Marugame Udon opens first London restaurant this summer 2021
22 March, 2021
The world leader in the art of udon is coming to the UK this summer. Japanese restaurant group Marugame Udon, famous throughout Japan and Asia for its traditional Sanuki udon recipe, will be serving up bowls of authentic udon noodles and freshly fried tempura at their site near Liverpool Street station from July 2021.
Marugame Udon has chosen London as its first restaurant in Europe, ahead of future plans to expand around the continent. Renowned as the world’s largest udon noodle and tempura specialists with restaurants dotted across Asia and the United States, Londoners will now be treated to the sights, sounds and taste of the authentic udon kitchen. In Japan, udon is a way of life for the Japanese who consume over 150 million bowls a year in Marugame Udon alone.
Marugame Udon pride themselves on making their udon noodles in-house throughout the day, with the open-style kitchen allowing diners to observe the daily ritual of the udon being made freshly cut and served steaming hot. Using the Sanuki Udon tradition, Marugame Udon’s centuries old technique hails from the Kagawa Prefecture in the western part of Japan. The traditional recipe and preparation create a chewier texture compared to other udon, and can be cooked and presented in a variety of dishes.
Marugame Udon takes inspiration from the early Kagawa udon kitchen, where locals would cook for neighbours and communities. This is why in every Marugame Udon around the world you enter into the kitchen; the first thing you’ll see as you walk through the entrance is the ‘Kama’ (udon boiler) and you will see, hear and smell the hustle and bustle of a Japanese kitchen. The London restaurant will be no exception.
The 4000 sq. ft restaurant straddling Middlesex Street and Widegate Street will feature over 100 covers for dining in, as well as takeaway, click and collect and delivery options from partner Deliveroo. The open-style kitchen will ensure customers are at the centre of the action; seeing the whole udon making process on show throughout the day. Customers will pick their udon over the counter plus they have the option to add tempura and musubi sides, with Marugame Udon’s iconic ‘build your own’ condiment station allowing diners to spice up their bowls with fresh ginger, chillies, ‘tenkasu’ (tempura batter pieces) and extra Japanese delicacies. Each Marugame Udon noodle is cut at 60cm in a swift accurate motion, adhering to their ethos of craftmanship that dates back to the origin of the udon noodle over a thousand years ago.
In Japan udon is a big part of everyday life; Marugame Udon’s Head Chef Kouhei Honkawa has created a menu that is both exciting and accessible, with mains starting from just £3.45. The menu is designed to be affordable and every day.
Menu highlights include Kama Age – the most traditional and purest way to eat udon, Beef Nikutama with sweet short-rib beef and a soft poached ‘onsen’ egg on udon and broth, Two Pork Tonkotsu with chashu and spicy miso pork, and Chicken Katsu Curry Udon.
Famous for their Japanese tempura selection as well, Marugame Udon will serve chicken, prawns, squid, pumpkin croquettes and fresh seasonal vegetables fried in front of diners in the open kitchen. Exclusive to the London restaurant, Chef Honkawa has curated a bespoke menu with his UK team, featuring the global brand’s very first vegan selection. Highlights include a vegan version of the traditional Kake Udon, plus a stir-fried Kimchi Yaki Udon, Curry Udon and a vegan Tempura batter which now opens up tempura as a side dish for vegan and flexitarian diners. Vegan dishes will make up 30% of the main menu offering.
Chef Honkawa comments: ‘I’m very excited to see vegan versions of our most authentic udon dishes such as the Kake Udon and the Kama Age launch in Marugame Udon in the UK. It’s a great opportunity to bring these classic flavours to vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians who may not have had the opportunity to taste anything like it before.’
For those with a sweet tooth, desserts include unlimited soft serve ice cream in two flavours Vanilla and vegan Matcha, and dorayaki pancakes, which are a traditional Japanese treat with a creamy filling sandwiched between two fluffy pancakes and the recently famed Little Moons mochi.
Asahi beer will also be on offer, in bottles and draught (with each pint poured in just four seconds, using state-of-the-art technology) along with canned sparkling sake from London’s only sake brewery Kanpai, wines and a range of soft drinks including refillable Coca-Cola freestyle, ginger kombucha, green tea and traditional Japanese Ramune lemonade.
Marugame Udon Europe CEO, Keith Bird, comments: ‘You can’t get fresher, more delicious udon noodles than in the Kagawa region of Japan. But now, we’re bringing the traditional recipe over to the UK so that everyone has access to handmade, great tasting and authentic Japanese Udon that is produced in-house daily by the Marugame Udon team.
We are thrilled to have chosen the buzzy, energetic location near Liverpool Street for our first London site, and can’t wait to join the fantastic selection of international restaurants in the area. Liverpool Street marks the beginning of Marugame Udon’s UK and European expansion as we have ambitious plans to bring authentic udon to all.’
In Japan, each Marugame Udon restaurant features a traditional Japanese roof tile design and irregular wavy floorboards, reinforcing the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi – to find beauty and acceptance in the imperfect. This design concept will be reflected in the London site, where the restaurant style is based on one of nature and purity, with all materials mirroring the simplicity of the menu’s ingredients.
Through exploring the city of Sanuki and the Kagawa Prefecture, home of the Sanuki udon, Marugame Udon has taken inspiration from the local architecture which is incorporated into the restaurant design for an authentic yet contemporary modern feel.
Abe Matamoros, Managing Director Capdesia comments ‘We're very excited to partner with Awata San and Keith to bring this amazing brand to London. There's a good reason why Marugame Udon’s noodles and tempura are a daily ritual in Japan and Londoners are about to find out: Great authentic dishes made in front of your eyes and served super-fast at surprisingly affordable prices.’
Awata Takaya, President & CEO Toridoll Holdings Corporation comments ‘We are delighted to be able to introduce udon and tempura from Japan to the people of London through Marugame Udon. It was about 20 years ago when I saw a very long line at a small udon factory in Kagawa, the hometown of my father. What jumped in my eyes were udon noodles created handmade, that udon boiled in big a pot, that freshest udon with perfect texture served, all these happening literally in front of you, with the faces of people enjoying with excitement. I was moved by the scene and determined to provide this experience to our guests. This was the beginning of Marugame Udon. Our desire to provide this authentic experience is why we keep serving our udon freshly made, in front of your eyes, throughout the day. We hope the people of London will enjoy the Marugame experience.’
About Marugame Udon
Marugame Udon has over 800 restaurants across Japan and a further 250 internationally in Asia and in the US. This will be the brand’s first launch in the UK and Europe. Marugame Udon is dedicated to providing authentic Japanese udon noodles that taste exactly the way they’ve been served in Japan for hundreds of years.
About Toridoll Holdings Corporation
Toridoll Holdings Corporation is the creation of the highly accomplished visionary entrepreneur Takaya Awata who started his first restaurant in Kakogawa, Japan, back in 1985. Today, Toridoll is a public company listed on the Tokyo stock exchange with over 1,700 restaurants and annual system revenues of £1.1 billion. They operate over 20 different brands in 36 countries and regions. Closer to home, Wok to Walk and Shoryu are part of the Toridoll portfolio of brands.
About Capdesia Group Limited
Capdesia Group Limited is a London-and-Brussels-based private equity firm that focuses exclusively on the restaurant space by investing in emerging and scalable brands in the UK and Europe. As part of their investment strategy, they also facilitate the launch of international brands in the region. Aside from providing creative capital solutions, what makes Capdesia unique is the depth of operational expertise of their Operating Partners and how they leverage that experience to the benefit of their portfolio companies in support of expansion, including franchising and international.