Marugame Udon — Restaurant in Alameda

3.1.25 Long awaited opening finally here!

Love how they've transformed this location which used to be Panera. It is now so bright and spacious, compared to the slightly tight and dim feeling that it used to be. Makes this space much more inviting. There's lots of seating indoors and outdoors.

Service was smooth and efficient. Wonder if line will get longer as people start coming throughout this week and into weekend.

Calamansi drink was refreshing! Not too sweet and not too tart.

Tempura (chicken katsu, tomagoyaki and gyoza) were all yummy. Not dripping with oil which means it was cooked when oil was sufficiently hot enough. It was definitely an improvement here compared to the Berkeley location that has become very oily that we generally forgo their tempura now.

Lastly the three different bowls of udon we had were umami! We finished three bowls completely including the soup/gravy to the last drop. Udon texture is an improvement from Berkeley, but compared to Waikiki, Oahu, still missing the slightly chewy texture that takes udon to the next level. Making noodle is an art so hopefully Alameda location can continue to improve.

We will be back now that it's 3x closer to us.

3.9.25 Decided to try their online ordering and take out today. Food was ready within 10 minutes! This is awesome.

Food tasted just like in the restaurant - delicious!

Only downside that may have been overlooked is the quantity of broth. We ordered 2 large nikutama udon and the portion of noodles and beef was good except that the broth was a little too little (see included picture with this review). So we made a little broth to go with it so that we have enough. Hopefully the restaurant can continue to improve and make sure this is resolved next time - I'll share again when I...

Marugame Udon – A Lesson in Disappointment

New spot just opened at South Shore, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I’ve been to Marugame Udon before. Knew the drill. Or so I thought.

The line moved like molasses, but whatever, I was patient. Ordered the teriyaki chicken katsu with udon noodles—a simple request. A safe bet. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I was hit with the first “we don’t have that ready” of the day. No problem. I played along.

They forgot to give me a tray, so I carried on, making my way to grab a container for some tempura. Just as I reached for it, the manager swoops in from behind, hands covered in food, and grabs the same damn container. Smiles. Apologizes. Grabs another. His food-covered gloves had already touched mine. Contamination in real-time. That was the first red flag, but I ignored it. Maybe I shouldn’t have.

I got to the cashier. Asked about my order. Blank stares. No one told them a thing. “Just a couple more minutes,” they said.

I sat down, waited. Five minutes. The food arrives—but it’s wrong. No tempura flakes. No green onions. No udon. Rice.

The same manager—Captain Cross-Contamination—brings it over, looking confused and frustrated, as if I were the problem. He jetted off, came back five minutes later with a fresh piece of chicken. Except it wasn’t fresh. It was pink in the middle.

I stared at it. It stared back. Raw, red, bloody. Could’ve been a chicken thigh cooked poorly, but it looked like it still had a pulse.

I left it on the plate. Didn’t eat it. Didn’t feel like gambling with food poisoning today.

I’ll give them another shot next time. Maybe.

But if the manager’s still wearing those same gloves, I’ll be walking...

I'm super excited for Marugame Udon to finally open at the former Panera Bread. The closest one near me is the Berkeley location.

Since today was the grand opening, to-go orders were a bit longer, but it was very organized since it was so busy. The staff were awesome and totally worked their butt off. I loved that they gave out free drink samples while in line outside. I did lined up before realizing I could just order it to go and went straight inside..

I ordered from the Marugame Udon app, which was very easy to use. I ordered the Tan Tan Udon, Curry Nikutama, and Nikutama. The Curry Nikutama was very delicious and consistency on point. The sweetness from the sweet beef and the savoriness from the curry sauce, this delicious blend is a perfect balance! 😋 I love how they labeled and sticker each item in my to-go bag!

This was a very well organized event! Great job to all the workers there. They cleaned every table anytime someone leaves, and the workers go around greeting the customers. Also, I was able to chat with a bunch of random people here. They were all very friendly! It was a great experience!

Of course, I'll wait it out. I would go back...