The chain udon restaurant used to go to the branch near the previous office, but this time decided to try the one closer in Iidabashi. However, felt a sense of limited options again. The simple bukkake udon is fine, but at the very least, it comes with either a warm egg or grated radish. And the amount of green onions is left up to the staff, but it's subtly less than desired. Was Hanamaru always like this? Avoided it before due to a strange interaction at the Kanda station branch (possibly a new employee trying to cover up an order mistake), so maybe that negative impression added to the current concern. In reality, the content may not be much different, but it's been a while so it's a bit concerning. I do think that the difference in chain restaurant content is only due to slight variations in staff.

I use it for lunch on weekdays. I came at a different time, but it was almost full. It's popular after all. I ordered the Salted Pork with Grated Daikon Udon (medium) (670 yen) and a Salmon Rice Ball (120 yen). Hmm, it's really delicious. I like Hanamaru because the pork is delicious. I usually prefer beef, but I always go for pork at Hanamaru. The udon noodles have a good texture and are easy to eat. The salmon rice ball was also delicious. Unfortunately, the tempura flakes, which are supposed to be self-serve, were empty with no refills. Well, it's busy so it can't be helped. Thank you for the meal.

I didn't have much time, so I ordered the limited-time special "Toro Tamabukkake" cold for 450 yen each. It came with two bowls and an egg yolk remover. I wasn't sure how to eat it. Do I just eat the yolk without the white? I ended up cracking it directly onto the bowl and mixing it in. Even though I wasn't sure how to eat it, it might be good for a hot day. Thank you for the meal.

I came to have a quick dinner after work. I ordered the Beef Onsen Tamago Bukkake Udon (cold/medium, 710 yen) and Chikuwa Isobeage (110 yen). By adding the self-service ginger and tenkasu, the appearance became quite luxurious. The beef was sweet and well stewed, which goes well with the udon. The udon itself has a good texture and is delicious. The Chikuwa Isobeage was a bit disappointing as the batter was crumbly. It seems like it has been fried for quite some time. I usually eat the Salted Pork Udon, but the beef was also delicious. I might have a hard time deciding between the two next time. Thank you for the meal.

I really don't have much time, so when it comes to choosing between standing soba, gyudon, or Hanamaru on a busy day, I usually opt for Hanamaru. I decided to use a coupon that was available on the app and went for a simple meal of small kake soba with tempura. I showed the 30 yen off tempura coupon when paying through QR code. I sat at the counter in the back and started eating quickly. Since it was relatively late, the tempura had been fried a while ago. I ate about half as is, and dipped the remaining half in the udon broth to finish it. I wonder how long I stayed there. Anyway, I ate quickly and went straight to work.

I came here to eat the chicken karaage set meal. The restaurant had partitions, creating a comfortable space to eat even during the pandemic. I chose the karaage set meal with 3 pieces of chicken (590 yen). You can also choose 4 pieces for 690 yen. I opted for the normal size rice, but you can get a large portion for free. The soup was made with green onions and seaweed. You can choose between rice & soup or cold noodles for a small extra charge. I placed my order, paid, received a number tag, and took a seat. A staff member brought the hot food to my table. The karaage was quite large, hot, juicy, and had a rich flavor that went well with the rice. The salad included lettuce, carrots, and radish. It also came with sesame dressing and mayonnaise for takeout. A lemon wedge was provided with the karaage. We were the only ones eating the karaage set meal in the restaurant, but we enjoyed our meal and left feeling satisfied. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal!

After being acquired by Yoshinoya, they introduced a new collaboration dish - Yoshinoya's pickled ginger tempura. It's a tempura dish made with the pickled ginger that is provided as a free topping on the tables at Yoshinoya. The tempura had onions and carrots in it, and at first, the crispy texture was enjoyable. However, it became soggy as I continued eating it, and by the end, it was almost unrecognizable. This collaboration seemed a bit challenging.

My usual curry set. Personally, Hanamaru is my favorite curry shop (lol) because they serve curry with a side of udon topped with a soft-boiled egg! Today, the curry was a bit salty, so I wanted the soft-boiled egg to be placed on top of the curry... It was close to closing time on Sunday, and the place was almost empty, so I was able to enjoy my meal leisurely.

The affordability of the kake udon at this place is impressive. They specialize in kake udon, and with coupons available, you can even get them for free if you answer a quiz. By logging in daily, you can receive coupons automatically, such as a 100 yen discount on fried foods. On this particular day, I used a coupon for free fried foods, which allowed me to order a medium-sized kake udon for 250 yen and a tempura for 130 yen. The total came to 275 yen after tax. The quality of the food here is top-notch, and the prices are very reasonable for the generous portions. Highly recommended.

I tried the ginger tamago ankake udon (udon noodles with hot ginger sauce and a poached egg) for 490 yen, tempura for 130 yen, and a salmon onigiri (rice ball) for 120 yen, totaling 814 yen including tax at Hanamaru Udon, my first time visiting. Normally, I only go to Marugame Udon when it comes to udon chains. So why did I come here? PayPay, of course. With a 50% cashback offer, how could I resist? Am I being cheap? Sorry... but as a humble salaryman, I'll definitely take advantage of such a great campaign. The ankake udon was just as I expected - a reliable and delicious choice. It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, but still easy to eat. Sometimes at Marugame Udon, the noodles can be too hard, but I actually preferred the softer texture of the noodles here today. The tempura was tasty, but the problem was the onigiri. It was honestly terrible. Marugame Udon wins by a landslide. The rice was mushy yet hard. I can't imagine how it got like that. Maybe it was just a one-time thing, but I won't be trying it again to find out. Overall, the udon noodles and broth were delicious, and the prices were very reasonable. It seems like a good place to visit. I might have been too quick to judge. Double thanks to PayPay for giving me the opportunity to try it out.

On this day, there was hardly any time to eat, and it was already past 2 pm. To quickly finish, the go-to options are standing soba or a chain udon restaurant. I decided to visit Hanamaru for a quick and easy meal. The restaurant was about 20% full, so it was not too crowded. This particular branch is a bit smaller compared to the one in Suitengumae. I ordered an ebiten (130 yen) and a small size of kake udon (150 yen) at the counter, paid 280 yen + tax with electronic money, and sat at an empty seat. I dipped the ebiten in the broth, occasionally snacking on it while slurping the udon, and finished in just about 3 minutes. It's really convenient when you're short on time.

On a certain weekday morning in January 2020, around 7:30 a.m., I visited Hanamaru Udon alone for a breakfast-like meal. Hanamaru Udon is located near the east exit of JR Chuo-Sobu Line Iidabashi Station. After exiting the ticket gate, you walk to the right along Mejiro Street and it's about a 1-minute walk away in the basement of a building. At that time, there weren't many customers probably because it was early, so it was quite empty. The female staff members were all foreigners of Asian descent. I ordered a Wakame Udon and added a little bit of Tempura on top. Thanks to that, my stomach felt warm and satisfied from the morning.

(First review) 2019/09/02 First visit. I came here after 22:00 because the surrounding shops were crowded. Here is what I ordered: [Dishes] - Warm Tamago Bukkake (Cold) (Large) (529 yen. Not cold. I added extra tenkasu myself.) - Chikuwa Isobe Age (108 yen. Warmer than expected.) - Vegetable Tempura (140 yen. Might be better to let it soak in the dipping sauce.) - Bukkake (Small) (162 yen. I looked at the menu for a while, but it seems they don't have hiyakake. I added extra tenkasu myself. The tenkasu that soaked up the sauce was delicious, so I thought that even in hot weather, kake might be better than bukkake.) The total was 939 yen. Thank you for the meal.

It's convenient because it's close to the station, but there's always something that bothers me. Specifically, there are some points that I don't like about it. The kake udon (medium size) costs 270 yen, and the croquette costs 118 yen, so the total is 388 yen including tax. Getting a 1.5 times size udon with croquette for less than 400 yen is great! The udon without toppings has a light but delicious broth, although personally I would prefer a bit more saltiness. The noodles are quite soft, giving off a slight Sanuki vibe. The croquette is a bit greasy, but taste-wise it's fine. As for satisfaction, I wonder if they don't wash the trays. The tray from the previous customer's onigiri was still there, looking quite dirty. It seems like they don't wipe them clean. If you look closely, they are quite dirty. I had to flip through a few to find a cleaner one. The sauce bottle was also dripping, leaving a mess on the table. I wonder if they ever clean the bottles. I wouldn't want to accidentally place my phone on it.

The rain was said to be heavy this morning, but when I went up the stairs and came out to the street, it wasn't raining. Oh well, I had kake udon (medium size): 270, croquette: 118, onigiri (crispy plum): 129. With the app coupon: -100, total 417 yen. The kake udon had a gentle flavor and was really delicious. The broth was mild and the noodles were soft, similar to Hakata udon. The croquette was surprisingly crispy and went well with the udon. The onigiri with crispy plum was unexpectedly tasty. Overall, I was satisfied with the meal. The app is going to be refreshed in mid-June, but they won't transfer the points. It's quite a change, but it's disappointing.

For the sake of health, they say you should have breakfast, but tempura is high in fat, right? Udon is high in carbs, so is it good or bad? Kake Udon (medium size): 270 Croquette: 118 Salmon Onigiri: 129 With app coupon: -100 Total: 417 yen including tax. Kake Udon has increased in price by 20 yen, and now it's subject to additional tax, but it's still a good deal at 162 yen including tax for a medium size. Compared to top udon shops, the broth might be weaker and the noodles might lack firmness, but overall, it's decent Sanuki udon. The price of 270 yen for a medium size is a dream price. The croquette was a bit sweet, so it might go better with a spicier broth. The onigiri had rice that seemed old and inferior to convenience store onigiri, but it had a decent amount of salmon. Despite some uncomfortable points like the kitchen staff not repeating the order and unhelpful cashier, Kake Udon is still incredibly cheap and a great deal with the coupon. I would like to go back again, maybe next time I'll try putting sauce on the croquette.

The desired shop was full near 10 PM, so I ended up visiting this place on the B1 floor near the station. They offer both standing and seating options, which is convenient. I wanted something light, so I chose small udon and squid tempura for only 260 yen. At first, I thought there was a mistake with the price, but it was indeed 260 yen. The udon noodles, tempura, and toppings may not be something that you crave, but for this price, it's a good deal. I can feel the strength of this chain restaurant.

I graduated at the end of June last year and ended up returning to work in the Iidabashi/Kagurazaka area after the New Year's holiday. Therefore, I am resuming my posts in this area, which I temporarily stopped in June last year. The first post is about a Sanuki udon chain restaurant located near the east exit. It has been about three years since my last visit. I decided to visit because I tried udon at a similar restaurant called "Umagen" in Lazona Kawasaki Plaza on New Year's Day and found it surprisingly delicious. I wanted to see if the quality of Hanamaru udon has also improved. I entered the restaurant on the basement floor around 7:40 am, just like last time. I ordered the same "kake" udon, which cost the same as before, 230 yen. I received the udon from a Japanese lady and paid at the counter with a Vietnamese lady. I added tenkasu and sesame at the topping corner and enjoyed my meal at the counter seats. The taste was... pretty much the same as three years ago. It was delicious, but the noodles were not as firm as those at the Lazona-affiliated restaurant. Since I doubt that they use different noodles for each brand, the difference between Hanamaru and Lazona may be due to other factors. Well, it was nostalgic to find that it was the same as three years ago.

Located about a 2-minute walk from Iidabashi Station, there is a "Hanamaru Udon" in the basement. Despite it being a slightly awkward time after 2 pm, there were still a few people inside. The restaurant is spacious, but it seems to get crowded during lunch hours. This time, I ordered: - Bukkake Udon (medium) 400 yen - Chikuwa Tempura 110 yen - Chicken Tempura 140 yen As you can see, the prices are quite cheap. However, the taste matches the price point. To be honest, it wasn't very delicious. The udon seemed like the cheap noodles you can find at supermarkets for around 30 yen per serving, lacking in firmness. The chikuwa tempura and chicken tempura were not freshly fried, as they were cold and soggy. It would have been better if they were refried to maintain their taste. Nevertheless, the staff were energetic and working hard, which left a positive impression. Well, at this price point, maybe it's still popular among salarymen. Thank you for the meal.

It's a chain restaurant where you can easily eat udon. I put plenty of tempura flakes on top. Thank you for the meal!