Marukame Udon

Marukame Udon (officially Marugame outside Hawaii) is the udon shop that turned a Waikiki side-street into a tourist landmark. Cooks pull, cut and boil sanuki-style noodles in full view of the counter, which is why the line out the door on Kuhio Avenue rarely lets up from lunch through late evening. Service runs cafeteria-style: you grab a tray, point at a bowl of kake or niku udon, then slide past a glowing tempura bar to add shrimp, chicken, sweet potato or a soft-boiled egg before paying at the register. Bowls start around three dollars, almost nothing else cracks double digits, and refills of dashi keep coming. Run by Tokyo-based Toridoll, the Waikiki shop draws a mix of Japanese tourists, military families, surfers off the beach, and budget-conscious travelers chasing the cheapest legitimately great meal in town.