I had some errands to run in Tamachi and when I arrived at the station, it suddenly started pouring rain. I couldn't leave the building, so I looked around and saw many big cafe chains. One that caught my eye was Hakone Soba. Despite being busy and planning to skip lunch, I decided to order the Mori Oomori (extra large serving) for ¥520. I also got some soba broth and quickly finished my meal. The rain stopped just in time, which was a relief.

I visited a morning soba restaurant around 7:30 on a weekday. There were 7 customers before me and 5 customers after me. There were 2 energetic staff members working. You choose the temperature (hot or cold) at the ticket machine, but for soba udon, you need to order verbally. The disposable chopsticks were individually wrapped. The orders are managed collectively at the pick-up counter.

I visited a new restaurant today to compare their "豆腐一丁そば" with the one I usually have at "えきめん屋". The restaurant, "箱根そば", was clean and quiet when I arrived, despite the bustling morning outside. I ordered the "豆腐一丁冷しそば" and added some "空豆のかき揚げ". The tofu in the dish was larger than what I was used to, and the toppings included fried egg, bonito flakes, green onion, grated ginger, and wasabi. The noodles had a good texture and the broth was flavorful. The fried green beans were crispy and delicious. Overall, I enjoyed the meal and would definitely consider coming back for their seasonal menu items.

I visited the Hakkone Soba Tamachi store operated by Odakyu for the first time! This is my fifth time trying Hakkone Soba at their stores. The Tamachi Shibaura store is gone, so only the Tamachi store remains, even though there is no Odakyu Line here! The soba had a slightly sweet and light broth with chewy noodles. Delicious!

I visited the standing soba noodle shop "Hakone Soba" for the first time in a while. It is a representative category of food and beverage establishments that contribute to the common people. Does it fall into the fast food category? It may not match my image, but there is no mistake in calling it fast food. For lunch that day, I ordered soba noodles with onigiri, but unfortunately they were sold out of onigiri and inari sushi, which was disappointing. It seems that there are more orders for tempura soba than croquette, so I ended up being served tempura soba by mistake. Either way, it was fine with me. Thank you for the meal.

Today's dinner adventure took me to explore around Tamachi Station. Exiting from the south ticket gate of JR Tamachi Station and turning left, walking towards the west exit, taking the escalator down to the first floor, you will find a rotary. Walking a bit to the left, you will see the entrance to Tamachi Center Building Piatto on your left. Inside the building, walking straight ahead, you will find the restaurant I visited today, "Hakone Soba Tamachi Store," on your right. Upon entering the restaurant at 5:20 PM on a weekday, I checked the menu at the ticket machine located on the left side near the entrance. The menu includes various options such as soba, udon, tempura, meatballs, sets, rice bowls, toppings, and more. I decided to try the Curry Flavored Croquette Soba/Udon, so I pressed the corresponding button on the ticket machine. I received my food promptly after placing my ticket on the counter in front of the kitchen. The Curry Flavored Croquette Soba was served with a side of seaweed and chopped green onions. The soba broth was a rich, slightly sweet Kanto-style soy sauce base. The soba noodles were medium thickness and had a good texture. The croquette, a standard-sized oval-shaped croquette, had a curry flavor that was not too spicy and paired well with the potatoes. The seaweed added a nice contrast in flavor and texture. Overall, the combination of the soba, croquette, and seaweed in the broth was enjoyable. The croquette soaked up the broth, enhancing its flavor when eaten together with the soba. I finished my meal by slurping up the soba noodles, enjoying the croquette and seaweed, and savoring the last sip of the flavorful broth. It was a satisfying and tasty meal experience.

I had soba for the first time in a long time! (But I actually had udon.) It was a Monday afternoon at 1:45, and I was in a rush but super hungry. I estimated that it would take 4 minutes to make and 4 minutes to eat, so I wanted to leave the restaurant before 2 PM and arrive at my client's place by 2:15 PM. Then, I planned to talk to them and catch the company bus back to Tamachi Station at 2:30 PM. The restaurant was not along the Odakyu Line but on JR Tamachi, which felt a bit strange, but I was excited to eat there again! I ordered the Mini Katsudon set for 720 yen from the ticket machine. The food came in about 3 and a half minutes, and I dug in right away. The soy sauce was still quite strong, and the seaweed had a salty taste. The udon was a bit thinner than my preference, but the Mini Katsudon was tasty, just like any other standing soba shop. I ate it all in a rush, like a dog I once picked up from the street. I didn't think about anything and just ate. It took about 4 minutes, just as I estimated. Thank you for the meal! Now, off to my client's place! (Am I really okay as a salesperson like this? Well...) I arrived at the client's place, delivered what I needed to, talked a lot, and left. It was 2:27 PM, and the bus was in a bit of a traffic jam. I hurried onto the bus and sighed with relief. After one more visit, I could take the Oedo Line back to the office and maybe catch some sleep...

I visited the soba and udon restaurant "Hakone Soba Tamachi Branch" around 3 pm on a certain day in May 2022. Located just a 1-minute walk from Tamachi Station, the not-so-spacious interior had two customers already seated. I chose the "Cold Soba with Tempura" for ¥470 using the ticket machine, then presented my ticket at the order counter. After a 3-minute wait, I received my dish and sat at the counter to eat. The cold soba came with tempura, grated daikon radish, chopped green onions, and a dab of wasabi on the edge of the bowl. I enjoyed dipping the tempura in the cold broth and eating it with the soba. The combination of grated daikon radish and tempura was delightful. I savored the sweetness of the vegetables and the refreshing taste of the daikon radish. The tempura, though not freshly fried, was large and satisfying to eat. The soba had just the right firmness, and I enjoyed it with a touch of wasabi. I quickly finished the well-balanced soba with its delicious broth, priced at only ¥470. It was a great deal to enjoy at "Hakone Soba." The restaurant's convenient location near the station makes it easily accessible for business people.

Chicken tempura spicy cold soba for 580 yen. It was Saturday afternoon and the desired restaurant had already closed for lunch. Well, it's understandable that business hours may change in these times. I didn't have much time until my next appointment, so I needed to find another option. Oh, I noticed that the Hakone Soba restaurant is still open! And they have a poster for cold soba. The weather felt like early summer, so I decided to go for it. The restaurant was about half full. When I presented the ticket for "Chicken tempura spicy cold soba," they informed me that the soba would be cooked fresh so I would have to wait a bit. However, it didn't take long for the dish to arrive. The cold soba was served with fresh tempura chicken, bamboo shoots, boiled egg, and plenty of chopped white onions. The spicy broth with floating chili oil added a nice kick. The soba noodles were firm and had a good texture. There was a generous amount of noodles, equivalent to about 1.5 servings. The tempura chicken was unfortunately cold, but still tender. The bamboo shoots were crunchy and satisfying. Overall, for 580 yen, it was a decent bowl of cold soba. I would definitely consider coming back again.

JR Tamachi Station, go down the stairs on the Mita side and turn left, on the first floor of piata (Tamachi Center Building). Famous Hakone soba. I often have standing soba for breakfast. It's rare to see anglerfish tempura at a standing soba place. I think it's a seasonal limited item. I tried the menu with anglerfish tempura and chrysanthemum tempura on top (Anglerfish Tempura Chrysanthemum Tempura Soba/Udon) with udon. The contrasting flavors and textures of anglerfish and chrysanthemum, plus adding a raw egg, allowed me to enjoy the udon in a different way three times. Definitely give it a try.

■Access 1 minute walk from JR Tamachi Station 2 minute walk from Toei Mita Line and Toei Asakusa Line Mita Station ■Number of Visits First time ■Purpose Lunch alone ■Overview Located in the commercial facility Piata on the 1st floor, this is the Tamachi branch of "Hakone Soba", a standing soba restaurant operated by the Odakyu Group. While the main area for Hakone Soba is along the Odakyu Line, there are also franchise-operated stores in other areas. You can visit the official website of the restaurant here: https://www.odakyu-restaurant.jp/shop/hakonesoba/hakonesoba/ ■Menu The basic Kakesoba starts from 320 yen, reflecting the reasonable pricing typical of standing soba restaurants. In addition to the main menu items like Kakiage Soba and Tororo Soba, there are also seasonal limited-time menu items available. On this day, I tried the seasonal limited-time menu of Anko Tempura and Shungiku Tempura Soba (560 yen). ■Impressions Although Hakone Soba is a chain restaurant, they have a commitment to making their soba from fresh noodles, resulting in a simple yet delicious taste that I enjoy. The thin noodles are easy to eat, with a pleasant aroma. The slightly rich broth also has a strong umami flavor. The thick Anko Tempura provided a satisfying crunch, and the Shungiku Tempura added a nice touch of bitterness, complementing the soba well. I will definitely visit again when I want a quick and satisfying meal. Thank you for the meal. ■Rating at the time of visit 3.17

I had an anglerfish tempura and a spring chrysanthemum tempura at a casual soba restaurant located on the Shinagawa side of Tamachi Station, which is part of the Odakyu group. Although I have a health check-up coming up, I couldn't resist the seasonal menu. The chrysanthemum is a vegetable and the anglerfish is a white meat, and I was soothed by the sweet broth and supple fresh noodles with oil. I found myself dreaming of trying anglerfish in Oarai.

Revisited for the fourth time. I tried the "Cold Kakiage Soba" (450 yen). The kakiage was crispy and substantial, with a good amount of both batter and ingredients. When dipped in the broth, the batter cracks and the broth seeps into the ingredients, creating a nice balance. The batter doesn't soften immediately, so you can enjoy the crispy texture before mixing it with the soba. The chewy texture of the soba acts as a buffer, toning down the crispiness. Through this unique approach, the crispy texture is conquered. Another crispy legend in the making.

This is a standing soba restaurant located on the first floor of the Tamachi Center Building in front of JR Tamachi Station, operated by the Odakyu group. The franchisee is Jiro Restaurant System Co., Ltd., known for places like Aru Den Tei. I visited for breakfast during a trip to Tamachi. While the best standing soba shop in the area for breakfast is usually "Isshin Tasuke", I decided to try this place because I wanted to try their signature croquette soba. I once visited the flagship store of Hakone Soba in Shinjuku called "Hakone Soba Honjin" during a business trip to Yamanashi, but to my surprise, they did not have croquette soba on the menu. Since then, I was waiting for a chance to have my revenge. It was around 7:40 am when I visited, and the shop was almost full of nearby office workers. I purchased the croquette soba for 430 yen from the ticket machine near the entrance. After exchanging the ticket, I received my bowl in about 2 minutes. I took a seat at the standing counter separated by partitions and started eating. The bowl contained the soba noodles with a normal-sized oval croquette, seaweed, chopped green onions, and nothing else. The soba noodles were cooked in batches of fresh noodles, and the flavor and texture were decent. The soy sauce-based soba broth was also at a good level. While the croquette was not freshly fried, it was still good. Unlike tempura, the charm of a standing soba croquette lies in the mashed potato absorbing the soba broth. The unique feature of Hakone Soba is that they use curry croquettes, but whether a regular croquette or a curry croquette is better is up for debate. However, curry croquettes also go well with soba broth. Confirming this was the highlight of my visit this time.

The closest standing soba shop from Tamachi Station Mita exit. Even if it's not along the Odakyu line, there is a shop in the Shinbashi New Shinbashi Building. For a railway soba chain, it has a good quality along with Shibusoba. Topping the morning soba with grated turnip and eating the raw egg without breaking it until the end. If it's a hot spring egg, it's also good to break it and eat it with tempura or mix it with soba, but I don't want to break the raw egg as it changes the taste of the broth too much... lol. Thank you for the delicious morning soba today. Soba (udon) standing shop ranking for love and longing: 1. Sobayoshi (Nihonbashi) 5.0 2. Ala Rokuya (Mita) 4.5 3. Tenka Soba (Tsukiji) 4.3 4. Monjyu (Ryogoku) 4.1 5. Motonaga (Yurigaoka) 4.0 5. Yomoda Soba (Ginza) 4.0 5. Isshintasuke (Mita) 4.0 5. Kanoya (Shinbashi) 4.0 5. Ooyoshida (Toranomon) 4.0 5. Monjyu (Oyama) 4.0 11. Gangi (Mita) 3.9 11. Kameya (Kanda East Exit) 3.9 13. Shinshuya (Shibuya) 3.8 13. Tanbayu (Shinbashi) 3.8 13. Dontei (Okurayama) 3.8 15. Okutone (Shinbashi) 3.7 15. Tenkame (Edogawabashi) 3.7 17. Iwamoto Q (Jimbocho) 3.5 17. Kisoba Suzuichi (Yokohama) 3.5 17. Yamatoya (Nakanobu) 3.5 17. Nisshoken (Higashikanagawa) 3.5 Tokiwaken (Shinagawa Yamanote Line) 3.4 Yudetaro (Mita) 3.4 Sotei (Noborito) 3.4 Metro An (Shinkiba) 3.4 Shibusoba (Futakotamagawa) 3.3 Shibusoba (Mizonokuchi) 3.3 Umemoto (Mizonokuchi) closed 3.3 Nadai Hakone Soba (Tamachi) 3.3 Sobaichi (Shinjuku) 3.3 Saga Valley (Shibuya) 3.3 Komoro Soba (Shinbashi) 3.3 Jinsoba (Nishi-Hachioji) 3.3 Fuji Soba (Shinbashi) 3.0 Hanamaru Soba (Nishi-Oshima) 3.0 Yoshisoba (Shibuya) 3.0. As of October 21, 2021, eliminated in the preliminary round Irorian Kiroku Ajisai Chaya.

I decided to try and conquer the standing soba shops near my company for lunch today. Usually, I always go for the kakiage soba, but I wanted to get a set, so I ordered the karaage don set with an additional kakiage on the side. However, I made a mistake today. I accidentally pressed the karaage don set button. When I mentioned this at the counter, they kindly accepted my request. And of course, they promptly processed the refund as well. I feel really sorry about that. As for the taste, the kakiage soba had standard noodles and soup. The kakiage was homemade and had a solid texture. However, the karaage don was not that great. The karaage had a processed meat-like taste, and it was hard to tell if it was the coating or the meat itself that wasn't tasty. The shredded cabbage on top of the rice felt dry, and everything - the rice, sauce, cabbage, and karaage - seemed like separate entities. I felt like I should have just stuck with the kakiage soba. But, I took a step forward towards my goal of conquering all the shops. Next time, I might try a different tempura topping with the karaage don set.

I went solo to Hakone Soba in Tamachi to try their seasonal limited edition Tofu One Block Soba. It's a simple style of cold soba topped with cold tofu. I remembered a local senior's advice to sprinkle a lot of red pepper on the cold tofu to make it tastier, so I did and it really enhanced the flavor. I managed to finish it all, so I should be fine (unlike a certain person who got banned from a noodle shop for emptying a bottle of seven-spice blend and leaving a lot behind). #EarlyMorningTamachiHakoneSobaClub #NoodleShopFirst #SobaForBreakfast

Hello. I am the president of the Japan Curry Croquette Soba Association. One thing that should not be mistaken is that the croquette is a curry croquette. It is not a croquette in curry soba. It is a curry croquette in soba. The first time I tried it was at a standing soba shop near the connecting point of the JR (at that time) and Keio Teito Electric Railway (at that time) at Funabashi Station. At that time, there were no transfer gates, and you could pass freely. It was a good old time. I remember the cheap curry croquette vividly. I wonder how much it was? It was many years ago, so I forgot (laughs). I often stopped on my way home from school to fill my stomach. Since then, I haven't been exclusively devoted to curry croquette soba, but at restaurants that offer it, I almost always choose it (laughs). However, most croquette soba places serve regular croquettes. It's hard to find curry croquettes. Hako Soba is a precious store. It can be said to be a heritage of curry croquette soba (assertion). And today. After a long time, curry croquette soba. I'm ready to die. I don't want to die, though. I'm getting vaccinated this week. The curry croquette has a slightly burnt edge. It's the first time for me. I felt like the curry flavor was a little less. Anyway, I'm glad I didn't die. I'll come back again. Thank you for the meal.

Over the past six months, I have been doing intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast, which has led to a significant decrease in eating morning soba on weekdays. However, on this day, due to having an early dinner the previous day and a full morning meeting until 1 pm, I had the chance to enjoy a delicious soba breakfast topped with grated turnip at a reliable railway soba restaurant. It was truly delicious, as expected from "Hakosoba". Here is a ranking of standing-eating soba (or udon) restaurants: 1. Sobayoshi (Nihonbashi) 5.0 2. Ala Rokuya (Mita) 4.5 3. Tenka (Tsukiji) 4.3 4. Bunshu (Ryogoku) 4.1 5. Yomodasoba (Ginza) 4.0 5. Isshintasuke (Mita) 4.0 5. Kanoya (Shimbashi) 4.0 5. Okiyoshida (Toranomon) 4.0 9. Gangi (Mita) 3.9 9. Kameya (Kanda East Exit) 3.9 11. Shinshuya (Shibuya) 3.8 11. Tanbaya (Shimbashi) 3.8 11. Honke Shibusoba (Shibuya) 3.8 11. Dontei (Okurayama) 3.8 15. Okutone (Shimbashi) 3.7 15. Tenkame (Edogawabashi) 3.7 19. Iwamoto Q (Jimbocho) 3.5 19. Kisoba Suzuichi (Yokohama) 3.5 19. Yamatoya (Nakanobu) 3.5 19. Nichiei-ken (Higashikanagawa) 3.5 Yudetaro (Mita) 3.4 Sotei (Noborito) 3.4 Metroan (Shinkiba) 3.4 Shibusoba (Futakotamagawa) 3.3 Shibusoba (Mizonokuchi) 3.3 Umemoto (Mizonokuchi) - Closed 3.3 Meidai Hakonesoba (Tamachi) 3.3 Sobaiichi (Shinjuku) 3.3 Sagatani (Shibuya) 3.3 Sobashin (Jiyugaoka) - Closed 3.3 Komoro Soba (Shimbashi) 3.3 Fujisoba (Shimbashi) 3.0 Hanamaru Soba (Nishioi) 3.0 Yoshisoba (Shibuya) 3.0 As of September 21, eliminated in the preliminary round: Irorian Kiroku Ajisai Chaya

*Tokyu has Shibusoba, Keikyu has Ekimenya, Odakyu has Hakosoba *It is rare to find Hakosoba near JR stations *Today's special was seasonal soba *Luxurious toppings included spring chrysanthemum, scallops, and squid tempura *Usually, I top my morning soba with grated turnip *Hakosoba is above average for station soba, alongside Shibusoba *They serve freshly boiled raw soba I enjoyed my meal today as well. Thank you for the delicious meal.