I was indecisive with the extensive menu, but I ordered the reliable "zaru soba"! I added green onions and wasabi to the dipping sauce, dipped the noodles, and on the first bite, I couldn't help but exclaim, "The noodles are so smooth!" The noodles were smooth with a good texture, and the large pieces of seaweed on top of the soba made it even more delicious when eaten together. There were many signatures inside the restaurant! I was surprised to see firecrackers being sold at the register! They were said to be bear deterrent firecrackers, which was amusing to see being sold at a soba restaurant (laughs).

This is my favorite restaurant, I tend to go on cooler days (lol). I really like hot pot udon, but it's too hot for that, so I ended up choosing soba. The inside of the restaurant was surprisingly cool. I ordered the South Barbarian version of udon. The broth here is delicious. The noodles are grilled and have a nice aroma. The price is a bit high for me, so I deducted a star.

I'm interested in curry. I'm really curious about Katsu Curry Minami and Curry Minami, but without taking the risk, I tried the Ebi Oroshi Soba (1050 yen). On top of the soba, there's a big shrimp tempura, grated daikon radish, bonito flakes, seaweed, and green onions! The soba noodles may look thick, but they are surprisingly chewy and delicious! The overall dish is refreshing, allowing the deliciousness of the shrimp tempura to stand out. The restaurant is spacious, so it's suitable for large groups. Even while waiting for the soba, the place keeps bustling with customers.

I visited the soba restaurant Inadaya Oritomoten today! I decided to have the hot soba with duck meat, which costs 850 yen including tax. The place was crowded with customers coming in one after another, showing that it is a popular spot. The dish was ready in just 8 minutes, and the aroma of the broth was delightful. The soba had a nice taste and fragrance, with the perfect firmness. The broth had a well-balanced flavor that I liked. The duck meat was tender and added a delicious richness to the broth. The hot soba was also delicious. Thank you for the meal!

We arrived in Okudo Town on our country sign journey. Okudo Town is famous for its wooden products. After visiting a nearby exhibition and sales store, the Oku Craft Center, we stopped by this restaurant for lunch. We parked our car in the back parking lot and arrived just after opening. The restaurant has a spacious interior and customers are starting to come in. They offer a variety of dishes like udon, soba, and rice dishes, so it seems like a place that families would enjoy. Feeling hungry, we had a hard time deciding, but then we saw a dish called "Tare Katsu Don" which is a local specialty of Okudo. I chose that, while my companion chose a set menu with curry and pork bowl. When our dishes arrived, the Tare Katsu Don had crispy pork cutlets soaked in a watery sauce on top of white rice with seaweed. It was lighter compared to the one we had in Aizuwakamatsu, which was sweeter and richer. However, it was quite filling, and I had to take a break halfway through (laughs). The set menu my companion had was a bit underwhelming, especially the curry part which seemed lacking in curry flavor. This restaurant seems to be one of the bigger ones in Okudo Town, as it was quite busy by the time we left. I hope they continue to thrive along with the wooden products in Okudo Town! Thank you for the meal!

I went to Inadaya Orito Main Store, a soba restaurant, for the third time. I came to Orito Town this day, and this was the only restaurant open on a Sunday. The restaurant has a striking appearance like a castle. The interior is spacious and Japanese-style, creating a very calming atmosphere. I ordered the Mori Soba for 730 yen including tax. I noticed they also have udon on the menu, as well as dishes like Tarekatsu Don, Tendon, and Butadon. The soba arrived in about 7 minutes. The soba had a firm texture with a good soba flavor and smoothness. The draining was on the softer side. The dipping sauce wasn't as strong as it looked, with a well-balanced flavor of dashi and seasoning. The soba was very harmonious and delicious. I also tried the soba-yu, but it was a bit salty due to the amount of sauce. Overall, I found the soba to be delicious. Thank you, Inadaya!

The season has become comfortable, so I took a drive to Orito. I stopped by craft workshops (although they were too expensive to buy, sadly) and then went to Inada-ya in front of the station. Unlike the quiet station area, Inada-ya was crowded with people coming in one after another. There were local elderly people, families, couples, and groups, all looking at the menu and finding plenty of options to choose from. I ordered the forest soba and my husband ordered the tempura soba. I tried some of his tempura, and the soba was delicious. It was a rustic soba with a good texture and flavor. I don't have many chances to come here, but I used to visit often when my uncle lived here. The town of wood remains unchanged. Next time I come, I'll try my best to buy some wooden utensils, as I checked the price range already...

I ordered a set menu with pork bowl, but it was not as delicious as I expected. The meat was not very tender and a bit dry, and the sauce seemed to have lost its juiciness. Next time, I think I'll go eat tempura instead. There is also a branch in Endono, which is almost a privately owned soba restaurant, and it's great that they accept credit cards.

Otto went to the field with his farmer friend to put in compost. After that, they went to Katsuyama Onsen Yuuyu together. They saw a sign that said "Katsudon without egg" but it was actually Katsudon with tonkatsu. Even though it was past 3 PM, the place was crowded. They tried the famous "Inada Yori" dish and found it delicious. As a side note, when Otto's gourmet farmer friend tried a 200 yen soft serve ice cream at Katsuyama Onsen Yuuyu, he commented, "It's too sweet."

This is Orido Town. It is a prominent building located in front of the old Orido Station and on the main street in the town. A long-established soba restaurant that is popular among locals and bustling with tourists during the season. "Inada-ya Orido Honten" has a strong presence in the town of Orido. It's been a while since I had lunch with my daughter. I felt a bit generous and said, "Anything is fine." My wife and daughter, without hesitation, chose the most expensive item. (laughs) I ordered the "Kamaboko Tempura Soba" for 1300 yen. The not-so-friendly female staff brought it to me. The soba noodles are white and thin. The flavor is mild, but it has a good texture. The dipping sauce is slightly sweet. The dashi broth is rich. The tempura is luxurious with three prawns, squid, eggplant, pumpkin, and mountain vegetables. It was satisfying to eat. It was delicious! It may be disrespectful to call it a town soba, but I had a great time having lunch with my daughter after a long time. Good luck with your new life!