A hot bowl of udon fixes a lot. Thick, chewy noodles. Clean, savory broth. A pile of tempura crackling on the side.
Soba is the quieter cousin. Nutty buckwheat noodles, served cold with a dipping sauce in summer, or hot in a light broth when the trades turn cool.
Oʻahu does both well, thanks to generations of Japanese families who made these noodles part of everyday local eating. Some shops roll the dough fresh each morning. Others keep it fast and budget-friendly for a quick lunch.
We eat a lot of noodles in our house, from Waikīkī date nights to McCully lunch runs with the keiki. These are the udon and soba spots we come back to, with addresses, hours, and what to order.
Prices swing wide, which helps with planning. A quick counter bowl can run about four dollars. A handmade soba lunch with tempura sits closer to a nice sit-down meal, so we flag both.
Related: Best Japanese Food on Oʻahu, Best Ramen on Oʻahu, Best Saimin on Oʻahu.
Udon and soba, the quick difference
Udon is a thick wheat noodle. It is soft, chewy, and mild, so it drinks up broth and sauce like a sponge.
Soba is a thinner noodle made from buckwheat. It carries a nutty, earthy flavor and a firmer bite.
Udon leans comforting. Soba leans light and grown-up. Both come hot or cold, which matters more than you would think in our island weather.
How these noodles became local
Japanese immigrants arrived to work the sugar and pineapple plantations in the late 1800s. They brought udon, soba, and the dashi habit with them.
Over the decades those noodles folded into local plate culture. Saimin, our island noodle soup, grew out of that same mixing of cultures.
Family-run shops kept the tradition alive long after the plantations closed. Many of the spots on this list are second or third generation.
So when you slurp udon in Kalihi or soba in Moʻiliʻili, you are tasting a long Hawaiʻi story. For the saimin side of it, see our guide to the best saimin on Oʻahu.
Best udon on Oʻahu
Marugame Udon (Waikīkī)
Marugame is the gateway udon for most visitors, and for good reason. You grab a tray, slide down the line, and watch them boil your noodles fresh right in front of you. (Longtime residents still call it Marukame, its old name.)
Point at tempura as you go. The shrimp, the sweet potato, and the soft-boiled egg are the crowd favorites. A basic kake or bukkake bowl runs just a few dollars, so a family can eat well without much damage.
The half-boiled egg tempura is the one everyone films, golden and molten in the middle. Drop it into a hot bowl and let it melt into the broth.
Yes, there is often a line down the sidewalk. It moves fast, and the noodles are worth the short wait. Go before 11 a.m. or mid-afternoon to skip the crush.
The Waikīkī shop sits about a 5-minute walk (roughly 0.3 miles, 0.5 km) from the International Market Place. You will also find Marugame at Ala Moana Center, in Kailua, and in Kapolei.
📍 2310 Kūhiō Ave #124, Honolulu, HI 96815. Open daily 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Call (808) 931-6000 or see marugameudon.com.
Udon Yonpachi (McCully)
Yonpachi is the newer star, open since 2025 in the old Torae Torae corner at McCully and Young. The specialty is dip-style udon, where you dunk cold, springy noodles into a hot, mushroomy broth.
The lunch sets are the move. The kitsune set starts around $18 and comes with the noodles, two small sides, and a bowl of hijiki rice.
The noodles are made in-house daily, and you can feel it in that silky, chewy pull. Come hungry and plan to slow down. It sits about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Waikīkī, an easy drive or bus ride.
Seating is limited, so put your name in and wander the block while you wait. The dinner sets are worth staying for.
📍 1111 McCully St #B-3, Honolulu, HI 96826. Lunch and dinner most days, closed Tuesday. Call (808) 949-5959 to check hours before you head over.
Udon Gama-Dashi (Kapahulu)
Gama-Dashi does Hakata-style udon, softer and rounder than the Sanuki kind, in a small self-serve shop on Kapahulu Avenue.
You order at the counter, pick your toppings, and ladle on the dashi yourself. It is quick, warming, and budget-friendly, which makes it a solid stop before or after the beach.
They refreshed the menu recently, so ask about any new bowls. The curry udon is a good rainy-day pick.
📍 755 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816. Open daily 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Call (808) 200-2627.
Tsurutontan (Waikīkī)
Tsurutontan is the sit-down, dressed-up option, right inside Royal Hawaiian Center. The Osaka brand makes its udon fresh daily from Japanese flour, and the noodles come thick and springy.
The menu is huge. Go classic with a hot tempura udon, or try the Hawaiʻi-only bowls like ahi poke udon or the shaved-ice udon in summer.
It is a nice spot for a pau hana bowl and a drink. Happy hour runs in the mid-afternoon and again late, so time it right for the deals.
We have a full write-up if you want the details: our Tsurutontan review and the happy hour rundown.
📍 Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233 Kalākaua Ave, Level 3, Honolulu, HI 96815. Open daily 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Call (808) 888-8559 or see the Royal Hawaiian Center page.
Best soba on Oʻahu
Soba is harder to find than udon here, so this list stays short. These three do it right.
i-naba (Moʻiliʻili)
i-naba is the soba benchmark on Oʻahu. The family makes buckwheat noodles fresh in-house, and the difference in flavor and bounce lands on the first bite.
Order the zaru soba to taste the noodles cold and clean, dunked in tsuyu. Add a round of tempura, light and crisp, and you have a perfect lunch.
The dining room is small and calm, and it fills with Japanese visitors who know the real thing. Lunch books up, so go early or call ahead.
The donburi-and-soba set is a smart order when you want a rice bowl and noodles together. It leaves you full without ordering half the menu.
📍 1610 S King St #A, Honolulu, HI 96826. Lunch and dinner, closed Wednesday. Reservations are smart for dinner; call (808) 953-2070.
Kikuya (Kalihi)
Kikuya is an old-school Japanese restaurant that families have leaned on for decades. It is the nabeyaki udon and combination-plate kind of place, warm and unfussy.
The nabeyaki udon comes bubbling in a clay pot with shrimp tempura, chicken, egg, and vegetables. On the soba side, the zaru soba and tempura soba are steady and satisfying.
Portions run generous and the combos are a good value. Bring the family and order across the table.
📍 1315 N King St, Honolulu, HI 96817. Lunch and dinner; weekend dinner runs a little later. Call (808) 841-7979.
Gyotaku (Niu Valley, King Street, and Pearl City)
Gyotaku is the reliable sit-down pick when you want soba, udon, tempura, and sushi in one stop. It has been a local-chain favorite since 2001.
The zaru soba is a clean, cold plate for a warm day. The nabeyaki udon warms you up when the rain rolls in. Our keiki eat happily here, which is why we keep coming back.
Three Oʻahu locations spread it out, so one is usually near wherever you are staying.
📍 Niu Valley: 5728 Kalanianaʻole Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96821. Also at 1824 S King St, Honolulu, and 98-1226 Kaʻahumanu St, Pearl City. See gyotakuhawaii.com for hours by location.
What to expect at a self-serve udon shop
The counter shops move like a cafeteria, and it throws some first-timers. Here is the flow so you walk in ready.
Grab a tray at the start. Tell them your udon and size, hot or cold, then watch them cook and dress it. Slide down past the tempura and grab what looks good.
Pay at the register at the end. Find the free green onion, tempura crunch, and ginger at the topping station, then add as much as you like.
Bus your own tray when you finish. The whole thing takes a few minutes once you know the steps.
How to order udon and soba
Start with hot or cold. Kake means a simple hot broth. Zaru or mori means cold noodles with a dipping sauce called tsuyu.
Then pick your toppings. Kitsune adds sweet fried tofu. Tempura adds shrimp or vegetables. Tanuki adds crunchy tempura bits. Curry udon swaps in a thick, spiced gravy.
Season with the weather. Cold zaru soba is a summer treat. Nabeyaki udon, the clay-pot version, is our go-to when the trades turn cool and wet.
One more tip: slurping is welcome. It cools the noodles and pulls in the aroma, so do not be shy about the sound.
When to go, parking, and the wait
Waikīkī spots like Marugame and Tsurutontan stay busy. Weekday lunches and mid-afternoons run calmer than weekend nights.
Parking in Waikīkī is tight and pricey, so walk if your hotel is close. For Tsurutontan, use the Royal Hawaiian Center garage with validation.
The McCully and Kapahulu shops have street parking and small lots, though lunch fills them. Kalihi and Pearl City are the easiest for parking.
If you hate lines, go right at open. Noodle shops turn tables fast, so even a long line usually moves in under 20 minutes.
Udon or soba, which to get
Want comfort and a crowd-pleaser for the keiki? Get udon. The thick noodles and mild broth are easy for everyone.
Want something lighter and a little grown-up? Get soba. The buckwheat flavor shines cold with tsuyu on a hot day.
When in doubt, split both across the table. That is how we usually do it.
Making udon and soba at home
Island grocery runs make this easy. Frozen Sanuki udon from Nijiya, Marukai, or Don Quijote cooks in about two minutes and beats most dried versions.
For soba, grab a good dried buckwheat brand and a bottle of tsuyu concentrate. Boil, rinse under cold water, and serve with the diluted tsuyu for dipping.
Top with green onion, a little grated ginger, and tempura bits. It is a fast weeknight dinner the keiki ask for again and again.
You can find frozen udon, dried soba, and bottled tsuyu at most local Japanese markets. Some regular grocery stores stock them now too.
Udon and soba questions we hear a lot
What is the difference between udon and soba?
Udon is a thick wheat noodle with a soft chew. Soba is a thinner buckwheat noodle with a nutty, earthy flavor. Udon feels comforting, soba feels light.
Where is the best udon near Waikīkī?
Marugame on Kūhiō Avenue is the easy walk-to pick for fresh, budget-friendly bowls. For a sit-down meal, Tsurutontan inside Royal Hawaiian Center is a short stroll away.
Is restaurant soba gluten-free?
Usually not. Most soba blends buckwheat with wheat flour, so it does not suit celiac diners. Only pure buckwheat soba, called juwari, is gluten-free, and it is rare here, so always ask the shop first.
What is the best budget udon on Oʻahu?
Marugame and Gama-Dashi are the value champs. You can build a filling bowl with a couple of toppings and still keep it under the cost of a plate lunch.
Do these noodle shops take reservations?
The counter shops like Marugame and Gama-Dashi are walk-in only. Sit-down spots like i-naba, Kikuya, and Tsurutontan take reservations, and they help at dinner.
What is dashi?
Dashi is the savory Japanese stock at the base of most udon and soba broths. It usually comes from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes. That is where the clean, deep flavor comes from, without heavy salt.
Can vegetarians find udon or soba here?
Yes, with a heads-up. Ask for a vegetable tempura bowl, and check whether the broth is meat-free, since most dashi uses bonito. Some shops can pour a kombu-only broth if you ask.
Is udon or soba the healthier pick?
Soba has the edge for most people. Buckwheat brings more fiber and protein, and a cold zaru plate skips the salty broth. Udon is easier on the stomach if wheat sits better with you.
More from Wanderlustyle
Keep the noodle tour going and plan the rest of your eating:
Best Ramen on Oʻahu, Best Saimin on Oʻahu, Best Pho on Oʻahu, Best Katsu on Oʻahu, and Best Japanese Food on Oʻahu.
Save this list for your next rainy afternoon, and slurp loud.
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