Marugame Monzo

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Marugame Monzo is located right next to Daikokuya (see post HERE).  Its making quite a buzz in Japantown that part of the crowds in front of Daikokuya are actually in line for Marugame Monzo.  Although it depends if you feel in the mood for ramen or udon, Marugame Monzo is worth the wait.  Their traditional udons as well as their fusion take on udon is innovative and delicious.

The best seats in the restaurant are front and center!  The counter seating allows for a clear view of the careful udon noodle making process.

First thing to note is the handmade udon noodles are amazingly chewy and fresh.  They have a springy, dense texture.   
The squid roe udon is immerse in a light, flavorful broth that full of roe.  The squid is soft, but chewy.  This bowl has so much taste and textures going on, from the slight popping of the roe to the chewy pieces of squid.  Its hard to say which udon was better, but the noodles and the well made broths make me want to try all of their soups.

The most popular udon here is the sea urchin udon.  Its super creamy broth reminds me of alfredo sauce since coats the noodles quite well.  The rich sauce is mixed with bits of uni, so much uni that there are pieces in every bite.  Surprisingly, this udon wasn't as heavy as it looks, but I wouldn't suggest scraping the bowl since the richness may be too much of a good thing.

The tempura here is perfectly fried, so perfect that the owners of Marugame Monzo should think about opening up a tempura restaurant.  Unless you order the tempura udon, the tempura pieces are a la carte.  Besides the usual fried items like shrimp, they have tempura egg!  A first for me and one of those items that make you wonder why are there not more of these.

Lightly battered with a slight crispy exterior, this egg has a nice runny inside.

Address:                  Marugame Monzo
                                 329 E 1st St.
                                 Los Angeles, CA
 

Type:                       Japanese

Popular chomps:     miso carbanera
                                uni cream udon
                                tempura egg
                                mentai squid udon

Chomp worthy:       uni cream udon
                                tempura egg
                                mentai squid udon