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They got this high school canteen-style layout streamlining everything from menu selection to payment.. They conveniently displayed heaps of sides for you to freely pick up as you mindlessly shift towards the cashier. I snowballed from under $10 Curry Udon to God knows what (reminds me of my mid-quarantine credit card bill). They are good. But you gatta appreciate their hustle though.
Doesn't change the fact that this place is a decent no-brainer joint to squeeze in a quick meal. As long as you remain semi-conscious, your meal shouldn't cost you more than $10. Quick, friendly service and tables were just sticky and stained enough to give off that all too familiar "I don't get paid enough for this shit" vibe. Classic. But who cares? Food was tasty. So let's not get greedy here - you get what you pay for.
The price was an absolute bargain, but I'm willing to pay 1 or 2 more dollars for hotter soup.
Very simple yet satisfying meal, the broth is very much like a sukiyaki styled broth, light sweet but so tasty, I got my udon with beef and onsen egg plus tempura on the side
Joanne | Melbournecitay
+4
This is the place to go if you want a quick fuss-free meal. Here's what I love about it:
1. Very clearly defined range of meal options. I always go for the noodles with half boiled egg. Prefer if the eggs are warmer, but otherwise at $5.9 it's a steal!
2. Well-marinated fried chicken. It's clear that chicken karaage is their forte - the miso taste made munching on the fried chicken oh so satisfying. Only costs $1.5 per chicken
3. Unlimited bonito flakes and spring onion
4. Options for curry udon and rice bowls, but i always go back to an udon soup because it's so heartwarming on a cold day.
5. Quick meal! I'm in and out within 20 mins.
Money saving tips: Come at 11-11:30am and get a free tempura. Cheap $5.9 for all dishes after 8:30pm (late dinner noodles? yes please!)
Would def. return!
Fresh & tasty hot or cold udon with free toppings (spring onions, bonito, seaweed, chilli crunchy tempura batter plus a couple more) and hot/cold tea .
Price will vary depending on the size and any additions you might pick up on the way to checkout. (assortment of tempura, beef sukiyaki, egg etc)
This is the only restaurant I know of in Melbourne that only serve udon noodles and it is good.
I love the beancurd served in both of two Udon Yasans very much, other foods are also good... Can anyone recommand something similar in Sydney?
Restaurant located on Bourke Street just before Russell Street. Very friendly service. Love the their ordering system. Very quick and simple. We ordered sukiyaki udon and udon prawn tempura, Vegie tempura and fried chicken... the food so simple and nice... we will be back again
Food - you can choose udon set, either big (pay extra $2) or small (normal price at $5.90). Then you can take others as well. Tha taste was overall good.
Price - it was much affordable with the any portions of the ramen (big and small). We have ordered total $21.90 for the whole meal.
Services - They provided a very friendly services but a bit disappointed of not allowing a cash pay after made a decision of paying by card due to the surcharge.
For simple Japanese food at rock bottom prices, this place ticks all the right boxes.
The ambience is not the best but the tasty food at unbelievable prices more than makes up for it. The Japanese curry rice was nice and fluffy with just the right amount of umaminess in the curry sauce. The udon was springy and the broth was full of flavour. The side dishes were fresh and in particular the tempura was extremely crispy.
For a quick no frills meal, Udon Yasan is the place to be!
This is one of my favourite lunch spots in city if I am eating alone.. I always order the plain udon soup and will add some fried chicken & tempuras on the side.. there is also a condiments counter where you can add these condiments such as spring onion, bonito flakes, radish mince, ginger mince, crispy crumbs & etc for free.. I love the fried chicken there as the quality is pretty well maintained every time I go and it never disappoints me.. the chicken is flavourful on the outside & tender juicy inside.. the udon however was not the best but the price of udon is very decent...
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I came here for a really early lunch just as they opened for the day. I really like the canteen no frills style of this place. You start at the doorway and grab a tray and cutlery then move down the line and order the udon/rice you want then grab your fried tempura/fried stuff if you want to add them on to your bowl. Then you pay and move to the other side where you can add your condiments such as spring onions, sauce, radish, tempura crumbs etc. then you grab and seat and dig in!
I ordered the basic udon with egg. They didn’t have cold udon which is what I would have preferred so I had the udon with hot soup. They give you the whole egg with shell and you have to break it into your udon which I wasn’t very successful at. The egg was soft and a little runny but the yolk was solid, I would have preferred a runny yolk. The taste of the soup was really good - it was subtle with the right amount of umami. The noodles were chewy and had a nice texture. I chose the prawn and seafood stick tempura and a kaarage chicken. The tempura was really light and crispy. The kaarage chicken was moreish and tender but just a little dry on the inside. Otherwise it tasted yummy. At the end of the meal you return your own tray to the counter. Overall a filling meal for only $11+.
This Japanese place really impressed me as I took my first sip of the udon soup. I usually love udon noodles, I believe it is a much healthier option as it is made of wheat. The pricing is absolutely amazing and I must warn you, do not select the 'large' option unless you are really hungry. I have tried their beef noodle soup, and I also chose the Soy Ginger Garlic chicken. At $1.60, one chicken piece is a fair deal and it tasted amazing. You can also select the condiments like ginger, tenkasu, spring onion etc.
The staff were really friendly and always had a smile. They have patiently answered all my queries about the udon soup and I really appreciate it. There is nothing to talk about the store ambiance since its more like a budget eat place. The store was well-maintained and I would love to visit again. This place is definitely one of the cheap eats in the city and yet, no compromise on the quality.
My go to udon place. Not only it is affordable but it taste good as well. Love their tempura. My favs are crabstick tempura and prawn tempura.
Will I be back? Yes!
Rating: 3.5/5
Come here for a quick and filling lunch or dinner.
The quirky thing about this Udon Yasan is their ordering system. You first begin at the start of the line where the menu is located and speak to one of the chefs about the Udon you want. You walk a couple steps down and wait to receive your hot or cold bowl of udon. You then continue down the line and add any add-ons which is charged by the piece. Please note that tempura is made ahead of time and is only fresh during off-peak times as they cook to order.
I ordered the HOT Beef & Egg and add a couple pieces of tempura and end up at $11.50-$12.
For its price, its nothing amazing and I wouldn't go out of my way for it; but it is great for a quick lunch. Would recommend HOT Udon as I found the broth of the COLD Udon a bit too strong for my liking.
Yummy, quick, fresh food. Nice people. You get free tea and yummy crunchy tempura on your udon. It’s delish!
Make sure you try all the toppings at the back of the shop too.
Cheap udon in CBD. They offer vegetarian & vegan options as well. I had their vegan curry udon, was ok. Just dont expect anything though, theres not even vegetable in the bowl. Basically its just udon + curry soup then you can add up some toppings with additional charge (but was still cheap) so i had their vegetable fritter which was ok. Considering their cheap price it was alright for a quick lunch.
Decided that I wanted Udon today and I havent been here in soooo long. When I came in today, it gave me the same vibe that I had last time i was here. I ordered the niku curry udon with the crab meat, squid, eggplant tempura and karaage chicken. It was enough for me. The udon was cooked perfectly because it had that bite to it which makes it that much more enjoyable. The curry was good too. The meat slices was a tad too sweet though. The tempura was fried perfectly but it would have been better if it was a bit hotter and slightly more variety. The customer service was good too and I was definitely not disappointed.
Verdict: The udon was amazing and I would definitely come back. I was also reminded of when I went to a similar place in Japan. Although the store in Japan had a large squid tentacle...but thats a story for another time :D
Great Restaurant Mentions
+5
Cheap, quick, simple, unpretentious...the way cheaps eats should be! Awesome noodles and soup broth and love the setup. Can be in and out in 20 mins which means it’s a great place to duck out for a quick lunch!
😱Lizzie’s first impression: The concept of this place is to choose your base whether it be udon or curry udon and then you can add your own side dishes (mainly tempura goodies like seafood sticks or croquettes) they even have takoyaki!
🍩Lizzie enjoyed: Quick. Easy. Delicious. I love how consistent the udon is and it’s so convenient for a quick feed. Hasn’t disappointed!
🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: the soup base may taste a bit salty sometimes but for the price, I’m not complaining!
🥇Lizzie rates overall: a great place for a quick feed!
Decent tasting food, where you pick the fillings as per your preferences, after ordering the base.
Condiment section is free flow, where you can add the extras at no cost.
Interesting concept and i will be back for more!
My fav Japanese in the city. Always makes me feel like I’m in Japan again! Perfect food if you’re on break in the area as all the food is pre cooked. Self service line.
💕 Cheap as chips
💕 Friendly staff
💕 Quick food
💕 Free self serve green tea / Rice tea
💕 Heaps of seating
💕 House made udon
💕 Open late (12am)
☹️ Sometimes the tempura can be warm not hot
Always the go to place whenever we cannot decide on a food option. Cheap and reliable, we can get our udon and deep fried food craving sorted whilst enjoying some free cold green tea, a great touch! The service is very speedy and efficient, and easy to go about. Would 100% recommend for those wanting a good and quick Udon experience. Only downside is that the soup is often quite salty meaning the free water comes in handy :P
Every time I feel like some Japanese food but don’t want to spend too much I come to this place. There are many choices which you can make own combinations. Toppings such as seaweed and spring onions are free. Services are quick and friendly.
Very affordable. It’s hard to find places this cheap in CBD. The plain hot udon isn’t amazing but not much different to other places, just at a much better price. Lots of options though for little sides which is good if you want variation in your meal, but again at a low cost.
Everything is pretty much DIY and it’s more comfortable that way because a lot of people come here alone for a quick bite and I’d be sad if this place were to ever change. Great for city workers. I would always come back here whenever I need a quick udon fix, which is pretty often especially in winter.
Came here twice during a 3 day trip. Everything here is very affordable, especially the sides. I grabbed cold udon and hot udon, $4.8 each. The udon doesnt have that al dente bite but hey, it filled me up and for under $5, real steal! The sides were all under $2-3 each and were nice. Alot of toppings to choose from and 6 different drinks to refill from. Service was friendly. Location is also good! Have to visit again!
Wanted to try but it was already closed on our first visit, second time was open and crowded as it was during lunch time. Ordered their udon with beancurd and chicken karaage and squid tempura, the fried stuff was superb, the tempura was crunchy and karaage was moist on the inside and crunchy on the inside, not too salty and not very oily. Udon was yummy and the beancurd not too sweet, but sadly the server misheard what i said (cold) rather than hot but when i asked her, she insisted that she given me the right one. Unsure if she have a hearing problem or I pronounced it incorrectly but i did mentioned no.5 cold, and i dont think cold and hot sound similar anyway.
I went for a quick dining and as you can guess, a very good value of money. They offers fresh udon as they make it daily although it tasted average. I had beef noodle soup and the portion was satisfying. Love the unlimited toppings. Pretty sure I will go back soon
Walked past Udon Yasan and never really had the urge to try it u til today. I’m glad I did. Food tasted great! Plus was quite cheap! Had quite a big selection that you could choose from, and then just get charged at the end! Worth a try.
The store didn't have much to offer at first glance but don't let its appearance put you off. I quite appreciate the unique experience of self serving and 'make my own' udon as I walk down the counter. After your meal, you're required to put your tableware away. The system is not much different to how lunches are served in Japanese schools; which was a nice cultural experience. As for the food, the udon was delicious as they tasted hand made; I got the plain hot udon soup and collected extra sweet potato, calamari, egg, and crab stick tempura. The tempura wasn't straight out of the fryer fresh but it was still crispy. A nice bonus as well was the tea and condiments station where you get to add the finishing touches before digging into your food.
Quick authentic udon. Plenty of options to choose from and great flavour! Took me back to japan. Perfect if you want a quick eat and go meal.
Udon was fresh but soup was a bit too salty for my taste. It had a great selection of tempura and self-serve counters where you could choose your own condiments. There are also a selection of three teas that you could refill for free too! There's really nothing much to dislike about this place. It's cheap, it's good and it's quick. It quickly became one of my go-to places for a quick and affordable lunch in the CBD.
They made their own udon fresh daily which is a plus point as their noodle quality is considerably high. It is a self-serve restaurant where you ask the server what would you like to have while moving your tray and pay as you finish your order.
Ridiculously affordable as you could ask for a bowl of plain hot noodle soup for only $4.80 (!!!) and it taste good. Variety of tempura is also available: chicken karaage, beancurd skin, prawn, egg, squid, fishcake, mushroom, eggplant, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc. for only $1.5 each.
They provide us with several option of toppings and tea, all free!
The noodle & the soup were nice for a meal that could cost you less than $10.
We always come back here so it's definitely a yes from us to Udon Yasan!
Udon is pretty good, well priced,,,
Sadly the fried sweet potato was cold
But still taste alright.................
will definitely come back ;)
Udon Yasan is basically my stable food when we need something quick and easy to eat. I've recently tried the cold noodles due to hot weather and it's arguably better than the hot soup, but I guess it depends on the day. The udon noodles here are made in store and they're bigger and harder than the udon noodles you'll often eat at other places- which is better is really up to your own personal preference. The food itself isn't spectacular, but is good cheap food if you want to eat noodles with soup that makes you feel full.
The layout of the shop can be confusing for first timers and everything kind of feels scattered around the place. The staff are typically nice but it feels like they just want the day to be done HAHA but they get the job done so in the end so I think they're fine!
Excellent home-made Japanese Udon with various toppings to pick, clear soup stock . Good value great food excellent service.
Free condiments to add, you can pretty much add side such as fried tempura, onsen egg to nibble etc.
Hot/cold noodle soup to pick from.
Must try again soon, can't eait nomnom
Service was quick, food was cheap and tasty. Came here on a fairly hot day and ordered the Cold Kimchi Noodle Soup with Sweet Potato Tempura on the side. Free toppings are available for self-serve at the end and is recommended to give flavor to the otherwise much more bland tasting soup. The noodle was nice and fresh tasting, recommended for those wanting a quick cheap meal
This is an ultimate cheap eats place, especially for poor students or people who don't get off work until 9pm on a weekday. You can get a warm bowl of udon (noodles and soup) for $4.90. Less than $5 for a filling and simple meal! If you want to add extras of course the price goes up, but it always ends up being extremely good value. I don't think I've ever spent more than $15 on food here in one go, and I usually get udon with curry sauce and sukiyaki beef, or fried chicken, or just extra tempura goodies. Definitely an option for people who want a good-sized delicious meal on the cheap!
When im craving udon, this is my go to place. Cheap, quick and tasty. Very fitting for a student and those in budget. I like the simple plain udon without much crazy topping and this place offer exactly what i need. What i love the most is you can add wakame(seaweed) as much as you want! But i wouldn't recommend the niku udon (beef), as the beef is just mostly fat. But hey, you can get fresh udon for $5!
Quality udon, love how you're able to customise your own meal, so cute, cheap, friendly staff, authentic, love the condiments, 10/10 would come again
One of my favourite spots to visit after working late and I'm forced to fend for myself. I usually enjoy the sukiyaki beef noodle soup with a soft boiled egg, beef is thin and fatty, broth is light but flavorful. You can also get little sides such as their fried soy chicken which is decent despite not knowing how long it's been sitting there for. Bonus is their condiment station where you can help yourself to unlimited goodies such as bonito flakes, spring onions and seaweed. On this particular visit the soft boiled egg felt a tad cold. Friendly service and great for winter, my second favourite dish there is the curry beef noodle soup.
It was a very cold night and I needed some hot food, this place was perfect for some kimchi to boost my immune system. I got my food super fast and there where free topping like seaweed, spring onions and ginger which I love. The background music was really nice too, japanese instrumental folk.
The most authentic and tasty udon that I have had in Melbourne. I always get the beef noodle soup, and for $7.80 (small) and $9.80 (large) the price is great. Downside is that the place is small, tables are small and squished and it's also a bit dirty, hence the 4 star.
I've been a regular here now for 1.5 years now; it's about time I gave this place a review. I've never been disappointed here! Good menu choices, unlimited free toppings, cheap yet delicious and filling, friendly service, easygoing yet authentic ambience; I really have no complaints about this place, a solid 5/5 for me when I need my udon fix!
First time here and I enjoyed it so much! I had the curry beef udon with an extra side of egg and vegetable croquette. I love the Japanese inspired noodle bar lay out, and the different sides available. It was affordable and the portion sizes were perfect. Definitely will come back whenever I'm craving udon!
Experience was a bit confusing but I really enjoyed the Udon noodles here. Very nice cheap price, udon highly customizable and tasted yummy. I really recommend the egg udon noodle soup.
Customisable udon imitating real life Japanese noodle bars is pretty cool! Handmade noodles, free toppings the concept is great here! Tables were a bit dirty it's clear they have no floor service, noodles were nice! Could use more soup, more flavour and hotter too but that's just my preference. I was pretty hungry and opted for a large size as did my friend and we both demolished it. We were pretty full after. A cool simple noodle dinner! Thanks guys :).
Quiet and unassuming this restaurant delivers very cheap udon and curries for a very reasonable price. I love the unlimited toppings and green tea options. Altogether the food was a bit bland on the udon side (the broth came from a warm boiler) and the extra fried toppings were on the pricey side.
The food is quick and convenient. The employees are lovely. The price you pay is definitely worth it and I love how you can add your own additions to it such as tempura prawn.
Affordable Japanese comfort food! Love their beef sukiyaki on rice, daikon, and inari. I always come back when I need a quick jap fix at low price. Also love the unlimited tea. :)
Wanted something light after eating quite heavily through-out the day as it was my first trip in Melbourne, came across this place and glad I went in with my sister. The udon was amazing but the broth made the entire dish, was extremely tasty, not too salty, not too heavy just right. The only thing that could be improved is I did notice the person placing things in the hot box wasn't wearing gloves which my immediate reaction was to turn my nose up at this, the man doing this noticed and put gloves on but I doubt it was a once off. The food is cheap and decent for the price.
Honestly what a brilliant and unique idea of a eatery.
Udon Yasan reminds me of my high school's cafeteria, except the food here is amazing and the udon literally melts in ya mouth. the croquettes and karaage were also super delicious and fresh. I'll surely come back.
@this is the third time that i have been here, and none of my visits to this place has disappointed me.
there are two options for their noodle soups - cold and hot ones. i had the beef noodle soup, which is a hot soup base. it is just like any basic udon with soup broth and beef, the soup broth was well cooked and not too heavy on the seasoning.
there are extra topping options available here such as crab meat croquette, prawn tempura, soy ginger garlic chicken, etc. i always have the udon with crab meat croquette and prawn tempura as extra toppings as they go together really well.
besides that, there are free condiments such as seaweed, chopped spring onions, etc. available after making your payment for the meal.
in terms of affordability, the food here is really worth every dollar as the taste is consistent and never disappoint my tastebuds (and my friends' as well!). would definitely return here some time soon.
Ever since my Japanese friend introduced me to Udon Yasan when it first opened, I have been obsessed. The little udon shop offers customers an authentic, cheap and fast meal. Usually a meal would only cost about $8-11 dollars which include a regular udon bowl and about 3-4 toppings. There are many choices for the base such as hot/cold udon or rice. Toppings are mostly tempura items for $1.50 per piece. My two highly recommend toppings would be the bean curd skin and sweet potato tempura. The squid tempura is also a good choice. There is also unlimited garnishes at the side, which includes seaweed. Hot or cold tea (oolong/green tea) as well as water is self-served from a machine usually located near the garnish stand. Highly recommend Udon Yasan for a quick and delicious Udon.
Great food at a cheap price. Bowl of hot or cold noodles with a selection of tempura. Staff always friendly and efficiently. Free teas and as much toppings for your noodles as you'd like. Don't expect too grand a shop but it's clean and good enough.
Looking for a quick lunch in Melbourne’s CBD, I stopped by Udon Yasan, Melbourne’s alternative to Marukame in Chatswood. I found the ordering experience to be somewhat similar, beginning with the speedy udon serving station, then moving onto the tempura bar and other fixings. The menu has far less varieties of udon than Marukame, choosing to stick with udon noodle soups. I decided to try their regular sized cold beancurd noodle soup with a side of eggplant tempura.
Quite like this restaurant. Have been here a number of times. They specialise in udon noodles. I usually order either the curry beef noodles with soft shell crab. The soft shell crab, eaten with Japanese mayo, is just delicious. I have been here a few times. I think I will continue to visit this restaurant
This place is awesome! Reminds me of the time when I was living in Japan and wanted a quick bite of Udon or Soba. What can you buy these days of $4.80 in Melbourne? Well, a very nice bowl of Udon! The toppings are awesome and reasonably priced as well, you have get the fried vegetable tempura with your Udon. Don't forget to get a couple of 'Inarizushis' for 80 cents just before you pay at the counter. The free refill teas are also a bonus.
I quite like this Authentic Japanese style restaurant. From the whole pick your type of noodles and then whatever add ons you like. The free toppings and the "fast food" seating arrangement.
One of my favourite places to just go eat alone or with a couple of friends for a quick bite.
I always go for the Cold Udon noodles with beef, eggs, fried pumpkin and a croquette (but this I went with the inari instead of the egg). Good pricing for something that fills you up :D
It's good for the price, especially in Melbourne. Except for when it's sold out, and that's usually for at least 5 minutes every 15 minutes between 12pm-3pm.
(Thursday 22/12/2016)
This place is superb with serving their homemade udon. Super cheap. Super-fast. This place will tell you just enjoy the simple things.
Ordered the cold udon, one word to describe it, appetizing. It has a canteen setting where you get the tray and move along the line to get your food. Settings is not too bad and staffs are efficient.
Always a good place too eat if you’re in for a quick bite.
Love the chicken curry and udon beef noodle soup and eggplant crisps. I will def be back but will skip the crab meat nugget and chicken. I’ll try other side dishes next time. The free condiments def added more flavour to the food. Take advantage of it. The soup is so good for the cold weather
Pretty descent, got the #2 Sukiyaki Udon ($8) & an ebi tempura ($3).
The soup was quite light but pleasant, the beef wasn’t great quality with a lot of fat, but the tempura was good & the udon portion was very nice.
Worth it? 4.5/5
Taste? 3.5/5
A Self Service restaurant offering freshly made, quality, "Sanuki" style Udon at pocket friendly prices.
If you are like me, who like udon, but not the supermarket pre-packet variety, then you are in for a treat at Udon Yasan. Fresh, thick, chewy and eminently slurpy. Max comfort food. There are also several rice dishes, tempura and other side dishes on offer.
This is a self service restaurant - you take a tray, place your order, pick up your bowl of udon and pay. At the end of the meal, your place your tray and bowl at the rack provided. If you have been to a Ikea restaurant or a university canteen, you know the drill.
we got the kake udon (#1), sukiyaki beef udon (#2), prawn tempura, crabstick tempura and crab cream croquette on the side.
the udon is super worth the money. $5 bucks for a plain udon and the portion was good! just a note, the udon is rather thick compared to other places. the shop also has a condiments section but if you want mayo it’s 50€ more. the prawn and crabstick tempura were good. we’d definitely recommend getting the crabstick at least! the crab cream croquette was 99% cream but at least it tasted good. for the price we really can’t complain. will be back to try more items! sugoi 🤩
The prices have increased and they no longer have free cold green tea but still my favorite place to go for udon (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
Cheap, consistant and delicious. Have visited maybe over a dozen times.
Perfect location too so I hope they don't relocate despite it being a small diner. It'll probably fit max 20 people seated.
There are options you can add, as shown in my photos I picked out fried fake crab meat and fried eggplant. Sometimes theyll have fried half boiled egg and it is amazing.
There are soft drinks/tea/water and you also get a wide selection of free condiments (spring onions, minced white raddish, chilli flakes oil etc)
I wish I could give this place 6 stars! Instantly one of my favourite Japanese eateries. The quality and quantity of food far exceeds its humble pricing. 🍜 I tried the kitsune udon, the broth was light, udon just the right texture, and both the sukiyaki beef and beancurd packed a load of authentic flavour. The tempura eggplant was super yummy and so satisfyingly crunchy!! They also have a condiments station which has sides like spring onion, bonito flakes and various sauces, so thoughtful and generous 💛 I will definitely be back!!
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