Waikato Udon

29/04/2026

This is our calendar for May.

There are two Chiefs game days that we close the shop.

Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding🙇🏻‍♂️

Waikato Udon

22/04/2026

07/04/2026

The udon restaurants pictured are some of the places the chef visited during his food tour of Japan.

There are two types of udon restaurants in Japan: full-service and self-service. Full-service restaurants are like regular restaurants, where you sit down and staff take your order. Self-service restaurants are similar to a high school dormitory dining hall; you first take a tray and then fill it with food as you go.

Popular self-service restaurants often have long lines, but it's the same as a high school dining hall. Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long.

Finally, most udon restaurants in Japan accept credit cards, but many of the long-established udon restaurants in Kagawa Prefecture, known as "Udon Land," only accept cash. Exchanging $20 into Japanese yen should be sufficient. Depending on the menu, you might be able to eat three or four bowls of udon for $20.

When you decide to travel to Japan, please visit Waikato Udon. We'll recommend some great udon restaurants🥰

06/04/2026

Sorry for the confusion — we had the wrong rugby game date on our previous calendar.
We will be closed on the 18th🙇🏻💦

Our calendar has now been updated, so please double-check before visiting.
Thank you for your understanding!

Waikato Udon

31/03/2026

The chef went to Japan in January of this year and was inspired by eating udon in Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kagawa, and Fukuoka (photos).

Udon is a soul food for Japanese people, so you can eat it anywhere in Japan, but its characteristics differ from region to region.

People in Tokyo prefer soba to udon, but because Tokyo is a large city, you can find many delicious udon restaurants. People in Osaka really love udon. In particular, every restaurant takes great pride in its broth. Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki, but you can also order okonomiyaki made with udon noodles. Kagawa Prefecture is known as "Udon Prefecture," and udon lovers from all over the country visit. More than 700 udon restaurants compete there, and every single one is of a high standard. And the prices are reasonable. If you love udon noodles, a trip to Kagawa Prefecture, known as the "Disneyland of udon," will give you a dreamlike experience. Finally, Fukuoka Prefecture is famous for ramen, being the birthplace of “tonkotsu ramen”, but in fact, there are more udon restaurants than ramen shops, and the locals are very fond of udon.

The chef at Waikato Udon trained at "Emi Udon" in Ropponmatsu, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. While we still have a long way to go to reach the level of authentic Japanese udon, we will continue to work hard every day to get closer and allow everyone to experience the taste of Japanese udon🙇‍♀️💕

25/03/2026

Dear customers,

This is the calendar for April.

We will have additional closing days in April due to the Easter holidays and rugby games.
Please double check our calendar before visiting.

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to seeing you!!

Waikato Udon

11/03/2026

We are hiring - Casual Staff Wanted

Busy Japanese restaurant in Hamilton East is looking for a casual team member.

* Valid work visa required
* Able to speak Japanese preferred
* Interest in Japanese food and culture
* Hospitality experience a bonus
* Flexible and able to work in a fast-paced environment
* Long-term preferred

Casual position - hours may start small (around 3 hrs/week) but can increase depending on business needs.

If you are friendly and passionate about Japanese food, we would love to hear from you!

Please send your CV to
[email protected]

25/02/2026

Dear customers,

Here’s our March calendar.
We will be closed on the 6th as it’s game day for the Chiefs.

We will also be closed this Saturday for the Chiefs’ first home game of the season.

Sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you so much for your understanding!!

Waikato Udon

13/01/2026

Dear customers,

Sorry for the short notice.

From this Thursday, we’ll be offering a holiday menu for five days only.
Due to limited staff, the menu will be very limited with just two items.

Thank you so much for your understanding and continued support.

Waikato Udon

13/01/2026

Dear customers,

We hope you had a good new year.

Please find the calendar for next month attached.

We would like to inform you that there are two changes.

Thank you ☺️
Waikat Udon

27/12/2025

January & February 2026 Calendar 🗓️

We’ll be taking a break for about three weeks.
Sorry for the inconvenience 🙇‍♂️
We’ll be back to normal business hours from February 12 ✨

The limited menu for January 15–19 will be announced at a later date.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year 😊

Waikato Udon