Nationwide chains – Anshin Japan

A Marugame Seimen in Nagano Prefecture. Step inside, and steam is rising beyond the counter as the staff boil one batch of noodles after another. What Marugame Seimen promises is 打ち立て・茹でたて (uchitate, yudetate: “freshly made, freshly boiled”). Their signature 釜揚げうどん (kamaage udon), in particular, is proud of its savory wheat flavor and faint aroma.

We Nagano people just love our soba. But every now and then, what I get a real craving for is Marugame udon (The writer lives in Nagano Prefecture and loves soba.)

Freshly boiled noodles have 2 sides. Straight out of the pot, they’re plump, soft and chewy. Rinsed in cold water, they firm up, with sharp edges and real bite. “Chewy, with a good bite” is something you often hear from people who’ve eaten here.

It’s simple: order your udon, take your tempura, and pay. Point at a photo on the menu board, and you can eat here even if you can’t read Japanese.

Exterior and entrance of a Marugame Seimen restaurant

1 First, Order Your Udon — You Can Just Point at the Board

Move along with the line, and the first stop is the udon counter. Here you tell them 3 things: the type of udon, the size, and whether you want it cold or hot.

Sizes are 並 (regular, 1 portion), 大 (large, 1.5 portions) and 得 (extra-large, 2 portions). Some menu items also come in 小 (small, 3/4 portion).

Can’t read the menu names? No problem. Just point at the big photo menu board above the counter, and they’ll understand.

As a rough guide, a 並 of かけうどん (kake udon, noodles in hot broth) or ざるうどん (zaru udon, cold noodles you dip in a sauce) is ¥440, and a 並 of きつねうどん (kitsune udon, udon topped with sweet simmered fried tofu) is ¥640 (official menu, October 2026). Prices can vary by store and over time.

釜揚げうどん (kamaage udon) is hot, freshly boiled udon that you dip in dashi broth.

There’s a great variety, and it’s all good, but if it’s your first time, go for 釜揚げ (hot) or ざるうどん (cold). You get to taste what udon is really all about. Oh, and the かき揚げ (kakiage, a crispy fritter of mixed vegetables in tempura batter) is out of this world

2 The Tempura Shelf — Look and Take

Once you have your udon, set it on your tray and head to the tempura shelf. かき揚げ, shrimp, chikuwa (fish cake), かしわ (chicken)… a whole row of tempura, all lined up.

No words needed here. Just use the tongs to put what you want on a plate. At this store, the price tags had the English name in small letters under the Japanese name (foreign-language labels differ from store to store).

Placing the dipping sauce bowl on the tray

Tempura runs about ¥120 to ¥220 apiece. Some people say it’s freshly fried and crispy. You pay at the register for however many pieces you took.

3 After You Pay — Condiments, as Much as You Like

Once your tray is ready, head to the register. Many stores accept credit cards and transit IC cards (such as Suica), but it’s reassuring to have a little cash on you too.

After you pay, there’s a condiment corner. Green onions, tenkasu (crunchy bits of tempura batter), grated ginger, ground sesame and more: there are 8 kinds of free condiments and toppings. Put them on your udon and make the bowl your own. You can help yourself to water or tea here, too.

4 At Your Seat — Itadakimasu

At the tables, you’ll find chopsticks, shichimi (a seven-spice chili blend), dashi soy sauce and more.

Table condiments: dashi soy sauce, shichimi, salt

With かけうどん, you get chewy noodles in hot broth.

Lifting kake udon noodles with chopsticks

With ざるうどん, you dip the cold noodles in the sauce and eat them.

My son ordered ざるうどん. Hands together: “Itadakimasu” (what people say before a meal). He lifted the noodles, dipped them in the sauce, and slurped them up.

Saying "itadakimasu" with hands together

He chewed and chewed, then gave a thumbs-up.

How to eat udon is a story for another article.

5 When You’re Done — To the 返却口

When you’ve finished, take your tray and dishes to the 返却口 (henkyakuguchi, the counter where you return your dishes).

Returning the tray at the return counter

Handy for Times Like These

For when you want to eat your fill without spending much. A lot of people say it’s reasonably priced. There’s also a set for kids, the “お子さままんぷくセット” (okosama manpuku setto, a filling set for children), for ¥290.

On the 1st of every month except January 1, it’s “釜揚げうどんの日” (Kamaage Udon Day). 釜揚げうどん is half price (some stores don’t take part).

For people who can’t eat certain foods: Marugame Seimen’s official website has an allergen chart (in Japanese). It says all the tempura is fried in the same oil, and that even the free tenkasu may contain allergens from the tempura. It also says that because the kitchen shares utensils and equipment, allergens from ingredients not used in a dish may come into contact with it. If you can’t check something on the chart, it’s safer for people with allergies to skip it.