What's Your Favorite at Marugame Udon?

Lately, whenever asked where would I like to eat, I have this autopilot response; Marugame Udon. When thinking about fast, customizable, and affordable Japanese food that comforts a hungry tummy, it's always Marugame Udon.  When I don't want to complicate my life and overwhelm myself with lots of restaurant choices, It's always Marugame Udon for me these days. 

I know it is just a phase and it will pass. I know I will go back to my old self who, in a blink of an eye, can whip up a comparative analysis between two restaurant whenever faced with an important decision about where should we eat next. But for now, I am enjoying and will continue to enjoy Marugame Udon. 

My father who is a fan of affordable restaurants and my nephew who recently developed an appreciation for Japanese food, undoubtedly enjoy this phase in my life. Ever since my mother and my sister - my nephew Cai's mother, passed away, I would often have these two men in tow whenever I'm eating out. It's part of our ways to cope with grief. 

So, regardless if we've been dining in Marugame Udon for several days, my father and nephew would never complain. We have our own personal favorites. Mine is their katsu curry rice, my father loved their tendon, while my nephew is never without the side dishes ebiten and cheese sausage. 

My nephew and my father who both love Marugame Udon

Feeling like we've been to Marugame enough to know what are the must-orders, we invited my sister and her family to a lunch at Marugame one time they visited us at home. Marugame Udon in Robinsons Antipolo is the one nearest to us, so that's where we had our family lunch. 

My nephews and their lolo while having lunch at Marugame Udon

My sister and her hubby also loved Marugame. Photo on the right was me with my sister during our Marugame lunch.

There's always a long line of diners at Marugame Udon especially during weekends, so we make it a point to come early. Regardless, this restaurant is still the crowds' favorite and we still have to line up because as early as 10:30, the line is already unbelievably long. 

Marugame Udon in Antipolo is always crowded

As it is a self-serve restaurant, the drill is to line up and place your order on the counter, then choose your sidings if you prefer to have one or two or even more - there's lots of choices I tell you. Then you pay your bill to the cashier and get your food. 

Here are some of ur favorites and other Marugame Udon dishes we enjoyed during this lunch.

We had my father's favorite, the Tendon (Php285) A rice bowl with ebiten, kani ten, tamago ten and sweet potato tempura. 

Of course, my favorite, the Katsu Curry Rice (Php280) I've tried several Japanese curry rice, but Marugame's version is one of the most comforting of a dish I've had. They also offer Curry Rice if you are not into katsu and would rather choose other side dishes to go with it. 

The Beef Gyudon (Php200) was also good. It was actually the first dish I've tried at Marugame Udon and its goodness steel my resolve to go back again to try their other dishes and I fell in love since. 

We also had the Teriyaki Chicken Spacial (Php215) which is also good especially if you prefer chicken over other meat like beef and pork. They also offer Teriyaki Beef and Chicken Yakiniku which I would love to try next time when we visit again. 

The Katsudon (Php210) is a classic Japanese dish enjoyed by many. Marugame's version is as good as a classic can get. 

Udon noodles are said to be freshly made at Marugame Udon. That's why good quality and freshness are to be expected. One of my favorite udon dishes is their Beef Yaki Udon (Php240) The flavor was intense and downright delicious and the serving was generous it can feed two. 

We also had the Beef Ontama Bukake Udon (Php215 regular, Php275 large) It was a good udon dish perfect for cold weather. It's like beef gyudon, but it got a really flavorful broth and udon noodles instead of rice.

The Chicken Paitan Udon (Php245 regular, Php290 large) is a good option if you're into chicken with flavorful broth. Not my favorite at first, but it's the kind that grows on you. The photo below shows a very straightforward Chicken Paitan Udon, good thing about it is that you can build flavors by adding condiments. 

Marugame Udon experience wouldn't be complete without variety of their side dishes that elevates the the Japanese food experience even more.  Just like the main dishes, we have several favorites when it comes to sides. 

First on the list is Spam Omusubi which the kids love. Pork Tonkatsu, Ebi Ten, Sweet Potato Ten, Gyoza, and Chicken Karaage are also our usual side dishes.  Their Cheesy Sausage, Tamago Ten,  Tuna and Salmon Flakes Omusubi, and Inari Sushi are the constant on my meal.

Honestly, I am salivating at the thought of dining again at Marugame Udon while I am writing this. There are other stuff on their menu which I have not tried yet so I am keeping my eyes on those when we next visit. 

How about you, what's your favorite at Marugame Udon? 

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