りょんこ
I felt like having warm soba for lunch today. Although I secretly like "curry soba", my number one favorite is still "Kamonanban". So, I searched for a soba restaurant with good reviews for Kamonanban or Kamoseiro. I found this place and decided to visit it right away.
1. Exterior, atmosphere, interior of the restaurant:
Located about a 2-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station, it is a convenient location near the station. It is on the basement floor of a mixed building, so it is good to look for the menu signboards and flags on the street. There is a small shop curtain hanging in front of the store, creating a casual and easy-to-enter atmosphere. The interior is bright and clean, with quite a few female solo customers. There are also tables for two people, so you don't have to worry about sharing a table with others.
2. About the food:
The lunch menu includes dishes like tendon, duck cutlet bowl, curry soba, and bukkake soba, as well as various types of soba and rice sets. I ordered the "Kamonanban set using Kawachi duck". After a while, a large black square tray with Kamonanban, rice with small fish flakes, and pickles is served. First, I took a sip of the Kamonanban sauce. It has a strong flavor of kombu and bonito dashi. It has a smooth texture without the sharpness of soy sauce. The color of the broth is clear, and the duck meat's fat blends well with the gentle Kansai-style broth, providing plenty of umami. The soba noodles are thin and have a light gray color with visible specks. Despite being warm soba, the flavor of the soba is still present, which is impressive. The duck, mainly thigh meat, is tender and chewy with a moderate amount of fat, and the taste is rich. What I found interesting was the use of onions. Usually, grilled white onions are used, but here they use "regular onions"! And there are no other types of onions used... Surprisingly, the Kamonanban with regular onions tasted great, and the sweetness of the onions complemented the elegant broth. The freshly cooked rice with yukari and small fish flakes was also delicious, and I couldn't help but finish it all. The portion was generous, and I was full.
3. About the staff's service:
There were two female staff members managing the hall. They greeted customers and guided them to their seats with politeness and kindness. The speed of serving the dishes was appropriate, and the payment process was smooth. There were no particular concerns about the service.
4. Cost performance:
The elegant broth and the subtle umami of the duck seep into the soba, which has a good texture. With plenty of duck meat and other ingredients, it was satisfying to eat. The atmosphere of the restaurant and the staff's service were pleasant, and I think the cost performance is good.
5. Other observations:
Next time, I would like to try the curry soba topped with vegetable tempura.