🍜 Established in 1961, this old soba shop offers friendly service akin to that of your own neighborhood.
After eating well every day in Hakata, I wanted something light this day and happened to see this shop near the hotel. I had occasionally seen branches of it while shopping in other places and felt that its nostalgic style should make for a good meal, so I decided to enter.
Typically, at old soba shops like this, you might encounter indifferent or unfriendly staff, so I was a bit anxious when I saw that the staff were mostly aunties. However, the service here was very friendly, resembling a long-frequented shop next door 😂.
I ordered the "Tricolor Soba," which came in three layers: plain, grated yam, and a raw egg yolk. Regular soba is served with a cup of dipping sauce, but for this tricolor soba, the dipping sauce was given in a pot, without instructions on how to eat it. I guessed that you pour the sauce directly into the bowl, though I'm not sure if that's correct 😂.
I’m not sure if the different eating method makes a difference, but overall the flavor seemed milder compared to other soba shops. It’s possible that the grated yam and egg yolk balanced out the saltiness.
Soba shops usually serve a cup of white, murky soba broth, which generally doesn't have much flavor but a light soba aroma. I personally like to add a lot of dipping sauce and drink it together.
I don’t consider it an exceptionally stunning soba shop that needs to be included in an itinerary, but the prices are very affordable. It's a good choice for those like me who need to give their digestive system a rest.
🍜 Established 124 years ago! A traditional soba and udon noodle shop that has been with the station all along ~
Whenever I’m at Sakuragicho Station and don’t know what to eat, I always end up at Kawamuraya. At first, it was just because it seemed cool to eat outside, but last year, in 2023, Japanese news reported that they had no successors and would be closing down, which drove many people to have their last bowl.
However, one of the daughters of the seventh-generation heir was willing to take over, and this century-old shop was resurrected!
Founded in 1900, it has always been a standing noodle shop. Currently, there is a row of small low tables inside, but there are also a few tables outside where you can stand and eat.
The ordering method uses a common ticket vending machine found in Japanese noodle shops, which also has English translations of the menu items. The main differences are the toppings, and there are pictures to look at. It’s recommended to decide outside before going in to operate the machine. After getting your ticket and finding your change, give the ticket to the counter and specify whether you want soba or udon, then just wait for your noodles to cook.
Most items on the menu are under 500 yen, and the signature dish is chicken noodles, but on this day, I chose wild vegetable noodles, which I loved as it was similar to ferns 🤗 The broth is a traditional bonito soy sauce base, which has a simple and rustic flavor that doesn’t get tiresome, especially nice to enjoy hot soup outdoors in winter!
It’s important to note that there are two entrances and both have ticket machines. However, if you are in a popular queue at peak times, be sure to line up at the door near the JR ticket gate!
We ordered warm and cold meat soba for two! Comparing the two, they had different flavors. The soup felt light, and the meat had just the right tenderness.
It had a pretty popular vibe for an eatery in the city; the interior decor felt a bit old, but you can place orders with your smartphone!
After getting off the train at Hasegawa Station, you will see this shop on the way to the Kamakura Daibutsu. It sells soba noodles, but it also sells rice and some fried foods.
The soba noodles in this shop taste very refreshing, and the soy sauce is not too salty. The price per serving is less than 1,000 yen. It tastes fresh and comfortable, and it is worth experiencing.
In addition, I also ordered a portion of their Tendon. The rice underneath was covered in Japanese soy sauce, but it was not overly salty or sweet. It was still somewhat different from the rice bowls you get in Taiwan. I have to say that Japan’s local The rice bowls cooked here still taste better. The fried food above also tastes pretty good. Although it's not amazing, it's still averagely delicious.
The miso soup also tastes moderately salty. Friends who have been to Japan will definitely find that their miso soup is often too salty, but the miso soup in this store has a very good saltiness.
Overall, it is a delicious restaurant, and it is on the way to the scenic spot, so the transportation is very convenient. If you want to go to the Kamakura Buddha, you can stop by to eat and see it.
🔱 そばSuper purpose commander 🔱
I haven't been to a Japanese soba shop for a long time. There are often many Japanese people sitting inside, which shows how authentic it is.
The last time I came here was more than a year ago, and Shohei Ohtani’s game was still being broadcast on TV XD
This restaurant specializes in soba noodles, which are all made in-house (rather than bought from outside and heated). Why? Because the boss said that the soba machine is broken... it can only make thick noodles, not fine ones... and the buckwheat flour is imported from Hokkaido.
I ordered
⭐️ Tempura soba noodles
Soba noodles (cold) have always been my favorite. When dipped in sauce, the refreshing taste is very refreshing on a hot summer day.
The tempura is also delicious, dipped in the exclusive tempura sauce (contains mashed radish and chopped green onions)
⭐️ Soba noodles with meat sauce
The appearance and texture of this soba are a little different, and the meat sauce is hot... It feels a bit magical when dipped XD Anyway, I prefer to eat cold soba noodles
⭐️ Beer
It’s Kirin Ichiban, draft beer is half price on Thursdays
Such a big cup only costs 10 yuan
ps. There is a promotion in the store recently. Buy fifty cups for one hundred yuan at a time = two yuan per cup.
In addition, there are various kinds of skewers in the store, so anyone who is interested can try them!
Famous soba shop near Kumamon office
It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Suidomachi Station.
You will pass many restaurants along the small alleys, many of which are also famous stores.
There are only about four tables in the store + about 5 seats in the bar area
This time I came to eat at noon on a Monday. I didn’t make a reservation and there happened to be a table available.
Ordered duck sauce soba + tempura soba
The tempura soba noodles will be paired with ordinary buckwheat dipping sauce + fried tempura. The tempura is great, but the dipping sauce is just ordinary.
The duck soba noodles are served with duck dipping sauce, which is much more delicious than ordinary buckwheat dipping sauce. It will feel salty when you take the first bite, but the more you dip it, the better it becomes.
The body part of the soba noodles is very, very delicious. If you come to Kumamoto, it is definitely worth coming here to have a meal of soba noodles.
After you finish eating the noodles, there will be dashi stock available in most soba restaurants for you to add to the remaining dipping sauce to make soup. It tastes just ordinary, but the dipping sauce is still delicious when dipping the noodles 😂
There is a dessert after the meal, which is quite special. It consists of red beans and something similar to jelly. I can’t say it’s super delicious, but it’s not unpalatable.
The Shinshu soba noodles that Sojibo Restaurant specializes in are authentic soba noodles. Fortunately, branches have opened in remote areas, so you don’t have to go as far as Nagano Prefecture to enjoy a variety of buckwheat dishes. When I was shopping until my feet were sore and tired, when I went up the escalator to the second floor, I saw a dazzling array of display cabinets right in front of me. I could immediately imagine the taste of soba noodles after the entrance to cool down and relieve fatigue. I cherish every meal I have in Japan. There are so many kinds of food. Every time I cook, I can feel the care and sincerity of the producers. And an older Japanese lady in this store even said it directly. He speaks fluent Chinese, quickly attached Japanese and Chinese menus, and kindly received a group of us who were very embarrassed with babies and toddlers and a lot of shopping. I am really grateful for everything! There are also many special soba flavors here, such as: duck shoots, chilled wild vegetable yam puree, wasabi leaf soba, and eel rice, which also looks delicious. Seasonal tempura will also come with the season in spring. As for changing different vegetables into dishes, the key point is that the average price is only about NT$200-300. I really can’t find any shortcomings~~
Soba noodles are also one of the key items on the must-eat list in Japan! The weather is sunny today, perfect for eating cold soba noodles!
This store is another cute little store with only one old man and one old woman as service staff. They took turns greeting us and chatting with us. After knowing that we were from Taiwan, they happily shared their experience with us. I also traveled to Taiwan and was very kind.
The old lady spoke very good English and communicated very smoothly; some people ordered hot buckwheat soup noodles, but I ordered 100% buckwheat tsukemen.
What was served was a bamboo woven shallow plate with very fresh-looking and refreshing soba noodles, as well as the accompanying mashed radish, chopped green onion and wasabi. The old lady was very enthusiastic and taught us how to taste it, pouring half of the soy sauce into the cups and bowls. Then add half of the spicy radish puree and chopped green onion and eat together.
The buckwheat noodles here are really different from those eaten in Taiwan. They are cold and very smooth. Without seasoning, you can directly feel the smell of grains. The noodles dipped in soy sauce and spices make the buckwheat even more special. The aroma of the noodles is overwhelming, making people gobble it up bite after bite.
After eating, the grandfather gave us buckwheat clear soup and asked us to add the remaining soy sauce to enjoy; the mellow white soup was mixed into cups and bowls, turning into a heart-warming noodle soup, but the taste was not too salty, so you can savor it carefully. The aroma of the bonito and the smell of the sauce that is lightly seasoned with spices is truly one of life's great pleasures
Although this is a simple meal, you can definitely feel the importance and enthusiasm of the two elderly people for food. By the way, you may not be full after eating just one portion. If you want to order something else, you should visit as early as possible, otherwise it may be gone soon.
It's like eating at someone else's house. The boss is very friendly and the food is family-style. The taste is a bit strong, but the portion is sufficient (but the photo shows a small portion of the special rice.). +200 can be changed to tsukemen-style soba noodles, which is perfect for the upcoming sultry summer! ! Overall, very good value for money! The ice tea you paid for was also delicious! Pay parking space~
There is no menu outside, just go into the store and get the menu directly from the clerk at the counter.
This time I ordered duck clear soup salt ramen. You can choose the noodle part to be firm, normal or soft. It tastes slightly grainy and has a layered texture.
The soup is not very oily, with a hint of duck aroma and some green onions. The duck broth tastes great.
The duck meat is thin and tender.
The overall portion is not big, but you can add a dollop of noodles and it will make you feel full.
