The Skinny: go for the udon, tempura and the lemonade, skip the curry katsu (3.5) service: great for a counter service restaurant (4) value: for the quality and ambience, this place is great (4)
The hubby wanted to come here to try their curry katsu (not sure why as it is more focused on udon) so we came in for lunch.
I had a hard time choosing from all the options. It was exciting watching the noodle maker cooking fresh noodles in the large pot. I ended up getting a bowl of niku udon with a garlic miso pork belly mini bowl which I shared with my toddler. We also bought a few tempura to try (sweet potato, kabocha squash).
We used the Yelp check-in to get a free drink too.
Okay, the niku udon was good solid rendition. The noodles had a nice texture and flavor. The kiddo gobbled up her portion and was quite content. The garlic miso bowl was also quite tasty and would easily recommend.
The tempura batter was light and crisp. It's self service for the dipping sauce at the condiments station.
Their specially blended house-made lemonade was dubbed "baby crack" by the end of the visit. My kid barely came up to breathe as she sucked the delicious concoction through the straw. The rest of the day, all she could talk about was how much she wanted more lemonade. The lemonade is very different from traditional lemonade - it's less acidic and slightly more creamy(?). It's not quite yuzu, and maybe the creaminess may have some coconut overtones to it? It's really hard to pinpoint what it is but it is good.
The only disappointment was the curry katsu. The curry was a little thin and generic tasting while the batter kind of just fell off the pork chop.
As a restaurant, it is pretty great place for kids. The area and high chairs are clean. The restaurant staff is very nice and helpful. They came by and offered my daughter her first taiyaki (she liked this too but not as much as the lemonade). Service is quick and efficient. Only thing is the bathroom does not have a changing table for those with younger children.
For a quick bite, this place is hard to beat at these prices. Add in the friendly staff and ambience, this place warrants return visits. (4).