Ramen > Pasta > Udon > Soba. Soba noodles don't really catch my attention compared to other types of noodles, but on a hot day, I somehow feel like eating them. This time, I went to Muryoka in Minamisuna-cho. When I googled "Minamisuna-cho Muryoka," I found out that they are known for their large portions of soba. As I stood in front of the shop, I pondered whether I really like soba enough to order a large portion. Eventually, I went inside and hastily changed my order to Curry Nanban instead of the large portion. It wasn't the cold soba I was craving due to the heat. Located in a residential area, this shop serves simple yet delicious soba. I'm not particularly drawn to curry rice, but when I see Curry Nanban or Curry Udon at a soba shop, I can't help but order it. It may not be outstandingly delicious, but it's a nice place to casually drop by for lunch. Somehow, I'm starting to crave Curry Udon now. This is the day I stepped into a soba shop in a residential area.

What should I eat? As usual, I searched online and found a restaurant with amazing reviews and photos. It seemed like a hidden gem in a residential area, known for its large portions. I decided to check it out and it was quite crowded with locals and construction workers. I ordered the "large soba" and noticed that no one else seemed to be ordering extra-large portions. However, even the regular size was already a generous serving. When my order arrived, I was surprised by the huge portion of soba noodles. It was topped with green onions, wasabi, and seaweed. It was a challenge to eat because there was so much food. I struggled to separate the noodles and dip them in the sauce. The texture was chewy, almost like udon or cold noodles. Despite the overwhelming portion, the soba was tasty and the restaurant seemed popular among the locals.

I visited the restaurant around 12:30 on a regular day. Today, I came here with a colleague's recommendation, which was unusual. The restaurant had a Showa-era atmosphere, both in its exterior and interior, like a traditional soba restaurant in a town. When we entered, there were no other customers in the restaurant, which made us wonder if everything was okay. But as a few more groups came in and about half of the seats were filled, we felt relieved. I ordered the following dishes this time: - Large Zaru Soba for 750 yen: ★★★★+ The soba seemed to be a type of soba made with about 50% wheat flour, similar to "Yude Tarou" or "Komoro Soba." It's just a regular soba from a traditional local soba restaurant. However, the portion was not ordinary. It was overwhelmingly large, probably around three times the amount you would get at a regular soba restaurant. My colleague, who is a big eater, recommended it, and it truly had a huge volume! I was worried that there wouldn't be enough dipping sauce for so much soba, but it turned out to be unnecessary concern. As you can see in the photo, the dipping sauce was filled up to the top of the tokkuri (sake decanter). The flavor of the dipping sauce was not the typical sweet one with a lot of bonito flakes, but rather a sharp and unexpectedly spicy one. And they used real wasabi! I was surprised by the price as well. [Overall Evaluation] The taste and interior of the restaurant are like a traditional town soba restaurant. The menu also includes many options other than soba. The unique feature of this place is the large portion size, which is beyond belief. The fact that they have regular customers is understandable because of this. Despite the simple strategy of serving huge portions, I couldn't help but feel happy and satisfied after a long time.

I visited the restaurant on a quiet street next to a junior high school on a Saturday afternoon. I ordered the large portion of soba noodles for 700 yen. The noodles were thin and had a good texture. The broth was delicious, not too salty, with a strong bonito flavor. The portion size was generous, and most people would be very satisfied. They had one-spice chili pepper on the table instead of shichimi, which added a nice spicy kick. I also used the restroom, which was very clean and well-maintained. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience that I recommend to everyone.

In my late 20s, I used to work delivering food and drinks from a wholesale warehouse near this restaurant to liquor stores, so I would eat lunch here 2-3 times a week. After about 4 years, I left the transportation company I worked for and moved, so I gradually stopped going. I moved to the countryside and when I occasionally visited Tokyo, I thought about coming back here, but several years passed. The last time I visited was in March 2011, when a friend picked me up from Haneda Airport. Now, after 7 years, in December 2018, I returned with my wife. This time, we drove and parked at a coin parking lot nearby before entering the restaurant around 12:10 pm. It was crowded during lunchtime back then, and I always shared a table with someone, just like this time. We already knew what we wanted to order - I got the Tenzaru Soba and my wife got the Tendon. The portions here are quite generous, but back then, I had a big appetite and would eat large servings of soba or katsudon, but now that I'm in my 50s, I decided to go for a regular size. As I looked around the restaurant until our food arrived, I saw the same man from before cooking soba noodles, still working hard. It was a bit touching to see him still at it (laughs). The menu posted on the wall was just like before, and I felt nostalgic. When our food arrived, it was a reunion with the soba after a long time. The shrimp tempura was crispy and delicious! The soba noodles were a bit softer than I remembered, but it was still good. I ate the mountain of soba carefully, trying not to spill any, and before I knew it, it was all gone. I realized I could have handled the large serving after all. My wife also finished her generous portion of Tendon easily. I resisted the urge to eat more and enjoyed some soba broth. It was a short but enjoyable trip down memory lane. If I have the chance, I would love to visit this restaurant again. I hope they continue to do well.

Visited during lunch time. The restaurant was about 70% full and seemed quite popular. Ordered the tempura soba set. The portion was huge! However, the taste and aroma were lacking, so I couldn't finish it. There was only one shrimp tempura, so finishing the meal was impossible. Looking at other tables, it seemed like others were also leaving food uneaten. This place might be perfect for those who value quantity over taste!

I visited the restaurant for lunch as I had some errands nearby. It was a little quiet after 1:30 pm. Even at 2:00 pm, I could enter if there were people inside. The restaurant has a traditional atmosphere. Many customers ordered the large serving of chilled tanuki udon. Although they also offer set meals, the portions here are generally large, so it may be popular among men. I was enticed by the smell of curry and ordered the curry soba with a smaller portion of soba. Even then, it was quite a generous serving.

Mini katsu don set, mori soba. Stomach full.

The quality was below expectations.

Delicious and very cheap.

Today I went to a work meeting near Minamisunamachi station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. I finished my business just in time for lunch and decided to visit this restaurant. It was bustling with nearby workers even before noon. I ordered the "Ozaru" soba, which was a generous portion and left me feeling satisfied. The soy sauce-based broth was not too salty, with a mellow flavor that paired well with the soft noodles. They also offer other menu items like katsudon and curry, making it a great spot for a lunch break.

The desired Onomichi ramen shop was closed, so I became a lunch refugee in Minamisuna-cho and ended up walking to a soba shop called "Maruka" in Machiba. I also remember going to a soba shop with the same name in Kawasaki. The shop had no sense of luxury, so I didn't have high expectations when I ordered the mori soba for 600 yen (tax included). When the mori soba was brought to the previous customer, the amount was huge. I thought they probably ordered a large serving, but my soba had the same amount! (◎_◎;) It easily had the amount of two servings of standing soba. Despite the noodles being boiled in hot water, they lacked firmness and seemed to have a high wheat flour content. My stomach was completely full after the meal.

We visited the restaurant for lunch with 3 people. There is no parking lot at the restaurant, but there is a coin parking nearby so it's convenient. (If you tell the staff that you came by car, you will receive a 50 yen meal ticket on your way out) I was excited to enter the restaurant as my colleague had told me, "Even the regular size is quite a lot, so if you get the large size, it's a lot to handle." It was close to 12:30, but there were still seats available. The atmosphere of the restaurant had a Showa era vibe, and the staff were nice. There were only 3 reviews on Tabelog, so it might not be well-known. There were many menu items posted on the wall, including individual soba, udon, and set meals. After some consideration, I ordered the "Teriyaki Don Set" for 1,000 yen. You can choose between mori (cold) and kake (hot) soba for the set. Since it was cold, I chose "kake." It was served relatively quickly. It seemed fast to me. It may be hard to see in the picture, but the bowl was packed with soba and rice! The kake soba had a simple topping of green onions only. The soba was really packed as rumored... a lot of it. The soba was cooked soft, so you could swallow it without chewing. And the broth was delicious!! The best taste I've had recently! It was a bit sweet, but had a clear and distinct flavor. It was delicious!! The teriyaki don had about 5-6 pieces of chicken on top of the rice. The amount of rice was quite large for a set bowl, so the balance was a bit off... The "Mini Katsu Don Set" that my colleague was eating looked more delicious. The "Curry Udon" that the other person ordered was also a large portion, overflowing from the bowl onto the tray, even though they ordered the regular size. It also looked delicious. It's a happy restaurant where you can eat deliciously and get full. If you have a small appetite, you may not be able to finish it. I might challenge the large size next time.

Today, on my way back from Kasai, I felt hungry so I decided to stop by Soba restaurant Maruka for the first time in a while. I was torn between getting the half curry set, the pork cutlet curry, or the cold soba, but because it was hot outside, I chose the cold soba in large portion (750 yen). The regular portion is 650 yen, but even that seemed like more than the large portions at other restaurants. It only took about 10 minutes for my order to be ready. Every time I see it, I can't help but be amazed by the huge portion! I've been eating less lately, so I was worried if I could finish it all, but somehow I managed to eat everything. Ah, my stomach is so full now! Thank you for the meal!

I visited around 11:30 on Saturday, there were no customers before me and 2 customers after me. I ordered the soba set meal (¥750) in cold style, although I didn't know the contents of the set meal at that time. It was ready in about 8 minutes - the cold soba came with tempura and fried tofu. The set meal also included rice, raw egg, pickles, pickled plum, and bonito simmered in soy sauce. The soba had a good volume and a refreshing texture. I had the option to put the raw egg into the soba, but I chose to have it as TKG (raw egg over rice). It was my first time having TKG at a soba restaurant. Even with a regular size, I felt satisfied.

It suddenly got hot again, so I felt like eating something refreshing. I searched on Tabelog and found this place, so I decided to visit. The portion was quite large as shown in the photo, but the noodles were a bit overcooked and lacked firmness. Despite being a tempura set, there was only one shrimp. The katsudon that the person next to me was eating looked delicious, so I might try that next time. It was a Saturday afternoon, but there were a lot of big eaters there. The restaurant has an old-fashioned soba shop atmosphere, but don't underestimate it or you'll regret it.

Baby, I Love Your Way Mataruga @ Higashi Suna Theme: Extra Edition Noodle Series We, the Tokyo Hormones, are a group of B-food lovers who order everything in kilos. This is the story of Baby, I Love Your Way Mataruga @ Higashi Suna. After receiving a message saying, "Did you eat soba yesterday? Then let's eat it today too!" a car came to pick me up. It was MASA-C, making a surprise appearance after a long time. At Saito Sakaba in Jujou, he fell asleep unexpectedly. "I'm sleepy so I'll sleep." Well, that's fine. You're free to do as you please. He boasted, "You should sing with your lips closed while wearing a ruby ring!" and sang along to nostalgic songs during the 30-40 minute drive. "Oh, so this is the place everyone's been talking about." The only information I had was from MASA-C, who said, "When you sit down, order the 'Tenmorishiruatsudai'." That's it. I didn't know if this place was good or bad, but as soon as I sat down, I ordered, "Tenmorishiruatsudai please." MASA-C said, "I'll have the Tenmorishiruatsu!" Huh? Isn't that a few letters short? A few minutes later... "Here's your Tenmorishiruatsudai, piping hot." The Big Mountain inside me screamed, "Huh? Wait a minute. This is the Tenmorishiruatsudai, right? So, the 'dai' in the Tenmorishiruatsudai I ordered is... 'large', isn't it?" Next to the shrimp tempura, it started to look like a sphinx. At that moment, a slight uneasiness crept in... Will we be able to finish this never-ending amount of food? Will the shrimp tempura and seaweed be able to help us in this battle? No matter how much we eat, it doesn't seem to decrease. This is a fight. A fight between the owner and me. When it comes to a fight, it's a matter of taking or being taken. Once you step back, you can't take the lead until you die. (Sorry, I'm really into this...). The battle is over. We, the Hiroshima-based organization Mataruga Group, have successfully stopped the invasion of Hiroshima. The bench outside the restaurant is not for waiting, but for resting after a meal. We look up at the sky, grateful that we were able to eat to our heart's content today. *The "large" refers to using one kilo of soba. Baby, I Love Your Way. Where did Big Mountain's CD go? Restaurant Name: Mataruga Phone Number: 03-3646-4060 Address: 8-3-11 Higashi Suna, Koto-ku, Tokyo Access: 720m from Minamisuna Station Business Hours: 10:30-16:00, 17:00-20:00 Closed on Sundays and holidays (Source: Tabelog)