One of Japan’s Most Prolific Udon Shops Expands to Orange County

For years, Orange County has stood as a not-so-secret second home for quality restaurants across the Asian food spectrum, from Little Saigon to Fullerton and Buena Park’s own booming version of Koreatown. Now Costa Mesa is in line for its own well-known name, the Japanese noodle chain Marugame Udon.

Los Angeles locals will know Marugame Udon from the company’s flagship location in Sawtelle Japantown, though the company is also massively popular overseas with more than 1,000 locations across a dozen countries. They are perhaps best known for using some level of robot automation to help finish noodles on the fly, turning out hundreds of daily bowls of udon in a variety of formats. Their curry udon, pictured above, is among the most popular dishes, while tempura and rotating animal proteins allow for mixing and matching across the menu.

This new Marugame Udon lands inside the tony South Coast Plaza, which is also home to one of America’s busiest Din Tai Fung branches. The upscale mall has for years been embracing the millions of Asian tourists who come to shop, adding names like AnQi by House of An along the way. As for the specific location, expect a 3,000 square foot space on the lower level near Sears. If all goes well, Marugame Udon should be up and running by the fall.

Marugame Udon
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA

• Orange County’s 21 Hottest Restaurants [ELA]