Naniwa - SAINT JACQUES

Solid Japanese comfort food. Ordered: Nabeyaki Udon: pretty good. Broth is good. Portion typical Paris (a bit smaller than US) Ohitashi (spinach): so so. But had low expectations Gyutan Shio(grilled beef tongue): better than expected. Better than man places in California And a beer. Overall decent meal. Not crazy price wise given location. 35 Euro.

Let's just say disappointed and don't bother. I had a bowl of soba and a onigiri (salmon), the rice is too soggy and too much. For the soba, it's overcooked and beef is over seasoned.

I've been here twice so far, both for dinner, and will probably return for more. I originally found this place on Qype while searching for authentic ramen. Its a small place and there is often a line going out the door. The ramen is pretty good. The pork portion is on the small side, and they only give you quarter of a hard boiled egg, but the texture of the noodles were great. The broth was not too salty. We also got the katsu curry and the tempura don. The portions are not large but definitely enough to fill you up. The sides are great. The agedashi tofu was amazing! They also had takoyaki which is always fun to eat. There was only one tiny piece of octopus in each ball, but the texture and favor was good. The gyoza are also quite good. I think, pork and leek. They also have free tea (self-service) and water. I tried to order the green tea, but the waitress directed me to the free tea, which was adequate for me on my tight budget.

Disclosure: I love ramen and udon noodles. I live in San Francisco, where udon and ramen are staples and I have been to Japan. Summary: They gave it a good try but it's not anything near what it should be. All the hype here on yelp is from young hipsters, who like to stand in line for mediocre food. The man and I missed home and wanted a hot bowl of noodles after a few days in Paris. We yelped and found this place nearby. The place was full of young hipsters and one Japanese party. I can't believe we waited to eat here. We were seated pretty quickly next to two French women, who were listening to a young American man blather about things he did not understand. Ambiance is not their strong point. The man ordered the beef udon and I order the tempura udon. Both were sad sad sad imitations of an actual bowl of udon. The broth was anemic and thin. No rich tonkatsu, savory miso or comforting konbu hints at all. It tasted like really watered down chicken broth. The noodles were FLAT! I will simply say that udon noodles are not flat. Sadness. His had chopped up teriyaki beef on top (who does that!? and mine had two pieces of tempura shrimp already submerged in the soup so that they were soggy. The shrimp were still cold on the inside once I bit into it. There were no other tempura pieces! No vegetables!!! Food is not their strong point. We dove into our noodles and he wants to walk out as soon as the first bite hits his tongue. I made him stay and eat the noodles because I am too nice. On the plus side the gyoza was good and house made. Good for them for getting the gyoza right and serving it with the right sauce. This is one star they earned. The service was snappy and dismissive otherwise. We tried to speak Japanese with the waitstaff and they avoided us. Overall, if you have had a real bowl of udon anywhere there is decent ethnic food, do not come here. Come to my house, I make better instant ramen. Last time I was in Paris for business, I found myself missing ramen too. Sanukiya on on Rue d'Argenteuil was way better.

One of my favorite spots in Paris for fast food Japanese. I've been going for years now. It's especially nice in the evening for the special dinner options on the menu. Tasty fried chicken with lemon. Lotus balls. All kinds of soups. Great prices. The impersonal, rushed service can be overlooked considering the popularity of the place. If the diners were allowed to dwindle too long, those of us lined up waiting outside wouldn't make it in for dinner before the early closing time. Oh, and be prepared to smell like food afterwards.