Udon Izakaya Maedaya

We went for lunch on Saturday. No other customers but only ourselves.
Very disappointed with their food quality.
- Karaage chicken is too hard on crust just like rocks. Not tasty, nor juicy.
- Salmon rolls are horrible. Salmon is fishy (not freshly cut) and rice is way too hard- not cooked well. They collapse when dipping soy sauce as rice is too dry.
- Okonomiyaki is horrible too. Far from original okonomiyaki, which is spposed to be lots of cabbage and shallots. It feels like eating uncooked dough and you only taste sauce.
- Agedashi Tofu salad is not like the picture in the menu. Very oily and far from "salad"
- Gyoza is the only one just OK to eat. Of course, it's coming from frozen food for business use imported from Japan. They sell it in shop, so why would you order while you can cook home?

Will never go again.

Food was good for the cheap price but staff were very rude and unfriendly. One of the chefs glared at us! And the waitresses were all very dismissive.

Udon noodles was delicious but tempura prawn and vegetables were not unfortunately. Overall can improve

Reasonably priced Japanese eatery. Scores well on ambience as it feels authentic, especially when the servers are Japanese and polite.

The fried shrimp is delicious The service attitude of the store staff is very friendly
The ingredients for the rice bowl are a little short ~ I need to order some more side dishes to go with it

Densely packed restaurant with good (and fast) food and large range of drinks all Japanese.

Prices are good and service was quick and staff polite. However, the quality was not there. The salmon donburi was such a let down in size and the salmon was just little overcooked pieces from frozen… the ramen was supposed to be spicy but was not. The pork was two bites size pieces of fat. The broth was nice but the ingredients were not fresh and really tarnished the flavour of the broth. The chicken karaage was nice.
It is a very cramped place and although the decoration is nice, it is rather uncomfortable. Would recommend to students for an affordable takeaway lunch.

Been going here for a long time and is hands down one of the most affordable and authentic delicious Japanese in Melbourne. We had some inigiri, salmon rolls, tofu salad and edamame. Everything was fantastic. The place is also very cosy so you may not have a big personal space.

Perfect place if your craving for noodle soups. The udon and flavour was good. Its a good place for a quick lunch and price is reasonably.

Decent price, good customer service, and lovely food.
Overall a great experience for me

Udon Izakaya Maedaya is a hidden gem tucked away in Melbourne's Richmond neighborhood. This cozy Japanese restaurant offers a range of traditional dishes, with a focus on udon noodles and izakaya-style small plates. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with wooden tables and dim lighting, making it the perfect spot for a casual dinner with friends.

The standout dish at Udon Izakaya Maedaya is, of course, the udon noodles. They're made fresh in-house and have a chewy texture that's both satisfying and addictive. The broth is rich and flavorful, and you can choose from a range of toppings, including tempura, chicken, and tofu. In addition to the udon, there are a variety of small plates on offer, including grilled skewers, gyoza, and sushi rolls. The portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable, making it a great spot for a low-key night out.

The drinks menu is also worth mentioning, with a range of Japanese beers and sake available. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and they're more than happy to help you choose a drink to pair with your meal. Overall, Udon Izakaya Maedaya is a must-visit for anyone who loves Japanese food, especially if you're a fan of udon noodles. It's a great spot for a casual meal, and the cozy atmosphere makes it feel like you've been transported to a little izakaya in Tokyo.

One of my favourite spots for authentic yet affordable Japanese food

Located on Bourke St, this popular Japanese Izakaya is the perfect place for cheap and delicious udon and Japanese tapas! Service is incredibly quick and efficient too

We got the:

Happy Hour Deal: Japanese Import Beer Kirin 330ml + Karaage Chicken 3pc ($11) - you really can’t go wrong with this classic combo! The fried chicken pieces are pretty generous in size although it could be juicier, but for $11 it’s definitely a steal!

Happy Hour Deal: Lemon Chu-High + Edamame ($5.5) - the drink tasted like a lemonade, super light and refreshing (and not much alcohol). Edamame is always a table favourite!

Yasai Tempura Udon ($12.8) - my absolute favourite dish here! I always find tempura to be pretty exxy but they’re so generous here with 12 different vegetables! You can opt for hot or cold broth udon - we chose cold which you can pour the broth in or dip, and is more sweet and refreshing

Chicken Nanban 4pc ($11) - basically fried chicken with creamy nanban sauce. If you haven’t tried nanban sauce it’s similar to tartar sauce, although I found this version to be a little too mild

Aburi Salmon Roll ($16.8) - another one of my favourites! The salmon is melt-in-you-mouth and the rolls are pretty decent sized!

Nabe Yaki Udon ($16.5) - served in a sizzling hot pot, the portion is very generous and the broth is super warming and flavourful. It comes with two plump tempura prawns which are soaked in the delicious broth, so yummy!

They also have a huge alcohol selection from Japanese beers, sake, umeshu and more!

Recommend visiting between 5pm-7pm to score some happy hour deals! They even have an All You Can Drink (free flow unlimited sake!) offer for 90min at $35pp which is such a steal!

Disappointed Service! One of the staff requested my family to wait for me outside saying there’s customer queuing, when I was in the toilet. The staff cleaned our table right after we just finished our food, and impolitely had my family leave the seat after I headed to toilet. We only stayed there for food for less than 60 mins and they just had customer leave right after finishing the food for table turnover rate. Ridiculous.

P. S. Udon was over cooked and soggy

Good price excellent food served within 5mins. Highly recommend the udon with tempura, the miso udon was a bit salty. ~$23pp

22Jan
Came back again but very disappointed as the udon was over cooked and soggy. Texture was extremely bad. If you put udon in your restaurant name you need to make sure the udon is cooked properly.

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Amazing food. Japanesey environment. Good service. What more do you want?

We had a fantastic dining experience here! I ordered salmon sashimi don and I absolutely loved it! The salmon was fresh, tender, and rich, plus Japanese rice and roes, I was blown away with a mouthful of goodness! My partner ordered ramen soup and the broth was delicious. We came there during happy hours and the drinks were nice and cheep. I also enjoyed the music and good service at the restaurant, will definitely come back for more!

Comfy little Japanese place with great food on a budget price. Love the happy hour deals. Coupled with great friendly service. Will be back.

One of my favorite places to eat in the CBD. Great atmosphere and everything is delicious. Check out the specials too!

Great food, good service and good atmosphere. We went as a small group of 4 and tried a few different dishes. I had the wagyu bao & tempura bao, both were very nice. We shared takoyaki & okonomiyaki both were delicious. Perfect balance of crispy outside and gooey inside.

The karaage chicken is very crunchy and juicy, the service is good, but the gyudon is a huge disappointment - the rice is soggy, the beef tastes bad, and the dish doesn’t even have onions like other restaurants.