I got off at Shinkita-Otsuka Station and walked a little on R254 towards Mukihara, where I saw a sign for "Soba and Udon" hanging. Despite the scorching heat after the Bon Festival, I decided not to miss this opportunity and entered the restaurant. It was past lunchtime and I was the only customer there. The tempura options were limited due to the time of day. I ordered the spring chrysanthemum soba and also added a side of burdock and carrot tempura called "kinpira." The owner, who had been resting in the back, got up and started preparing the food. The soba noodles seemed to be frozen, probably due to the lack of customers at that time. As a bonus, I received an extra serving of kinpira tempura. The broth was a dark soy sauce-based one, not too intense but well-balanced. It was not overly sweet or salty, just right. The tempura was not heavily battered and had a comforting, traditional taste. I couldn't help but wish for the restaurant's continued success amidst the many closures in the area.

Platto, today's morning walk was around Shin-Otsuka Station. Exiting from exit 1 of Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Shin-Otsuka Station and turning right, you will see Otsuka Go-chome, a peculiar five-way intersection, straight ahead to the left. Turn right here, onto Kasuga Street towards Higashi-Ikebukuro, and after walking for a while, you will find Yayoi, where I visited today, on your right. I entered the restaurant at 9:00 am on a weekday and there were no other customers inside. Upon entering, you will see the kitchen straight ahead, which also serves as the ordering counter. I checked the menu on the wall and the topping prices on the whiteboard in the kitchen. The menu on the wall includes various soba and udon dishes, sets, rice dishes, and toppings. I ordered the "Kakiage Soba" but they were sold out of "Kakiage" today, so I changed my order to the normal "Kakiage Soba". After waiting for 3 minutes, the "Kakiage Soba" was served. The dish consisted of soba noodles topped with kakiage (mixed vegetable and seafood tempura) and chopped green onions. The soba broth was rich and flavorful with a hint of saltiness. The soba noodles were medium thickness with a good texture, and the kakiage was crispy, not greasy, and delicious. As I ate the soba noodles and kakiage together, the flavors blended well, making the dish even more enjoyable. I finished the meal by savoring the last drops of the flavorful broth. Today, I enjoyed a quick and tasty meal at this retro-style restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

Long time no visit. The shop is still open and has the same atmosphere as before! This time, I decided to go with the spring chrysanthemum soba (390 yen) as the base. I added kinpira (60 yen) and egg (50 yen) to make a total of 500 yen. I think it's a good choice and I wait in anticipation. Shortly after, the bowl was served to me and I sat down at my seat. I took a few photos before finally digging in. The broth was refreshing and perfect for the morning. The tempura was also small-sized, so you could eat as many pieces as you wanted. It seemed a bit soggy from being fried in advance, but that was also good! It's a bit far from Otsuka Station, but for me, it's a shop I would want to visit again. I'll come back again when the timing is right. Thank you for the meal.

July 12th, still hot as usual, but even in such weather, I decided to stop by at Noodle Shop Yayoi near Otsuka Station. There was one other customer inside the quiet shop. I spotted Squid Tempura on the menu, but unfortunately it was sold out today. I ended up ordering Spring Chrysanthemum Tempura and raw egg soba. Let's dig in! First, the soba broth. It was piping hot and delicious, with a strong dashi flavor. As for the noodles, they were a bit on the firm side with a nice chewy texture. Overall, it's a great restaurant but the timing and location might not always be convenient. Still, I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal!

On March 14, a warm Monday that seems to transition from plum blossoms to cherry blossoms, I headed to a restaurant in Tokyo after finishing some simple tasks at work. Despite feeling a bit tired from already cycling 40km today and anticipating another 40km ahead, I mustered the energy to visit a new restaurant called "Yayoi" instead of the originally planned "Gesoten." The restaurant was located in Toshima Ward, close to my home. It had a clean and cozy atmosphere with counter seats and chairs on both sides. I ordered the "Gesoten Soba" and was pleasantly surprised by the delicious broth and thin noodles. However, the highlight of the meal, the "Gesoten," turned out to be a "Strip Tempura" instead of the expected whole squid tempura, which was a bit disappointing. Despite this, I enjoyed the meal and left feeling satisfied.

The appearance looks like a local soba noodle shop, but the prices and menu are more like a standing soba noodle shop. The soba noodles are a bit firm, which is typical of standing soba noodles. The texture is different from having a strong bite, but I think this firmness is good. The dipping sauce is the typical kind you find at standing soba noodle shops, with a flavor and color that is typical. It's a bit too strong to drink all of it, but it's delicious.

Yayoi @ Minami-Otsuka 3-chome The fried tofu has gotten bigger! On my way back after having spring horse meat fried rice, I passed by after a long time and couldn't help but enter due to the nostalgia. The neighboring place that used to be an auto repair shop has turned into a stylish cafe. The seismic reinforcement beams add a nice touch, and the diagonal braces are still present. I also ordered fox udon with kimpura (burdock tempura) added. Oh, the fried tofu has gotten bigger! Previously it used to be three cut pieces, but now it's one big piece! Fried tofu lovers will be delighted. The gentle broth here is the highlight, and the kimpura tempura goes really well with it. The thin soba noodles are easy on the throat and settle well in the stomach. Ah, it was delicious! They are really working hard to keep the business going, and I truly respect that. It's a place that is not easy to come by, but I must make sure to visit regularly.

Before heading to work, I made a detour to a noodle shop called Yayoi near Shin-Otsuka Station on the Marunouchi Line, along Kasuga Street. I ordered the Kinpira Tempura and Nasu Tempura Soba (390). Although I have visited many noodle shops before, I always feel nervous when going to a new one. It was run by an elderly man alone. There were tempura lined up on the counter, and I chose the Kinpira Tempura and Nasu Tempura. The soba had an overall subtle flavor, like a quiet child in a class of 2 or 3 people who don't stand out too much. It reminded me of Fujitani in Asakusabashi. #EarlyMorningYayoiClub #NoodleShopFirst #SobaForBreakfast

Visit date and time: Weekday 11:40-12:00 Weather: It was hard to tell the condition outside, but I decided to visit. There was only one customer when I arrived. The restaurant only has counter seats, so it's easy for solo diners to come in. When I visited, there was a female staff member handling everything alone, but a man (maybe her husband?) joined later and they served together. Water is self-service. Customers return their empty dishes themselves, so I followed suit. I ordered soba noodles for 270 yen, shrimp for 160 yen, squid for 130 yen, chrysanthemum greens for 120 yen, tempura for 100 yen, and added various toppings for a total of 780 yen. It's a simple soba dish.

I visited Otsuka for morning soba, which I do once a month. This time, there were no other customers when I visited. I ordered the Spring Chrysanthemum Soba (390 yen) as usual, with an additional egg (50 yen). The ordering counter is also the payment counter, and everything is done in that one spot. I prepared my own water while waiting for my order. The counter is all facing the wall. My order was ready soon after. I took a sip of the broth right away. It was light and clear, with a nice soy sauce flavor. It reminded me a bit of store-bought soba broth, but the aftertaste was refreshing. The Spring Chrysanthemum tempura had a nice crispy batter and was well coated in the broth. It was a bit on the hard side this time, but still enjoyable. The tempura had a subtle chrysanthemum flavor and added a nice touch to the soba. The portion size was just right for a morning meal. I didn't order any additional tempura this time, but I think I will visit again in the future. Thank you for the meal.

This is a visit in the morning on a regular weekday. I finally decided to enter the shop that I had been curious about along Kasuga Street. The opening hours displayed inside the shop change frequently, and currently it seems to be open only on weekdays from 7:30 to 17:00, making it a bit of a challenge to visit. I ordered soba topped with spring chrysanthemum tempura and green beans. The soba was cooked in about 1 minute and served. I paid at the time of serving and enjoyed the soba. The tempura was said to be pre-fried, so I was hoping for freshly fried tempura in the morning, but even in the morning it was pre-fried. The batter was thin, but lacked a crispy texture. The soba was a medium-thick brown soba with a strong flavor. The soy sauce in the broth was as rumored, wild and hard-hitting, with a strong taste. The bitterness of the spring chrysanthemum and green beans was also noticeable. There seemed to be a lack of harmony between the soba, broth, and tempura, with each element asserting its sharp presence. It was a unique soba experience with a strong flavor rather than a mellow one. I felt a bit of indigestion this time, perhaps due to the early morning visit, but the impression may change if I come at a different time. This distinctive feeling might appeal to those who like it. Thank you for the meal.

A long-established soba and udon restaurant in Shin-Otsuka. They open at 7:00 and close at 17:00. The mother runs the place alone and serves freshly boiled soba. Personally, I don't think "it's fine because it's a small shop," so I'll be honest. The soba broth has a strong, sharp taste, but it lacks depth and umami. The soba noodles are a bit too firm. The only toppings are fried tofu and green onions. At 370 yen per bowl, I still feel like something is missing. Compared to the generous soba and rice set with natto for 380 yen at a nearby soba shop, this place doesn't seem to measure up. I wonder how they manage to make a living. I'm also curious about their relationship with the neighboring shop.

Once a month, I challenge a meeting in the Otsuka area. Before facing that meeting this time, I had breakfast soba here. It's a sit-down shop near Shin-Otsuka Station. I had the Spring Chrysanthemum Soba (390 yen) with an egg (50 yen). You order and pay at the counter, and everything is done there. While waiting for the food, I got some water and secured a seat. The counter is all facing the wall. It took about 2 minutes for the food to be served. It seems like they boil frozen soba. The soup, which seems to be additive-free, has a slight hint of bonito, but it's a refreshing taste. The soy sauce flavor is just right, and it's surprisingly refreshing. The aftertaste is also refreshing! The Spring Chrysanthemum tempura has a nice crispy batter, making it like a tempura of chrysanthemum. The batter melts just right in the soup. Since the tempura was pre-fried, the batter was a bit soggy... But it crumbles just right in the soup, allowing you to enjoy the tempura until the end. The flavor of the chrysanthemum is moderate. The portion size is just right. There's a tempura menu on the top right of the counter, so adding more would be just the right amount! For me, it was just the right amount for breakfast soba. I warmed up here before heading to the meeting in the morning. Thank you for the meal.

From Shinjuku to Ikebukuro, I used the Marunouchi Line every day~ I suddenly remembered a comic song I heard once about this route. Although I don't usually go from Ogikubo to the Marunouchi Line, I decided to ride all the way there because the 24-hour ticket I bought with company money the day before hadn't expired yet. I ordered the only set menu, the tempura bowl set for ¥660. But then I noticed on the menu board that there was also a curry set available. Why separate them like that... haha. The soba noodles were chewy and had a nice texture. As mentioned in previous reviews, they did taste like frozen noodles. It felt a bit refined. The broth wasn't as dark as before, so I concluded that the darkness level had decreased because the noodles didn't change color, but maybe that was because they were frozen noodles. On the other hand, there were shrimp tempura, small vegetable tempura, and small komatsuna tempura in the tempura bowl. They really made an effort with the presentation! After finishing the soba, I devoured the tempura bowl and enjoyed the feeling of the tempura sauce loosening with the soba broth... Mmm, it was a nice touch!

There was a hidden menu item called "nabe yaki udon" that someone had eaten before. Today, feeling the coldest of this winter, I decided to order the hidden menu item "nabe yaki udon". I chose "ebi tempura" as the topping for the nabe yaki udon. It cost 660 yen and included hot nabe yaki udon with ebi tempura, egg, bamboo shoots, shimeji mushrooms, and Chinese cabbage. I enjoyed eating the piping hot udon in the nabe, saying "fukau fukau" (meaning "blow on it" in Japanese). Even though it was frozen udon, it was delicious nabe yaki udon that I had at a standing soba shop.

The image didn't turn out well this time, but our shop is a branch of the Black TGS (standing soba) style. You might not be able to tell just by looking, but if you scoop it with chopsticks, you should be able to see that the soba noodles are actually colored. The broth has a deep and flavorful taste, giving off quite an impression. The soup stock is carefully made, even though the seasoning might be pre-made. The noodles are standard for standing soba, but the key is in the soup. We enjoy the subtle differences in taste that we can express relatively easily in this field. That's why there may be hits and misses depending on the day, but we have yet to have a miss at our shop.

I thought it was quite delicious. There are few customers probably because of the location.

A small shop on the first floor of a building along Haruhi-dori in Mukaishima. The rich soy sauce dipping sauce and a variety of optional tempura are delicious. The spring chrysanthemum tempura is a must-have.

Kakiage soba for 370 yen. The small serving of green onions on the side was nice. It was good to have them as a condiment while eating the soba. The kakiage was thin but well fried, with a slow penetration of the broth, which had a shrimp flavor. The broth was dark and thick, just as it looked, and quite substantial. The soba itself was good.

Urgently had work in the Tokyo area. It will be over soon. But I won't be heading back right away. I decided to explore for some morning soba. Ah, here it is. I usually search for soba shops that serve breakfast and add them to my "want to visit" list, but I didn't have this one on the list. I vaguely remember going there once on a Saturday, but the shop was closed. Did it close down? I'm not sure, but I remember being disappointed. Feeling a bit nervous, I visited the shop. Luckily, I saw the curtain hanging outside. Even though it's not breakfast time, I decided to go in. I don't remember if they had a ticket machine before. No, they didn't. Looking at the menu on the wall, I spotted spring chrysanthemum. That sounds good, but I noticed the toppings list on the right side of the kitchen. Maybe regular customers order the base noodles and then add toppings later? Like asking for "soba with spring chrysanthemum" after ordering. Since I'm not used to this, I just ordered "soba with spring chrysanthemum." The toppings available included pumpkin, shrimp, green beans, and squid ink, among others. I should have paid more attention before ordering to avoid regret. The seating was a counter facing the walls on both sides, with 11 seats in total. When my order was ready, I picked it up and started eating. Based on my personal experience, the soba had a strong soy sauce flavor and firm, individual strands of noodles. The tempura with spring chrysanthemum had a subtle aroma and gradually blended into the broth, adding depth to the overall flavor. It made my nose run a bit. It's that time of the year. I don't recall if they had tissues. Overall, it was a satisfying and delicious bowl of soba. Although it's difficult to visit soba shops that only open on weekdays, I'll try to sneak in a visit whenever I can.