MARUGAME SEIMEN: Best Udon & Tempura Self-Service Dining in Tokyo (Soon in Manila)!

MARUGAME SEIMEN is a self-service dining styled Udon & Tempura Japanese resto that specializes in piping hot Sanuki Udon and freshly fried tempura. They opened their first shop in 2000 and is now the undisputed udon chain king in Japan.

It is named after the city known for the Best Udon, in Kagawa Prefecture in Japan. It’s called seimen because the noodles are freshly made in the store.

Thanks to the Ben Chan group, Marugame Seimen will open its doors in Manila before the year ends. 

Here is why Marugame Seimen will create an Udon & Tempura craze in the metro…

Marugame Seimen creates their own Sanuki udon noodles that are fat and springy, served piping hot onto your bowl.

Marugame Seimen Udon Menu | Udon & Tempura Menu | How to Order 

It’s known for its self-service style, where you assemble and customize your udon bowl with the help of their young and courteous staff.

If you like simple, order the classic Kaamage Udon or Bukkake Udon in light soy sauce. 

I recommend the Mentai-Kamatama Udon topped with hot spring egg with rich yolk, Pollack roe, and cut seaweed for the best umami flavors.

Deep Fried Vegetables (¥130 ~P48/pc), Ebi-ten (Shrimp Tempura – ¥140 ~P52/pc), Ika-ten (Squid Tempura – ¥110 ~P41/pc)

You can add the big vegetable tempura and freshly fried shrimp tempura. 

Kashiwa-ten (fried chicken – ¥120 ~P44/pc), Chikuwa-ten (tube-shaped processed fish puree Tempura – ¥110 ~P41/pc), and Hanjuku-Tamago-Ten (tempura of half-cooked egg – ¥110 ~P41/pc)

You can add as many tempura variants as you want as these are billed by piece. The pricing is quite good at Japanese Yen prices; I hope they maintain the same level of pricing in Manila.

My personal favorite is the Kashiwa-ten, which are like big chicken tenders that are tasty with a light fried crunch on the outside. It will be the favorite of our boys for sure!

Satsumaimo-ten (sweet potato tempura – ¥90 ~P31/pc), Kabocha -ten (pumpkin tempura – ¥90 ~P31/pc), Inari (fried bean curd – ¥1oo ~P37/pc), Salmon Omusubi (¥130 ~P38/pc), Kombu kelp Omoburi (¥130 ~P38/pc)

Try to order an Omoburi, which is like machang but wrapped in seaweed instead. My favorite is the one topped with Kombu kelp. 

The entire ordering process is quite fast and efficient, like an assembly chain. I love the theatrical open kitchen experience where you see the tempura fried right in front of you.

We were excited to order and taste the udon and tempura first hand during our #BenchJapanFoodTrip.

Mentai-Kamatama Udon (Medium ¥400 ~P147/bowl). Udon noodles served directly from the boiler, mixed with a hot spring egg and some Pollack roe and cut seaweed on it. Add soy sauce and cut green onions to your preference.

The udon + tempura combination is quite filling. It’s a great lunch meal option that will surely be a hit in Manila.

Best to eat the udon with a little soy sauce & grated ginger, cut green onions, sesame, fried crumbs, and a bit of wasabi.

Mix the egg, roe, and seaweed to get those ocean umami flavors into your piping hot, fat udon noodles. Yummy!

Had a fun time at the Marugame Seimen taste test with Lou, Liza, Alicia, and Eric.

Curry Udon (Medium – ¥390 ~P144/bowl). Udon noodles with curry. Add cut green onions and deep fried pieces if you prefer (Pork and Beef are used). 

Another good option is the udon with curry flavors, especially now that a Japanese curry craze is starting in Manila.

A key to the success of Marugame Seimen in other countries outside Japan is localizing the flavors, like this Beef Udon in China…

…Beef Tomato Udon (also in China)…

…Tom Yum Udon (Thailand)…

…Spicy Beef Udon…

…Gochujang Udon (Korea), and…

…Tonkatsu Udon.

I wonder what the localized flavor will be for Manila–Batchoy Udon? 🙂

I love the Marugame Seimen concept of making fresh udon and serving it piping hot onto your bowl, with freshly fried tempura in a fast self-service dining style. Best of all, they provide good value for your money and the option to customize your udon whichever way you want. I also like their traditional Japanese interiors with contemporary touches.

I recommend the Mentai-Kamatama Udon and Kashiwa-ten tempura! I love the fat, springy udon noodles which are admittedly quite filling. You can get the udon broth on the side and customize your dipping sauce.

I do hope that they keep the pricing affordable when they bring this to Manila, which, if they do, will be cheaper than the ramen shops.  

Thank you to the Suyen Corporation for bringing the Marugame Seimen Udon chain to Manila! 

MARUGAME SEIMEN
#1 Sanaki Udon Chain in Japan
TORIDOLL
Nihon Seimei Sannomiya Ekimae Building 11F
7-1-1 Onoedori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 651-0088
Telephone: +81 78 200-3430
Website: http://www.toridoll.com/en/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marugame

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: Our Japan Food Trip was courtesy of Suyen Corporation (Bench group). I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. Maybe they can hold a contest for what the localized udon version in Manila should be.