As I passed by people leaving work after their night shift and heading to work, for me it was a good morning, but for them it was a job well done. Today is another day of work, let's do our best. This is Tachikawa, but this is Takao-tei. Oh, this looks interesting! Excuse me~♪ The time is 13:00, no customers yet. The owner welcomed me, "Just one person?" "Please sit anywhere." Since there were no other customers, I sat at a spacious table. The background music was from Hirunandesu. The owner brought me a glass of water and a wet towel (600 yen). Thank you! While waiting, I performed the hand-washing ritual. Since there were no other customers, I only waited for about 3 minutes before the soba arrived. The soba noodles were thin, supple, elegant, and reasonably priced. They were drained well and looked impressive. I took off my mask and sniffed... there was a faint, pleasant aroma. I started eating as it is. The noodles had a good chewiness and a smooth texture, a perfect deliciousness. I broke the chopsticks with a snap and my prediction was correct. Let's eat! First, I tried the soba as it is, and it had a good chewiness and a smooth texture, a perfect deliciousness. The soba soup had a gentle flavor with a sharp outline of soy sauce, which paired perfectly with the soba's good throat feel. There were no other customers, and the staff left me alone in a good way. I slurped the soba happily, making satisfying sounds. It felt so good! The shop allows you to eat delicious soba in your own way without forcing any preferences on you, which is what I like the most. I was so absorbed in eating the soba that I finished it in no time. The soba-yu was already placed on the table in a pot, lacking in atmosphere, but during hot weather, they won't bring it unless you ask, so having it there was considerate. Fast, cheap, delicious, and good service, yet why is it empty? Is it because it's a little far from Tachikawa Station? Or is it just by chance? This might be a hidden gem! I found a good restaurant. Thank you for the meal! Accepted payment methods: PayPay, various electronic money.

I came to eat the famous Katsudon at the interrogation room of Tachikawa Police Station, which has been quite a topic on social media. It was recommended highly by Rocket News, but unfortunately, it was not that great. It's rare for me not to find a Katsudon at a soba restaurant delicious. Anyway, the sauce or broth was not tasty. The interior and service were fine. The crucial thing, the taste, was lacking.

I went to the restaurant during work and entered after 12 o'clock. The table seats were full, but there was an empty square counter seat, so I sat down and ordered the pork cutlet set. I ordered a pork cutlet bowl and soba set (soba can be changed to udon). The taste was delicious, and the friendly atmosphere created by the owner enveloped the entire restaurant, making it a comfortable place to dine alone.

Located about a 5-minute walk from Tama Monorail Shibasaki Taikukan Station, or right by the Kururin Bus stop "Nishiki-cho Go-chome". "Sobadokoro Takao-tei Honten" has two soba frozen vending machines outside, currently in operation. The place seems to have been featured in TV coverage quite a bit. There is a menu with photos at the storefront, so check it out before entering the restaurant. There are also raised tatami seating areas where you can enjoy a leisurely meal or drinks. They play music by popular artists like Hoshino Gen, Shishamo, Hinatazaka46, and Mr. Children. Looking up, you'll see a splendid... is it a net-patterned ceiling? Truly exuding a sense of tradition, this restaurant was established in 1928!! They also have some unique menu items, like "Butter Chicken Curry Udon" and "Carbonara Udon". The "Tonkatsu Set" costs 1,000 yen, and it comes with negi (green onions), wasabi, and pickles. When the dish was served, they asked if I wanted negi and takuan (pickled daikon), to which I declined. They also offered to make the rice portion larger for free, but I opted for a regular size. The soba was served on a bamboo tray, with finely shredded fresh soba noodles. The rich dark soy sauce broth with bonito flavor was just to my liking. They had a "Katsudon favored by the former Tachikawa Police Interrogation Room" on the menu, and although I was torn between ordering it separately or as a set with soba, I went for the latter. The katsudon was a half-size portion, with generously cut crunchy onions, a thick egg topping, and a slightly crispy katsu with a thicker batter, offering a decent taste. The fluffy rice was reasonably delicious. I finished the meal with some emulsified soba broth. Katsudon at soba restaurants often falls short, but this one was quite tasty. The walls were decorated with photos and autographed boards from the TV coverage.

There is a restaurant located in a residential area with a few parking spaces and a vending machine selling soba noodles. They have tables and tatami seating, as well as a large table with a hearth. I ordered the winter limited menu item, which was simmered tripe udon. Rice was offered as a complimentary side, but I declined. The udon had lots of tripe and the miso flavor was delicious.

I visited this restaurant after a long time, even though it's not that far from my place, I don't visit it often. However, I have been here a few times already. This time, the staff in the hall were very efficient and it was fun to watch them work. It seems like this place has been getting a lot of orders through OVEREATS due to the pandemic. The restaurant is working hard, and their handmade signs are eye-catching. This time, I decided to try the pork cutlet bowl. It came out very quickly, so it seems like a good option for lunch as well. However, there are quite a few female customers, making it a popular spot in the neighborhood.

Motsu-nabe set meal for 850 yen.

- Curry Dipping Soba ¥900 including tax * Small rice included Located about a 15-minute walk from JR Chuo Line Tachikawa Station South Exit, this soba restaurant is quite far away. Most people probably wouldn't bother coming here. Therefore, I think the shop relies on delivery orders to stay afloat. The restaurant itself has a traditional soba shop feel, making soba feel more familiar. Inside, there are several table seats and open tatami mat seating areas. There is a large table in the middle where solo diners can eat. Despite being far from the station and not seeming to have a lot of foot traffic, the restaurant is quite busy with over 60% occupancy, probably due to the lack of competing eateries. I was initially planning to order the "Freshly Fried Cutlet Curry," but then I spotted the "Curry Dipping Soba" on the limited summer menu. I decided to try it out. Since it came with a small rice, I ordered that as well. The service from the lady was efficient, but there was something off-putting about her demeanor, or maybe it just didn't click with me. Anyway, that's unrelated to the food. When the Curry Dipping Soba arrived, it was a bit different from what I expected. Here are my thoughts: [Curry Dipping Soba] This Curry Dipping Soba was a creative dish that didn't quite fit the traditional soba shop style. It seemed like they were willing to try anything as long as it tasted good. The soba noodles were a light greyish color, made of 80% buckwheat flour. They had a slightly soft texture, akin to firm ramen noodles. The dipping sauce was innovative. It was a curry made with a generous amount of wheat flour instead of potato starch, with a mild spiciness that reminded me of the curry-flavored snack "Karl" by Calbee. Additionally, there was a generous amount of crispy processed cheese, a soft-boiled egg, and tempura bits. The sauce also contained roughly chopped onions and thinly sliced pork, providing a satisfying eating experience. The dish was visually appealing with green onions, red chili threads, and multiple colors. Despite the soba noodles being less in quantity, there was still more than half of the dipping sauce left. I also enjoyed the small rice that came with it. It was mentioned that for an additional 50 yen, you could make it very spicy, which might have enhanced the curry flavor. I'll try that next time. Hopefully, the lady will be friendlier then. Thank you for the meal.

It's heavy. My body feels heavy. I guess the only option is to go on a diet and not eat anything for lunch. Reluctantly going to the gym, doing weight training, running, and cycling. It's tough. Tiring. When it's over, I get hungry. Oh, I wish there was a pill that could suppress hunger. Should I endure it or eat? But I don't want to ruin my body with extreme diets. Maybe I'll just have a light meal... like soba noodles. Lacking willpower, I decide to go to "Sobadokoro Takao-tei Main Store". When I enter the restaurant, there's a huge daily special menu board at the entrance, really pushing for the mackerel miso stew set meal. Sounds good, right? With soba noodles? Oh, this is it! It's been a while since I had mackerel miso stew. "Excuse me! I'll have the mackerel miso stew set meal with cold soba noodles." While waiting, I observe the surroundings. The restaurant is beautifully designed with sunken kotatsu seating, regular tables, and a counter surrounding a hearth. There's a spacious kitchen in the back. After 5 minutes, the food is served. As I look at the food in front of me, I remember that I wanted to have a light meal. How did this happen? Was it when I entered through the curtain? Or when I saw the big menu board?... Never mind... Stay positive... Hmm? That's a convenient phrase. Not to worry... Stay positive... Change of mindset. Oh well, the mackerel miso stew with rice is delicious! The side dish is bitter melon stir-fry. Right now, I think even soba restaurants need these kinds of dishes to survive, it must be tough just selling soba noodles. Looking at the menu now, I notice the "Ultimate Kitsune" dish. A 17 cm diameter thick, freshly fried kitsune (fried tofu)? Oh, maybe that's what I should have ordered. It's healthy. I enjoy the cold soba noodles, with firm, thin noodles that have a great texture and smoothness. Soba noodles are really good. I should come back to try the Ultimate Kitsune before summer. Thank you for the meal.

I went to the dealer for a 6-month car inspection around 1:00 PM. Since it would take about an hour, I decided to search for a place to have lunch on Tabelog. Since it was near the Hino Hashi intersection, it was a bit far to go to the station for food, so I decided to go to the main store of Takao-tei. The pork cutlet bowl at the branch in Hagoromo-cho was cheap and delicious, so I thought I would try the pork cutlet bowl at the main store as well. I arrived at around 1:30 PM. The menu stated that the pork cutlet bowl was recommended by the police interrogation room (lol) and it cost 900 yen, a bit more expensive than the branch. After about 10 minutes, it was ready. Pork cutlet bowls at soba restaurants often have a delicious broth, but the pork cutlet itself is not always good. However, this restaurant's pork cutlet was not bad. The breading was still crispy and the meat was not tough. Among pork cutlet bowls at soba restaurants, I think this one is on the better side. The branch's pork cutlet bowl has a great cost performance, so in comparison, this one is a bit tougher, but it is still a basic and tasty pork cutlet bowl.

During a car trip, we stopped by for a quick lunch. In the area near Minamiguchi Station, there are mostly chain restaurants along the main road, but I prefer to avoid those. I remembered this place and decided to visit again. I had noticed last time that this traditional udon and soba shop had a unique approach, so I was looking forward to coming back. There is a parking lot in front of the shop, which is relatively easy to park in, making me happy. Looking at the menu, I was surprised by the variety of unusual dishes they offered, such as Cheese Dak Galbi Udon for 950 yen, Ebi Tempura Cream Udon or Soba for 1,200 yen, Squid Ink Black Udon or Soba for 800 yen, and Green Curry Udon or Soba for 900 yen. It was a lineup that got me excited! I had a hard time deciding because all the options were appealing. I decided to be true to my preferences and ordered the Ebi Tempura Cream Udon for 1,200 yen, which came with rice as part of the lunch service. The dish was served promptly, and after taking a bite, I smiled at the rich and creamy taste with a mild touch and well-balanced deliciousness. The tempura shrimp with matcha salt added a nice accent. The combination of udon and rice was as expected, but it was still enjoyable. The person I was dining with ordered the Squid Ink Black Soba, which was seriously jet black in color. They joked that maybe the udon would have been a better choice. I'm curious about the other unique menu items and look forward to trying them next time. Thank you for the meal.

On February 20th (Saturday), it was a cold and rainy day. I had some errands in Tachikawa, so after finishing them, I planned to stop by a nostalgic restaurant to have something warm to eat. Tachikawa is where I consider my hometown, even though I was born and raised in Tokyo. It used to have fields and rice paddies, providing plenty of natural play areas. Now it has become a convenient but somewhat less livable town. My parents were farmers, which was a rare occupation in this area when I was a child. Most of my classmates' parents were regular salarymen. The large fields that used to be in one place have been divided into smaller plots due to urban development. Near Takao-tei, there are small farms where I used to help out with rice harvesting and other tasks. Takao-tei, a restaurant that has been around since 1928, holds many childhood memories for me. It reminds me of the days when I used to play around this area. I remember the old building before the current one. I often played at the Takao-tei area, as well as at the candy store owned by an old lady near my elementary school, and the fishing pond called Tachikawa-en. In the summer, we used to swim at the municipal pool, which is now the Shibazaki gymnasium. The pool was crowded and expensive, so we sometimes went to the cheaper and colder Tachikawa-en fishing pond instead. Next to the fishing pond was a rice paddy where spring water flowed, and we used to catch crayfish and river shrimp there. We also enjoyed fishing in the pond and the nearby river where the hot spring water from Tachikawa Onsen mixed with the spring water from the rice paddy. At Takao-tei, I ordered a bowl of Nabeyaki Udon, which I hadn't eaten in decades. It was a cold and rainy day, so the warm Nabeyaki Udon warmed me up and tasted delicious. It brought back many nostalgic memories. As I saw the staff preparing for a delivery, I remembered how we used to order takeout from places like Masudaya or Takao-tei when we had guests over. Spring is just around the corner, and soon the cherry blossoms along the Neagawa River will start to bloom.

(Revisit January 2016) It's been a while since my last visit. I saw a delicious-looking "Yaki Curry Udon" on some online news and it caught my interest. The image of this restaurant didn't quite match my expectations, but it seemed like they had changed the menu a bit and maybe the cooking style too? I ordered the "Yaki Curry Udon for 850 yen." When asked if I wanted rice with it, I immediately said yes. The colorful curry udon had a mild flavor and I enjoyed it all the way to the rice at the end. It was delicious. A restaurant that you can easily visit by car in this area is quite valuable. Thank you for the meal. ========== On this day, I had to work a night shift at the care home at short notice. I planned to get some rest until noon, then go early to finish up some work, but decided to have a light lunch nearby. Since I was driving, I needed a place with parking. Heading towards Hinodecho from Tachikawa... I couldn't think of any places for a light meal, but I remembered a restaurant that was suggested during a family meal discussion with my partner. I decided to stop by there on a whim. As I entered, I passed by a taxi driver. If a taxi driver comes to this restaurant, can I expect good food? He was the last customer, and there were no other patrons. "Please sit wherever you like." I was free to choose my seat. I sat at the counter. ☆★ Katsu Don for 950 yen. ☆★ The catchphrase for the Katsu Don is "Deeply rooted in tradition." These words stirred my heart, and I suddenly felt like having Katsu Don. I didn't have to wait long before it was served. The soba was delicious with a firm texture. However, it didn't have a special impact. The expected Katsu Don had a standard taste. The meat was tender, with a solid and delicious flavor, just the right amount of seasoning. It wasn't outstanding, but it was simply delicious and made me want to eat it again. The seating arrangement could be easily adjusted for different purposes, making this restaurant very convenient. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

I was riding my bicycle near Tachikawa Station South, so I decided to visit Takao-tei, which had been visited by my fellow reviewers before. When I entered the restaurant, there was only one customer already there, and another person came in later. The second customer was wearing a jersey and seemed like they had just rolled out of bed on a weekend. It seems like a local establishment. The exterior of the restaurant exudes a sense of history, but the inside is well maintained and clean. Looking at the menu, I noticed that the reviews and prices seemed different. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the reviews mentioned "Hagoromo Branch," so I realized that Takao-tei had a completely different menu structure. Since I couldn't just leave, I ordered the lunch set for 820 yen. Today's rice bowl was a vegetable tempura rice bowl, so I chose the soba noodles. Both the customer in front of me and the one behind me were eating udon, so maybe udon would have been a better choice? After a while, the ordered set arrived. Well, it seemed pretty standard. In addition to the rice bowl and soba noodles, there was a small salad included. This left a good impression. The soba dipping sauce was quite orthodox, typical of a local soba shop, not bad but lacking in originality. The soba noodles were firm and slid smoothly into the mouth. The vegetable tempura was plentiful and large, which was good, but the bamboo shoots seemed undercooked, making them a bit tough. The eggplant was large and good, but you need to be careful when taking a bite (laughs). The cost-performance ratio and taste seemed average. Next time, I would like to try the Hagoromo Branch.

This is a soba restaurant with a parking lot located around the Nishiki Central Street. It seems to be quite busy during weekday lunch hours. Although it has a long history, the interior is very clean. There are both tatami and table seats, so it should be fine for families with small children. The soba noodles are thin and cooked just right, not too firm or too soft. The soba broth is also quite tasty. It's just normal tasty. It's nice that soba-yu is served at the end, which is a sign of a proper soba restaurant. The menu lineup is quite typical for a soba restaurant, but they offer half-size options for rice bowls and the option to change to vegetable tempura only for tempura rice bowls, which is quite considerate. In the summer, cold soba noodles and eel rice bowls are also available, so I would like to try them someday.

I use this place occasionally, but the daily special set changes depending on the season. Today's special is shrimp and squid tempura rice bowl with soba or udon (¥820). It's quite far from Tachikawa Station and located in a residential area, so it can be difficult to find without knowing the area well. As a result, it doesn't get too crowded even during lunchtime. It seems like people from nearby companies often come here. I first visited about 20 years ago, so you could say it's a traditional soba restaurant.

On September 3, 2011, after having breakfast in Hachioji, I was not very hungry even after four hours, but I was invited to this restaurant. I used to come to this restaurant many times before and often ate a combination of soba and katsudon. Today, I ordered a cold wheat noodle for 750 yen and my wife ordered tempura soba for 950 yen. There was no chilled Chinese noodles on the menu. The cold wheat noodles came with seaweed, fish cake, diagonally sliced cucumber, and a large slice of watermelon. The condiments included finely chopped green onions and grated wasabi, and the dipping sauce was sweet and lightly seasoned with bonito flakes. I prefer mandarin oranges and myoga over the large watermelon as accompaniments for the cold wheat noodles. The slightly sweet fruits seem to enhance the flavor of the dipping sauce. As for the taste, the refreshing texture of the cold wheat noodles in the summer is exceptional. Especially since it will soon be unavailable (due to seasonal availability), it makes me feel a bit nostalgic for the departing season. We entered the restaurant just before lunchtime, and there were no customers. However, by the time we finished our meal, the restaurant was fully packed. The restaurant allows smoking, and there were customers smoking while entering. There were families with small children, so I thought it would be better if it was a non-smoking environment...

I often go to the pool at Asa Shibasaki's gym, and when I go from Tachikawa Station, I often pass by this restaurant thinking I should go in. It has been a few years already. There is a parking lot in front of the restaurant, making it very convenient. It's a small soba noodle shop in town, but the inside is quite spacious compared to typical small shops, so you can relax comfortably. I peeked into the kitchen, which was also spacious. This time, there were only two groups of customers, so the atmosphere inside was a bit lonely. Well, maybe they focus more on delivery orders since there are many. Since it's a soba noodle shop, I asked for a large serving of mori soba. The taste was common, not really standing out, more like the traditional soba taste that I often eat. It's not like a standing soba shop in front of the station, nor is it a high-end soba shop, but the broth was solid and the soba had a familiar taste that makes you want to eat it for lunch. The restaurant is spacious, so it might be good for families. There are no noisy gacha-gacha machines like at Gusto, and no free drinks. So, there's not much excitement for kids, but adults will be satisfied enough.