I got the Himokawa dipping udon set with tempura and it was so good! The noodles were perfectly cooked and chewy and the tempura were not greasy with a thin coating. The sauce that they gave to dip the udon was my favourite part. Loved the slight hint of yuzu! Near the end, the udon at the bottom were really difficult to separate so that’s the only thing that bothered me. We came at around 7:00pm on a Sunday and were lucky enough to get seated almost right away with around a 5 minute wait. They close a little early on Sunday at 8pm, so keep that in mind when visiting.

This place is very popular, and on weekends at lunchtime you’ll likely need to wait for a table unless you arrive right when it opens. That said, the wait usually isn’t too long. Their specialty is a variety of udon and cold noodle dishes—the noodles are springy and unique, and the toppings are well-seasoned without overwhelming the natural flavor of the noodles. The way the dishes are enjoyed also feels distinctive, making it a spot well worth visiting.

Isabella Grandic

This was so yummy! And value for money! I liked the cold udon yuzu noodle situation a lot. The chicken soup was also good. Very fast service! They only seat full parties. At 7:15 on a Sunday, we (2 ppl) waited for like 10 mins. But by 8pm, there was a massive line

Stegramedia

Probably some of the best udon in NYC I’ve ever had. Very simple menu, but in this case less is more because anything you order will be done so well. I ordered the hot chicken udon which came with the most delicious piece of tempura bacon. Service is incredible and extremely fast. Not many seats so either get there early or be prepared for a short wait. Would suggest going alone or just in a group of 2.

Robbin

If you haven't tried Japanese wide flat udon, this is the place for you. The sets are of high value including the udon and assortment of tempuras. I highly recommend the cold dipping udon because you can taste the original flavor/texture of the udon and the complexity of the dipping sauce (even the yuzu fragrance). The hot soup udon doesn't do that as much. But mind you: dishes here center around carbs so if you are looking for more meat/protein heavy for, this place might not be for you.

Benjamin Wong

A bit pricey imo for the signature set, but was overall delicious and surprisingly filling. I’ve never had this style of udon, so I can’t attest to the authenticity (even though there’s bacon tempura lol) The workers there were very sweet and helpful. Went for lunch on a weekday and it was pretty much empty.

Claire

The vegan dipping udon is SO GOOD! The flavor is incredible. So nice to have a vegan option and it is also amazing. Second time here and will be coming back again.

Artem Bakatov

Ugh it is perfect! They awlays go above and beyond for their customers! The waiters were very helpful and so nice to every customer that came in. The food is on point. The yuzu flavors of the broth, the crispy tempura, the noodle - perfection. I loved their selection for tempura and the bacon was a surprising thing but very good (and that comes from someone who doesn't like bacon so much) 100% come here!!! Need to try the hot udon during winter.

Maggie Huang

I got the signature set and it was delicious!! Recommend to eat it quickly or the udon will stick. Shrimp and Japanese potato tempura was my favorite. I thought the bacon was a bit too salty. You order through the QR code by seat (and tip) so it’s super seamless and quick! Warning: there is no restroom here!!

Rovik Robert

Efficient spot for very good udon. Love the tempura prawn and bacon, as well as the other accompaniments. It’s a unique experience and you can order on your phone while you’re in there. Worth a visit

D Guo

This place is very popular, and on weekends at lunchtime you’ll likely need to wait for a table unless you arrive right when it opens. That said, the wait usually isn’t too long. Their specialty is a variety of udon and cold noodle dishes—the noodles are springy and unique, and the toppings are well-seasoned without overwhelming the natural flavor of the noodles. The way the dishes are enjoyed also feels distinctive, making it a spot well worth visiting.

Zachary Leong

Super attentive staff and they made sure we had everything we needed! Food was great and presentation was even better. Will be trying the other Okiborus when I get a chance!

Xinyu G

Classic East Village vibes—tiny spot, decent service, and pricey. That said, the food here is definitely a notch above others. The shrimp tempura was amazing—super fresh and totally worth it. The udon noodles were unique, but personally, a bit too chewy for my taste. The place is clean and cozy, but honestly, it’s way too cramped. NYC doesn’t need to be this tight—elbow to elbow with strangers, and the table barely fits anything beyond your own udon set.

Marie U

This udon spot specializes in udon dipping, and even if you’re not familiar with the style, there’s no need to feel intimidated—they explain everything clearly and walk you through the dish. I had their signature set. The udon was chewy and bouncy, just the right texture. The tempura was fresh and crisp, a solid contrast to the noodles. Next time, I’ll probably swap out the tempura bacon, as it was a bit salty for my taste. It’s also a perfect place for solo diners. Even though ordering and paying is done online, the staff were attentive and helpful throughout the meal.

Jasmine Feng

I really enjoyed this style of udon as I've never tried it before. The noodles have a wonderful chew to them, and the dipping sauce in the signature set is delightfully fragrant. I was pleasantly surprised by the bacon tempura, which wasn't too greasy. The other tempura were very good as well. The service was friendly and quick once we were seated, but we did have to wait a little over 45 min on line. It was a nice night to chat on line though!

Jeana Joo

Great spot! $30 for their signature set is pretty steep, but I don’t think I’ll be able to find a place that sells himokawa tsukemen like this in NY at any other price. The tempura is light and doesn’t have the characteristic oily taste of most deep fried food, which is hard to come by and really appreciated. Even the bacon wasn’t too heavy, and was actually one of my favorite pieces of the set. The tsukemen dipping sauce had a light, refreshing, yuzu flavor that still satisfied my umami cravings. The flat noodles were the perfect consistency, although they started to stick together as time went on. Not too much of a problem, since the noodles were soft, bouncy, and easy to eat. Portion-wise, this was not enough food to make me feel full, but I was satisfied with the different flavors I was able to experience in this one set. For this price, I would have expected more food but also acknowledge that this dish is probably hard to make at this quality. Every plate I saw around me in the restaurant was empty, likely because the food is good but also because it is not a lot of food. Atmosphere is nice and quiet with limited seating, but is well-spaced for a small restaurant. It felt very reminiscent of a restaurant in Japan.

Debbie Lowe (3jamigos)

They do udon or soba in soup or tsukemen style served with tempura and that's it...and they do it REALLY WELL. Delicious. The tempura is light and delicate..a riff is tempura bacon, which was good but the veggie tempura pieces were even better. I got the tsukemen style with very wide (around 1.5") flat noodles, great chew and bounce, a little tough to pick up, lol. The dipping broth is well balanced and flavorful. This is a tiny place, counter seating only. Great for solo dining or with 1 other person.

Good place to grab a quick meal, either by yourself or with one other friend (bar-style seating). The udon portion doesn’t look like much, but was surprisingly filling with the tempura. Delicious, though not at Raku quality.

Came here at 5pm on a Friday alone and no wait at all. The menu is simple, focusing on Himokawa udon sets. The tempura here is well made and not overly greasy, pairing well with the dipping sauce. The only drawback was the saltiness of the hot broth - I tried drinking it alone and it was unbearable. Considering this wasn’t the cold dipping noodles, I assumed that this broth would be less concentrated and more clear. Service was great and as a solo diner, I didn’t feel rushed at all. Overall, I would recommend people to visit at least once, but would personally not rush back.

the tempura has a light, thin batter that pairs nicely with the dipping sauce, making it very refreshing. The wide udon noodles have an interesting texture, but the soup base itself is a bit underwhelming.

Overall a decent meal. The cold noodle set with the katsu is a must get. The soup noodle is very salty and mid but that comes with Japanese soup I guess. It’s a bit pricey but decent experience

Visited on a weekend afternoon after hearing about their flat udon noodles served tsukemen-style. The place has a Japanese bar vibe with only counter seating—no tables. Ordering is done by scanning a QR code at your seat, but I found it uncomfortable that you’re asked to tip before your food even arrives. My friend got the hot udon and I had the tsuke cold udon. Both came with six flat noodles and tempura. The food tasted good, but the portion felt small for the price, which was disappointing. The biggest letdown was that there’s no restroom available. It’s worth trying once for the unique noodles, but I probably won’t be back.

Allysa Dong

Good place to grab a quick meal, either by yourself or with one other friend (bar-style seating). The udon portion doesn’t look like much, but was surprisingly filling with the tempura. Delicious, though not at Raku quality.

Stephy Leung

the tempura has a light, thin batter that pairs nicely with the dipping sauce, making it very refreshing. The wide udon noodles have an interesting texture, but the soup base itself is a bit underwhelming.

Zoe Inbar

Super yummy!! I got the Himokawa Dipping Udon with Tempura Set, the flat udon noodles with cold yuzu broth was super good. The tempura was fried to perfection and stayed crispy the whole meal! Definitely worth trying, everything came out super fast, just note that there’s limited seating.

Kevin Y

Overall a decent meal. The cold noodle set with the katsu is a must get. The soup noodle is very salty and mid but that comes with Japanese soup I guess. It’s a bit pricey but decent experience

Udon noodle was great. But the chicken broth was salty in my taste. I liked the cold fish broth udon better. Their shrimp tempura was salty as well. It was a good shrimp tho. I would've ordered 5 myself if it wasnt salty. There can be a wait so I recommend going in a bit earlier than usual dinner time if going for dinner.

the noodles were unique - we tried the signature dipping set and broth set. my favorite was the sweet potato tempura. we waited almost an hour on saturday evening.

The udon texture is great—nice and chewy but not overly so. Tempura is also solid, especially the bacon one. It’s my first time trying bacon tempura and it was surprisingly good. The dipping udon broth is flavorful, and with all the extra seasonings, you can switch up the taste, which is fun. But the hot soup version was way too salty for me. That said, the set costs around $22–23 and only comes with six noodles… I mean, seriously? I’m not even exaggerating—it was literally six noodles.

N CHOU

The udon texture is great—nice and chewy but not overly so. Tempura is also solid, especially the bacon one. It’s my first time trying bacon tempura and it was surprisingly good. The dipping udon broth is flavorful, and with all the extra seasonings, you can switch up the taste, which is fun. But the hot soup version was way too salty for me. That said, the set costs around $22–23 and only comes with six noodles… I mean, seriously? I’m not even exaggerating—it was literally six noodles.