Marugame Monzo in Los Angeles

329 E. 1st , Los Angeles, California 90012, Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles

Overview

Cuisine
  • Japanese
  • Asian
  • Vegetarian Friendly
Features
  • Seating
  • Waitstaff
  • Serves Alcohol
Good for
  • Families witd children

Restaurant Hours

Monday

11:30 am

Tuesday

5:00 pm

Thursday

11:30 am

Friday

5:00 pm

Sunday

11:30 am

Is the place currently open for dining in?

Yes we are open for dine in with exercising the latest health department recommended procedures to ensure everyone's safety!!

Can you order To go?

They dont allow it

Are any of the dishes here vegetarian and/or vegan-friendly?

Yes.

Can I pay as credit at the store

Credit cards, yes

Is there parking validation?

Uber it here

Is there sushi there sushi there?

They have some non-udon items if you're looking for something other than udon. But no sushi.

A picture shows all those mangas (I think they're mangas), so I'm asking if you can read those for free or do you have to buy them in order to read them?

I haven't seen mangas there, it is a restaurant specialized in Udon noodles. There is a library close by though.

Is the sea urchin cream udon still on the menu now?

Yes

Is there a changing table in the restroom?

No I don't think so.

Review

Add rating restaurant:
Marugame Monzo
AH
Alison Hubbard
google
11.21.2024
5/5

The best real handmade authentic Lanzhou noodle restaurant in LA ! You will not regret once you tried it !:)

Marugame Monzo
RW
Ronny Wood
google
10.05.2018
5/5

This spot is worth a visit. They have big portions for reasonable rates. Constantly neat and with fantastic character. Would recommend to others.

Marugame Monzo
MN
Melissa Ng
google
10.05.2018
5/5

We arrived around 5:30 pm and waited for about 20 mins. The inside smelled so comforting. The sea urchin cream udon is just amazing. We also got one of the specials with beef and fluffy eggs and it was also amazing. I will definitely come back to try other items on the menu.

Marugame Monzo
CB
Carolyn Butler
google
08.08.2018
4/5

Finally, the perfect Thai spot!!! So clean, and seems "upscale" but has very reasonable prices and the food is REALLY good. You can't beat their dinner special - appetizer, soup or salad, entree, and dessert for 12.99. Service was great, and there's parking. This is definitely my new go-to place.

Marugame Monzo
PE
Paul Ericksen
google
08.08.2018
5/5

Uni Udon was very creamy and rich. Often sea urchin can taste very oceany but with the right preparation, it won't. Only my second time here but it's worth the wait!

Marugame Monzo
RG
Richard G
google
07.24.2018
5/5

Really exceptional freshly made udon noodles. The miso carbonara seems to be the hit udon bowl many choose. I'm not big on cream sauce so opted for a more traditional udon broth. I chose the hot dragon udon with spicy ground pork, bean sprouts and nira. I added toppings of green onions, mashed daikon radish, chili oil and a tempura fried egg. I loved it. Bursting with flavor and soft, tender udon noodles. Big thumbs up. Was about a 25 minute wait to get a table

Marugame Monzo
pompberry
google
06.19.2018
5/5

This is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I always come and order the same thing: Sea Urchin Udon. I've tried some other options from their menu, but the Sea Urchin one is still the best. Their Crab & Egg udon (picture attached) from their limited time seasonal menu was quite good too!

Marugame Monzo
CL
C L.Y.
google
06.18.2018
4/5

Yum yum yum. I prefer the clear broth soups over the creamy udons. The fatty pork rice is also simple yet delicious.

Marugame Monzo
RP
Ruth Parks
google
05.18.2018
4/5

Best hot dogs in Los Angeles and a perfect representation of what a LA hot dog really is. Eat your heart out NYC and Chi-Town! Don't skip the deep fried Oreos, they're double-stuffed so two is plenty.

Marugame Monzo
td
tiffany do
google
04.12.2018
5/5

A MUST HAVE IF YOURE VISITING LA!! Forget those other fancy places in La, just go here!!! This restaurant is for sure in my top 5 of places to eat. The udon noodles are fresh and handmade, you can literally see the guy making udon noodles in the window! Go during lunch, they offer a lunch combo which is definitely bang for your buck. If there’s no photo to accompany this review, it’s because I devour my food the moment it comes and I forget to pause to take a photo :( My go-to: kinoko cream mushroom w/ pork belly bowl

Marugame Monzo
WN
William Norton
google
04.06.2018
5/5

This place was amazing! By far the best udon we've ever had. The braised pork belly was great, too. The service is excellent, and the place has a really vibrant, funky atmosphere.

Marugame Monzo
JQ
Jenny Quinn
google
04.04.2018
5/5

Yum yum yum! Cute little restaurant, really made it look traditional Japanese. Service was also very attentive and polite. I love it!

Marugame Monzo
LG
Laurence Guerrero
google
03.27.2018
3/5

My favorite soup dumpling spot! In California with friends for the weekend and I had to take them here. Wish they would open one on the east coast! Besides their soup dumplings as their staple, their other options are made amazingly well. Every dish hit the spot and I would highly recommend it to others!

Marugame Monzo
FA
Flora Armstrong
google
03.19.2018
4/5

Delicious! Fortunately during this time of shelter at home, Howlin Ray's offered delivery service via postmate. I didn't have to wait in line for couple hours to get the chicken sandwich but I was able to wait from home for 40mins from home and get the delivery hot and ready to eat.

Marugame Monzo
HB
Harvey Bedford
google
02.27.2018
5/5

The real deal. Had the chicken udon that came with two pieces of tempura chicken on the side. Amazingly tasty noodles. They are some of the best I've had. I've been to the Marugame udon in the Macy's plaza but this one takes it easy. The noodles are fresh and super flavorful. Check this place out, won't disappoint

Marugame Monzo
DL
Dennis Lejeune
google
02.26.2018
5/5

Highly recommend their rice bowl and udon with such a savory broth and best tasting meat that has a strong spicy kick!!! Super stuffed and 100% satisfied!!!

Marugame Monzo
MH
Michelle H.
google
02.19.2018
5/5

The texture of their udon noodles are amazing. The chicken tempura was fresh and the curry soup was delicious. Highly recommend

Marugame Monzo
EH
Essie Hunt
google
02.04.2018
4/5

We've walked by this restaurant a lot, and always say "we have to try it". So, today, we did.The food was excellent, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was excellent. The prices were typical "upper east side".It's the perfect spot for a date (romantic atmosphere)!We will be back...........

Marugame Monzo
RK
Roy Kim
google
02.02.2018
5/5

Ya nobody likes to wait in line outside the restaurant but sometimes it's only way. Me n my bro waited about 30 min and were seated at the counter. Between 2 of us we ordered 4 noodle dishes and 1 rice. We ate like there is no tomorrow. Someone even took pictures of us with our food. But I remembered the days when I was able to walk right in and get seated. But Monzo Rocks.

Marugame Monzo
CP
Carolyn Padilla
google
01.25.2018
3/5

Although the portions have gotten smaller and smaller every time, I really enjoy dinners here w family and friends. Very casual spot but cozy and prices are great. I actually crave their side of buttery rice and pickled red cabbage!! So delicious... idk what they put in it but both addicting.

Marugame Monzo
TJ
Toomy Joony
google
11.26.2017
4/5

Original Dry Fried Chicken Wings, String Beans, and Fried Rice! That's it... That's my review! Get it and you'll understand!!

Marugame Monzo
LW
Lingrou Wang
google
11.21.2017
5/5

Cute little restaurant in little Tokyo.I love their sea urchin udon, the texture with the creamy sauce is fantastic. I don’t recommend the tempura tho as it’s fairly average.I’ll definitely come back again :)

Marugame Monzo
MW
Meredith Wright
google
11.01.2017
5/5

Nice ambience with a top class dining experience. The food was to the highest standard along with the service. Excellent choice!!

Marugame Monzo
LS
Luke Suder
google
10.19.2017
5/5

Absolutely outstanding. Best noodle place on first street. Wish they accepted phone orders for takeout!

Marugame Monzo
OS
Omar Silva
google
10.09.2017
5/5

Amazing food. First time trying it. Had some miso carbonara udon it was great.

Marugame Monzo
VB
Valerie Blake
google
09.07.2017
5/5

This is my and my family's favorite udon spot in LA! This is a small spot located next to Daikokuya - definitely make sure you put your name on the right waitlist. We typically come by during off hours to reduce our wait time. Usually 3-5pm we don't wait longer than 20minutrs to get seated in a weekend. If you come during typical lunch or dinner hours, you can wait upwards 1hr for a small party.Their udon noodles are so chewy and soft, at the same time. We've tried multiple items on their menu and they've all been hits! My favorite is their special gratin udon, and my boyfriends favorite is the creamy uni. When we came closer towards closing time, it seems like the loaded up his udon with more uni than the typical portions...FYI: store does not allow take out (typically) so you'll only be able to eat in the store.

Marugame Monzo
JA
Jennifer Abraham
google
08.23.2017
5/5

This place is a real treat for the palette, guys. The atmosphere is impressive inside and out. Excellent oriental restaurant, no wonder about it good reviews! Now this is one of my favorite places. Everything is top notch, the taste of food is even more high. Very impressed

Marugame Monzo
HW
Harry Watson
google
07.25.2017
4/5

SO GOOD! This restaurant is in the middle of a kinda sketchy strip mall but don't let stop you! The chicken is delicious. It's super tender! The chicken is covered in a sauce that you can choose the spiciness of. I got mild which had a nice flavor but wasn't spicy. I got the slider so the chicken was between two buns with coleslaw, pickles, and Dave's sauce. It was a great combo! The standard menu item is 2 sliders, but I ordered one and it was more than enough. They give you a hefty portion of fries and Dave's sauce goes great with them. PSA: try the chicken and fries with honey!All in all amazing fried chicken!

Marugame Monzo
EB
Edith Brock
google
07.02.2017
5/5

If you've tried Marugame in Hawaii or even their locations in the south coast plaza or Glendale galleria, you'll definitely like this one! This is a little different in that you are seated and you order from the waitress as opposed to standing and ordering in line.We ordered the miso carbonara - this dish was SO good! I usually don't like creamy foods too much but this was the perfect amount of creamy to be light and flavorful. We also ordered the curry udon - also SO good. Flavor was definitely on point for the curry and the udon isn't too thick that it doesn't absorb the flavor.I would definitely recommend this place!

Marugame Monzo
SJ
Susan Jones
google
06.03.2017
4/5

Place for the best udon dishes in the town.

Marugame Monzo
ML
Matthew Lai
google
05.18.2017
5/5

This place is SO GOOD. I always come to Monzo when I'm in LA with friends. So far everything I've had from the menu is delicious! Definitely a great place to eat, and is nearby to a lot of shops that are within walking distance.

Marugame Monzo
AS
Amy Stephens
google
05.03.2017
5/5

Handmade udon noodles made in front of you sets Monzo apart. I'm not even a huge udon fan myself (unless it's hōtō), Monzo's noodles were amazing when I tried. The wait can be fairly long at times, but it seems well worth it given the quality and flavor.I went with my family so I was fortunate enough to sample a few of their plates. It's safe to say you can't really go wrong with what you order. A great spot in Little Tokyo!

Marugame Monzo
CY
Chi Yu
google
04.10.2017
3/5

I eagerly awaited Monzo’s reopening following the lockdown. I craved my regular curry pork udon while my son sorely missed the duck nanban. It’s with much disappointment to report after 3 separate takeouts that I will no longer be ordering out from Monzo. Either the food loses it’s magical culinary delight after a 20 minute drive home or they’ve replaced the cooks with hacks. The curry udon has gotten worse with each of my 3 orders as has the duck nanban and cold beef udon. I’m curious to hear if others have dined in and noticed a difference in quality. Maybe I’ll dine in and report back.

Marugame Monzo
KN
Kevin Nguyendo
google
02.21.2017
5/5

This is by far my favorite Udon location. I highly recommend the cold noodles such as the mad tiger. The service was also great.

Marugame Monzo
KH
K H
google
02.21.2017
5/5

Hand cut udon noodles, wonderful taste. Can't wait to return

Marugame Monzo
Sandy
google
02.16.2017
5/5

I really wanted to try this place for the longest time. The first time I came, the wait was too long and I had to go catch my train. I eventually did come back another day, coming when it opened. The place was already packed. The food was really delicious. It was definitely heavy and I wasn't able to finish all of it, so I took it to go. I can see why it's a popular place.

Marugame Monzo
MD
Michelle Davis
google
02.05.2017
4/5

I actually heard about Dave's from my friend David. He would get it quite often and I didn't really understand what the big deal was about a chicken sandwich (sort of like the Popeyes sandwich craze, that was wild). I finally gave it a try and boy, let me tell you, I was not about to wait in that massive line!! And then to top it off there was nowhere to sit inside, the place is kind of small and it was packed x 3. I'm not sure why, but I got in line anyway, and when my time finally came I ordered the sliders with fries and *also* got a free Mac and cheese for checking in (thanks Yelp!) which was really cool. The wait for my food wasn't long at all.

Marugame Monzo
JS
J S
google
01.17.2017
4/5

The noodles were very fresh and the right amount of chewiness. The sea urchin with the noodles is a great combination. One negative was the shrimp tempura was a little more oily than I wanted. It made my lips and hand oily which was too much. One positive was when I squeezed the tempura with the napkin, it looks like the restaurant uses clean oil to fry with. Some places use dirty oil that looks dark yellow and smells bad.

Marugame Monzo
Kj
Katie john
google
11.11.2016
4/5

This place is awesome and super cute. We went for lunch and would have sat outside except it had just rained. The sandwiches and apps are delicious. The red sangria was amazing and dangerous!

Marugame Monzo
7N
710 N Market
google
10.06.2016
4/5

The noodles are five-star, and the broth is better than average. Most of the rocks are made with fish, The way vegetarian option is available. It was not clear from the menu, but most of the vegetables that are added to any broth are deep fried in tempura.

Marugame Monzo
AE
Ashlea Engles
google
10.01.2016
3/5

Lookie here fellow yelpers, I'm not into udon in particular. I hate waiting. It's just not my thing for any kind of food, but I'll give this place kudos for the handmade component, and really good tempura. Their udon is served in many various ways, from traditional to... more traditional to... deep traditional, the types you can get in Roppongi or some hot spots in Tokyo. Get a specialty udon, and a side of tempura. Really, it's a can't miss if it's a first timer thing. But I mean, I don't crave going back there at all but I definitely enjoyed my meal.

Marugame Monzo
HG
Heather Green
google
09.23.2016
4/5

My friend ordered the Carbonara, although I liked my seafood one better, his dish also tasted really good. I would recommend this for someone who really likes a creamy a bit more roasted meaty taste. The bacon tasted well with the sauce and udon noodles.The portions are light however, it was enough for the both of us since we had eaten a few hrs before. The food came out quickly and the servers were very attentive and kind. I would definitely come back to try the other items on the menu!

Marugame Monzo
SW
Steve Wan
google
09.21.2016
5/5

Great noodle house, a must try while in LA. You can watch the fresh noodles being cut before your eyes. Busy little restaurant but they turn the tables quickly. Real affordable!!

Marugame Monzo
LH
Louise Harris
google
08.22.2016
4/5

Great atmosphere, great staff service, and good food. The bar was busy and the restaurant had a 30!minute wait. The staff gave us a glass of wine which is a nice gesture for the wait. We had the hummus, fries, and cauliflower bites. Everything was delicious. Our server was very friendly.

Marugame Monzo
TD
Tristan Dillard
google
08.15.2016
5/5

They have delicious prepared food from scratch right before your eyes! They have a large variety of toppings which range from traditional to creative. They have friendly staff and amazing place. I LOVE IT!!!

Marugame Monzo
JP
Jennifer Perez
google
07.23.2016
4/5

I love this restaurant because it is cozy and the environment is really friendly. Food amazing. Almost every month I and my wife are going there. Last night I was there and ordered Thai Fried Chicken Wings, Singapore Nyonya Laksa, Green Curry Chicken. It was Yammmmiii.My favorite is Thai Fried Chicken Wings. It is spicy and hot.Thank you,

Marugame Monzo
MF
Melissa Fernandez
google
05.15.2016
5/5

Absolutely amazing! They have high quality food, and give you good portion size for A high quality resistant. They always please me. Oh and I love Jessica, thanks for the great customer service!

Marugame Monzo
mb
miller brown
google
05.10.2016
3/5

Crazy how good the chicken wings are for a place that specializes in Chinese food. We got a plate of wings, string beans, and crispy rice soup to share and boy, we were full! Highly recommend!

Marugame Monzo
EG
Elizabeth Goldlane
google
04.19.2016
3/5

Good food. Service was not good. Lack of smile and you have to eat your food fast. They will hand you the bill as soon as one of you finish your food. We came there yesterday and they charged food that we did not order (an extra $17.95 plus tax). I just realized it when I looked at the bill at home. Quite dissapointed when it happened.. but nothing I can do so make sure you checked the bill before you pay.

Marugame Monzo
HC
Holly Clark
google
04.08.2016
4/5

Such an eclectic menu and so reasonably priced! This place hit the spot after a long day of sightseeing in LA. The Fettuccine Verdi was my favorite and I'd go back just for that! The mushroom and beef was tender and delicious! The squid ink is unusual to most, but we really enjoyed it! Place is a gem!

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