I visited a soba restaurant called "Otakeya" around 5 pm on a certain day in July 2022. Located about a 2-minute walk from Hakusan Station, the restaurant had a cozy family-run atmosphere with no other customers at the time. I sat at a table alone and ordered the "Oroshi Soba" for ¥750. After waiting for about 7-8 minutes, the dish was served. The Oroshi Soba came with grated daikon radish, cucumber, bonito flakes, and chopped nori on top of the soba noodles. I added some green onions and poured the cold dipping sauce before enjoying the dish. The soba had a nice texture, the flavorful dipping sauce, and the combination of grated daikon radish created a pleasant taste. The fragrant bonito flakes added a nice touch, and the crunchy cucumber enhanced the summer vibe. I enjoyed the chilled Oroshi Soba with wasabi, finding it refreshing and easy to eat even when not feeling very hungry. The well-balanced combination of the dipping sauce, soba noodles, and toppings made the dish disappear quickly. While ordering just soba is fine, I recommend trying the set menu with a rice bowl for a more satisfying meal. This soba restaurant had a cozy, homely atmosphere typical of a downtown eatery. As more customers arrived during my meal, it seemed to be a beloved spot among locals.

Just a 3-minute walk from Shirokane Station on the Toei Mita Line towards Kasuga Station, you'll find a cozy little soba restaurant called "Ota-ya." Their mori soba and kake soba are only 450 yen, what a deal! I ordered the cold nukisoba for 700 yen, which came with crispy tenkasu, shredded cucumber, sliced tamagoyaki, and imitation crab sticks. The soba noodles were thin and flavorful, and the broth had a mild taste. It was delicious, but the portion was a bit small. A shame. Check out the blog post for more details.

Visited on July 1, 2016 - White Mountain Lunch. Since the soba shop near my workplace was not great, I decided to walk about 5 minutes to try another soba shop. From Hakusan Station, head south on the old Hakusan Street, past a confusing intersection, and turn left into the shopping street. The shop is right there on the left. I visited on a Friday just before noon. The interior of the shop has a calm atmosphere with only table seating. I sat near the entrance. Since it was already hot, I decided to go for something cold. I ordered the "Cold Nuki Udon" (700 yen) as I thought plain soba would be too boring. It took almost 10 minutes for the dish to arrive, which made me wonder if the noodles were not pre-cooked. The dish was topped with fried tempura bits, tamagoyaki, cucumber, naruto, imitation crab, and had a generous amount of toppings. The noodles were thin and had a great texture. The broth was flavorful and not bad at all. Although the noodles were a bit dry at first, mixing everything together enhanced the overall taste. The portion of noodles was surprisingly filling, and I left satisfied. The shop also offers a variety of rice bowl and soba set options, making it a convenient neighborhood soba shop. Visited on July 9, 2016 - It was raining quite heavily on this day, so I decided to have lunch nearby. I revisited this place that I enjoyed last time. The shop was cozy with a few customers around early afternoon. I ordered the "Oomori" soba (600 yen) this time. It was served quickly. The portion seemed a bit small. The thin soba noodles were smooth and tasty. The broth was slightly sweet and lukewarm, which was a bit disappointing, but overall it was delicious. I enjoyed the noodles and finished with the soba-yu. It was okay. Considering the affordable price, I think it offers good value for money. [Shop Information] Bunkyo-ku, Hakusan 1-30-8

This is a soba restaurant located near the intersection at the foot of Mount Hakusan. The entrance of the restaurant may seem narrow from the outside, but once inside, it feels surprisingly spacious (with five 4-seater tables). The staff at the restaurant are efficient and pleasant. I ordered the oyakodon and mori soba set (950 yen). The dishes were well-prepared and flavorful. The broth used in the dishes had a distinct soba restaurant flavor that I enjoyed. It was delicious. While I was eating, I noticed they were taking orders over the phone, so they might also offer delivery service. Overall, it was a great experience at this traditional soba restaurant in the neighborhood. Thank you for the meal.