Ishin Udon

I opted for a non soup dish bc it was too hot haha, so I got the carbonara udon. It was suuuuuper rich and creamy. I honestly had to eat it slowly because it was a bit too heavy for me, but it was still packed with a lot of good flavor. The texture of the noodles was on the softer side, but I had no complaints. The mixed vegetable tempura from the kakiage udon was crispy and light! It wasn't too busy when I went on a weekday evening, so thankfully there was enough parking, but I know it can get extremely packed. Service was okay and vibes were chill! Would love to come back to try their other dishes.

There is nothing like a good bowl of soup to cure a cold, and let me tell you, ishin udon is perfect for that.It's tucked away behind the main china town area in a strip mall with a few other hip Asian restaurants. So it's in a great area for food exploration!I ordered the Niki udon- thin shaved beef, seaweed, and scallions. The broth was light, sweet and well balanced. The noodles were thick, chew and bouncy. It was the perfect udon for someone trying to recover from a cold, but it is also just a perfect, simple udon! My boyfriend ordered the tan tan udon- spicy minced pork, crushed peanuts, pickle, and scallion. The broth was rich, but not overly creamy, with a beautiful nutty flavor. The noodles were also cooked to perfection, a very well done udon!We also ordered kabocha, eggplant, sweet potato, and mixed vegetable tempura. These were not very good. I don't think they have the batter or the frying method down yet. It was uneven and the vegetables were just oily. The chicken karaage was okay though, not the best we've had, but good.While the soup was a little pricey (but in a normal range for most Asian soup joints) the portions were perfect! They give you a lot of noodles and meat/topping.Overall if you are looking for good udon this is your place. And that's what really matters after all, because it's an udon restaurant. So come for the udon but skip the tempura.

My friend and I got the niku and niku tama ankake udons and both were delicious. The flavors of both were amazing, but if you like the more classic udon I would get the niku udon as the niku tama ankake is more of a thick egg based soup. My only critique with the udons are the portions are fairly small, so if you have a big stomach like me you will probably need to eat dessert or something after but it is still a good meal. The restaurant has a lot of booths to sit in and is a cute place for an intimate date or eating with loved ones. We did not have to wait long to get seated and overall it was a great place to eat at with good service as well.

Five stars for quality udon, amazing prices, and great service. Came in on an early Saturday evening, it wasn't too busy and we were seated immediately. The servers were friendly and let us take our time in deciding what we wanted to order.I got the kake udon with sweet potato tempura, kimchi, seaweed salad on the side. Also ordered the Takoyaki which wasn't super memorable but still good.The price point is second to none, $8.50 for a bowl of udon? Sign me up, I'll be back again when I'm in Houston next!

With the recent cold front, my girlfriend and I were really craving a warm bowl of soup. She mentioned wanting to go to Ishin and I had never had authentic Udon so we decided to head over for dinner.There are a lot of good-looking, busy restaurants in this strip so it was a little challenging to find parking, but we eventually found a spot far down from the door. The lighting, decor, and overall ambiance of the restaurant were overall very warm and cozy. It seemed relatively busy and while the place was relatively full we were seated immediately and the wait staff were very friendly throughout our time there.Since this was my first time having udon, it took me a second to look through the menu because everything looked and sounded amazing. Eventually, we decided to start off with the takoyaki which came out hot and was delicious. The filling had the perfect ratio of octopus to sauce. Next, we ordered our main courses, she had the sukiyaki udon and I had the kitsune udon but I wanted some sort of meat so I got a side order of chashu. The broth in both of the soups was incredibly flavorful and rich and just what we were looking for. We finished the meal off with the banana tempura which was the perfect way to end the the meal.Even though this was my first time trying Udon Ishin made a very good first impression on me and although it seems very authentic I think the menu, staff, and atmosphere make this a very approachable spot for anyone to try. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Ishin and I am excited to return and try a few more of their dishes in the near future!

I've enjoyed this place on several occasions and now that my toddlers also love the "fat noodles" we come here more regularly. The environment is trendy and similar to those of the surrounding businesses (given many are the same owner I believe) and the service has been great. Although not exactly family friendly in its setup, the servers do accommodate small children, which is a plus. Parking in this plaza is extremely tight, but fortunately for Ishin, on their end of the strip center, there are much wider spaces along the side edge of the parking lot. The only disappointment is how the prices have gone up nearly 60% since they've opened, and while I understand COVID and all the challenges businesses have faced, it's still extremely steep from even a few years ago. However, the food is great and it's a nice alternative to the ever-popular ramen spots around town.

one of my favorite places in houston to eat!! their udons are sooo good!!!! there isn't plenty of seating inside for big groups but such a cute and intimate space!!! the staff are so sweet and always accommodating! curry ton katsu udon - 10/10 DELICIOUS!!!(i also LOVE the tan tan udon and the mentaiko cream udon!!! 100000/10)

HOUSTON, TX 77036 / JAPANESE / 06-11-23 / LUNCH+The udon noodles had a nice bounce and chew to it; not over cooked at all.+The customer service was good.

There's a Hawaiian udon chain that I have to visit any time I'm on the west coast and I was disappointed when they opened in Dallas but not here. But after discovering Ishin I no longer feel I'm missing out. I've visited 3 times so far, trying all of the Niku udon bowls. All three were good. The noodles are always fresh and chewy and the broth hot. I've had the Calamari twice which is battered well and not too chewy. I've also tried the kabocha ten and ebi ten which are affordable add ons, although the soups are quite filling enough. Next to try is the curry. I'm determined to try everything as it seems you can't go wrong with anything in the menu. Niku udon: simple, warm and filling with thin slices of beef, seaweed and scallion. (I added a soft egg)Niku Niku udon: same broth as the Niku but with chunks of fatty and flavorful brisket and a huge dollop of ginger. I love ginger and it's not too overpowering but the beef may be a bit too heavy to eat often. Nikutama Ankake udon: (My fav!) thick eggdrop like broth With sliced beef. It is so filling and comforting. Perfect for a cold day. The service is always great. Everyone's friendly and I've never had a long wait. You'll need to put your name on the list at the front but it seems turn around is always quick. Since the seating is all booths, it may not be good for a big party.

The interior design is appealing, and the prices are quite reasonable, but the overall dining experience left much to be desired. The taste of the food was average; not particularly outstanding but not bad either. However, the Karaage was disappointingly oily and I couldn't even finish it.Service was particularly lacking. Throughout our meal, loud conversations and high-pitched laughter from the kitchen were disruptive. The server's attitude did not help matters. While I was briefly discussing menu options with my daughter, the server, showing impatience, muttered, "you need more time," and walked away without returning. It took my husband getting up and looking for her to place our order, which included Sukiyaki Udon, Shrimp Tempura Udon, Tonkatsu Curry, Karaage, Takoyaki, Fried Tofu, Kimchi, and two bottles of beer.Additionally, the beer served was not cold. When asked for a resolution, the server brought a "cold cup," which unfortunately was not cold either. She explained that they had no cold beer available due to recent restocking. Cleanliness was another issue; our water glasses had visible white rings. This establishment definitely needs to focus on enhancing both service quality and cleanliness.Food 3/5Service 1/5Ambiance 4/5