Visited Tamagawa-ya, a soba restaurant located in a residential area a little away from Shinkoiwa Station in Edogawa-ku, from Riverside on March 23, 2018. Ordered the Kakiage Don Set (Mori Soba) for ¥800. The soba was simple with kakiage topped with sakura shrimp, corn, onion, and green onions. It felt like eating at grandma's house, including the seasonal nanohana ohitashi.

I entered a residential area west of the Edogawa Ward Office. There were no specific landmarks, so I might not be able to find it again. During lunchtime on a weekday, I passed by a restaurant that exuded a traditional atmosphere, so I decided to go in without hesitation. The phone number displayed under the shop name on the building indicated its age. Inside, the restaurant was surprisingly compact with tables for four on the left and right sides and a raised seating area for two. A large and colorful curtain hung prominently in front, leading to the kitchen. There were two regular customers on the right side, so I sat on the left. The waitress appeared from behind the curtain and greeted me warmly. There were no menus on the table, so I looked at the menu posted on the wall. There were various options, but I ordered the "Tendon" for 1000 yen. While sipping tea and observing the surroundings, I noticed a large ashtray, although no one was smoking, which was a relief considering the small space. The sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen made the wait enjoyable. In less than 10 minutes, the food arrived. The Tempura Rice Bowl turned out to be Tempura Rice Plate with two shrimp tempura and green vegetable tempura. The tempura had a thick coating typical of a soba restaurant. The shrimp were decent, and the vegetable tempura was hard to identify but tasty. The amount of tempura sauce was just right. The rice was standard. The miso soup with seaweed was also ordinary, and the pickles of pickled daikon and cucumber were homemade and delicious. Overall, the Tempura Rice Plate was decently delicious. The only downside was when the regular customer at the next table lit a cigarette while I was eating. Although the restaurant allowed smoking with the ashtray, I still felt uncomfortable. After finishing the meal, I quickly left. The chef, who seemed friendly, thanked me as I left. It was a nostalgic experience at this old-fashioned restaurant. Interestingly, when I tried to write a review, I found out that the restaurant was not registered. It's surprising to find such an old establishment without a store registration. Thank you for the meal!