Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar

About Taro San

Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar is a modern Japanese restaurant at Stanford Shopping Center. It describes its specialty as fresh, house-made udon, the thick, chewy wheat noodles served hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce, along with izakaya plates. Izakaya is the Japanese style of casual pub food, made for sharing with drinks. The restaurant's address is 717 Stanford Shopping Center.

We could not find a separate website for Taro San. Its online ordering page on Toast lists the address, opening hours and a full, current menu, so that is the source we used for this page. The page also sells gift cards and links directions to the restaurant.

What is on the menu

The menu is broader than the name suggests. It is split into food and drink, with these food sections:

• Udon: a main udon section plus chef's signature udon. Named bowls include niku udon with beef, tori udon with chicken and a seasonal truffle udon.
• Izakaya: small plates to share, including takoyaki, the octopus dumplings sold at Japanese street stalls.
• Sushi: rolls and sashimi, such as hamachi sashimi and a vegan miso trumpet roll.
• Donburi: rice bowls, including an unagi ebi don with eel and shrimp.
• Bento boxes, salads, sides and desserts.

Featured items rotate at the top of the menu. Some items are also marked out of stock on a given day. Menus change, so check the ordering page for what is available before you go.

Building a meal on a first visit

If the menu feels long, a simple approach works well for two people:

1. Start with one or two izakaya plates to share, such as takoyaki.
2. Each pick a bowl of udon. Try one classic such as niku or tori udon plus one from the chef's signature list.
3. Add a sushi roll or a salad if you want something lighter alongside the noodles.
4. Finish with a dessert from the short dessert list.

For a bigger group, swap some udon for donburi or bento boxes so the table gets a mix of noodles and rice. Ask the staff which dishes travel well if you plan to take leftovers home, since noodles in broth are best eaten right away.

Drinks

For a noodle bar, the drink list is substantial. Taro San lists beer, wine by the glass and by the bottle, sake by the glass and by the bottle and a cocktail menu. Recent listings have included Sapporo beer, a shiso cucumber cooler and a spicy mango sakerita. Non-alcoholic drinks are on the menu too. Some drinks show as out of stock at times, so ask your server what is pouring.

How to order

You can eat in or order ahead through the Toast page for pickup. The ordering page notes that orders placed through Toast are commission free and go directly to the restaurant. The page has a call button but does not print the phone number, so the online page is the easiest way to place an order in advance.

Who it suits

Taro San suits a sit-down lunch during a shopping trip, a casual dinner at the center or a warming bowl of noodles on a cool evening. Shared izakaya plates and the sake list make it a reasonable pick for a relaxed night out with friends. Families can cover different tastes with udon, rice bowls and bento boxes. Vegetarians will find at least some choices, such as the vegan miso trumpet roll, but should check the menu closely, since many Japanese broths use fish stock.

Tips for visiting

• Later on weekends. The restaurant stays open until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, an hour later than the rest of the week.
• Order ahead at lunch. Ordering online for pickup saves time on busy shopping days.
• Plan the rest of your visit. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers the stores and parking. For more ramen, sushi and udon in town, see our Japanese food guide.

Location and getting there

Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar is at 717 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, in the Stanford Shopping Center area of Palo Alto. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.4 miles away. That is roughly a 11 minute walk.

Parking: the center's own free surface lots.

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• Wanpo Tea Shop, food shop, under 0.1 mi
• Sigona's Farmers Market, food shop, under 0.1 mi
• The Melt, quick-service spot, under 0.1 mi
• Frette, store, under 0.1 mi
• ZEGNA, store, under 0.1 mi
• Stanford Shopping Center, 0.1 mi
• El Camino Park, 0.3 mi
• El Palo Alto, 0.3 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen (under 0.1 mi); Pacific Catch (under 0.1 mi); True Food Kitchen (0.2 mi); RH Rooftop Restaurant (0.2 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Taro San online ordering (Toast). How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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