an IKEA cafe. After you have all your items, you pay at the counter. You can also add any free condiments that are available on the side-counter as you wish, this includes spring onions and dried chilli.

I ordered the Beef Nikutama which costs £8.95. The Beef Nikutama is udon with beef and caramelised onions in a sweet and smoky BK dashi sauce, with a soft poached Onsen egg. I also ordered two vegetable gyozas which cost 85p each and a sweet potato tempura which costs £1.25. Last but not least, I added a bottomless drink which costs £3.45. The bottomless drinks comes from the same drinks dispenser you see at Five Guys, so there’s plenty of drink options available.

The Beef Nikutama tastes great, the beef is nice and tender and the poached egg is cooked to perfection! I added spring onions and chilli flakes to add extra flavour to my meal. The only downside I would say is the portion, the portion is on the smaller side in my opinion so I would recommend buying sides along with your main dish.

The vegetable gyozas were cooked and fried to perfection, crispy just the way I like it. The sweet potato tempura was lightly deep fried so the batter wasn’t thick but soft yet lightly crisp.

Overall, the service was quick and the staff were friendly. The food tasted great but the portion of the udon is on the smaller side. I’d recommend visiting and I’d like to try another dish on...