Very crowded during lunch, there isn't much choice (everything is fried) but the prices are really cheap

The udon noodles in this school cafeteria are delicious.

「和（NAGOMI）」 on floor 1 of building 3 at 國學院大学. The atmosphere is so calm it's hard to believe it's a university cafeteria, and you can enjoy authentic meals. They apparently take pride in their udon and dashi brought in from their home region of Kagawa. The smooth udon, crispy tempura crumbs, and aroma of green onions were wonderful. Adding a soft onsen egg gave the flavor a mellow twist. A leisurely Japanese lunch while looking out at the greenery, in a peaceful space that hardly felt like a university cafeteria, left me refreshed. Ordering through the ticket machine is straightforward, and it's open to the public too.

+3

Another review said they use udon and dashi brought in from Kagawa, which caught my interest, so I visited. To get to the point, it was pretty good. I arrived before 14 and first bought a meal ticket from the machine. (Be careful: students use a different machine from the general public & faculty/staff. I accidentally bought a student ticket and paid the difference.) I ordered ontama bukkake udon (around 420円?), upgraded to a medium portion (+100円), with chikuwa tempura (+220円). When collecting your ticket, they ask whether you want hot or cold udon. I chose cold, but it seems they serve noodles that have been boiled in advance and chilled, rather than boiling them after you order. Flavor-wise, it was quite tasty. Only slightly below the standard of a dedicated udon restaurant. Perhaps because they were boiled ahead, the noodles weren't especially chewy, their surface was a little dry, and they weren't particularly slippery. Still, the fairly strong, dashi-rich sauce, large-cut green onions, and fine tempura crumbs made it enjoyable. The onsen egg was a little overcooked, more like a soft-boiled egg, and the chikuwa tempura's coating was rather thick and had cooled down, which was slightly disappointing. But considering the price, isn't it quite good? The cafeteria at the other university I attended was dirtier and felt more slapdash, so one this spacious and clean is appealing. To sum it up, “Not worth walking all the way from Shibuya Station for, but very good for a university cafeteria, and worth eating at if you're passing by.” That was my impression. The atmosphere is pleasant, and it's thoroughly cleaned. Tea is free too, and I was very satisfied. Don't forget to return your dishes to the return counter before leaving.

As a university cafeteria, I think it deserves full marks. But the udon is truly “ordinary.” I question the excessively high ratings. It's overhyped. I visited because various media outlets recommended it, saying “the udon is delicious,” and the reviews were good too. The cafeteria is very spacious, with space and seating comfortably exceeding 100 seats. It's thoroughly cleaned and tidy. Even at noon on Saturday, it's bustling with students, and a fair number of seats are occupied. None of the students were making a scene, and the noise level was about that of a food court. I ordered ume oroshi bukkake udon. Prices differ between the student ticket machine and the one for the general public, with student prices being incredibly cheap. But the public prices are also quite low. The cafeteria staff handle orders very efficiently too. The food was ready in no time. But the actual udon was “ordinary”.. Considering the speed and price, I think it's very good value, but the taste is no different from frozen udon. The noodle sauce used plenty of ume, which I thought was very good, but the noodles themselves remained “ordinary.” Were my expectations too high? Was I just unlucky this time? Honestly, I felt that 丸亀製麺 was far higher quality. My companion had the same impression. If I get the chance, I'd like to try the hot udon next time.