A bowl of freshly made udon soup won't set you back a fortune at the recently-opened Vancouver outpost of global sensation Marugame Udon, but there is an exciting opportunity coming up when you can score yourself a tantalizing freebie.
To mark the restaurant's grand opening - and first-ever Canadian location - Marugame Udon will be having a big celebration at the Vancouver location (589 Beatty St) on Friday, March 15.
As part of the festivities, which will be styled after a traditional Japanese festival known as a "matsuri," Marugame Udon will be giving away free bowls of udon noodle soup to the first 100 guests in line at the event.
"The Marugame Matsuri is a tribute to the warm reception and overwhelming support from the local community," describes a media release for the event.
The grand opening celebration, which begins at 10:45 a.m., will feature live Taiko drumming, the chance to learn more about the brand, and special guests, including Victor Hisao Misawa, President of Marugame Udon International; Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung from the City of Vancouver; and Deputy Consul General Satomi Okagaki from the Consulate General of Japan in Vancouver, accompanied by Economic Consul Keiji Hisata.
Lining part of the Marugame Udon cafeteria-style experience
Considering how Marugame Udon often has a line-up on a regular day, it's likely you expect to have to queue up come Friday for the celebratory free udon.
That said, because lining up is part of the Marugame experience (they offer a cafeteria-style service) you can expect things to move fairly quickly once the restaurant starts serving food for the day at 11 a.m. The set-up allows customers to watch as each order of its signature Sanuki-style udon is cut and boiled and paired to order with broth and toppings as they make their way to the register and through the line. Guests can also choose from Marguame's assorted selection of freshly-fried tempura items.
Vancouver's Marugame Udon opened at the end of February after over a year of anticipation as the renowned global brand with over 1,000 locations, prepared its first outpost in Canada.
Watch: Trying Marugame Udon in Vancouver for the first time
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