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FUUD: Marukame Udon in Waikiki

By Catherine Toth Fox • January 13, 2012 • Food

There’s an ongoing debate between Japanese noodle aficionados:

Which is better: soba or udon?

And it’s a debate I’d prefer to stay out of.

For starters, I like both. I love the thinner soba (buckwheat) noodles that have a hearty texture and feel. But the soft, chewy udon noodles always make me feel better, too.

It’s a tough call.

But the other day I was feeling like udon — yes, on an 85-degree weekday afternoon — and we walked to Marukame Udon, a self-serve, fast-food chain restaurant that opened in Waikiki last year.

I had always wanted to try it but decided to wait for the newness of the eatery to wane a little. We’ve seen lines pour out onto Kuhio Avenue in the middle of the day, prompting us to find another place to eat.

But here we were, on a hot afternoon walking around Waikiki — and Marukame was empty.

So we stopped by, read the big sign outside with instructions on how to order a bowl, and snapped a few pics with my iPhone 4.

Here’s what our recent lunch looked like:

Marukame Udon

Marukame Udon
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Marukame is part of a trend of fast-food udon chains that have been popping up in Japan for more than a decade. Marukame has more than 400 shops — this being the first in Hawaii — and it certainly knows how to sell udon and fast.

Marukame Udon, 2310 Kuhio Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Phone: 931-6000

HawaiiJapaneseMarukame UdonnoodlestempuraWaikiki
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Catherine Toth Fox

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4 Comments

  • Reply dopy January 13, 2012 at 9:57 am

    I’ve always wondered why their broth is luke warm, not hot. But for the price, you can’t go wrong!

  • Reply M January 13, 2012 at 10:57 am

    Hello Cat,
    Happy fuud pixs Friday the 13th!
    I like both myself too. I’ll just order one of each.

  • Reply WildeOscar January 13, 2012 at 11:10 am

    Fridays are always a treat looking in on the Dish of FUUD. I don’t wait in long lines anywhere (other than the airport or post office, where I don’t have much choice). I like the look of Marukame Udon, but I would probably only go if it was nearly empty. This kind of ordering and dining stresses me out, especially when I have trouble pronouncing or remembering the names of the food I’m trying to order.

  • Reply David Jackson January 13, 2012 at 1:24 pm

    Prefer Udon but like both. There is a place on S. King called Jimbo I absolutely love. Every time I am in Hawaii it is a must stop place for me.

    It used to be you had to bring your own beer don’t know if it is still like that.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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