ぽぽぽlぽーん
I came across "Handmade Soba Ruan" while searching online. The restaurant is located near the entrance to Takara Shrine, the number one shrine in Chikugo Country. It tends to get crowded with visitors at the beginning of the year, so I visited about a month later. I noticed 3-4 purple flags along the roadside with "soba" written in white. The restaurant is located about 50m down a narrow side road, which could be challenging for passing cars. I visited on a Sunday at 11:20. The building has a high ceiling and is designed in a renovated old-fashioned style. There are 4 counter seats, 2 tables for 4 people, and 1 table for 4 people. Since I was dining alone, the polite staff led me to a counter seat. It's located at the foot of Takarayama, a bit off the main road. Despite the old-fashioned exterior, the interior has a modern Japanese feel, creating a cozy hideaway atmosphere. I ordered the "Soba Set Meal (2,500 yen, tax included)" from the menu. It started with buckwheat porridge, followed by a platter of 6 appetizers. Each dish was beautifully presented, and the explanations during serving were appreciated. The restaurant offers unique dishes such as "green namako" and "oyster tofu," showing attention to detail and creativity. Just when I was ready to savor each dish, the soba noodles arrived. The noodles were made from buckwheat flour from Okayama Prefecture, with a sweet and refreshing dipping sauce that complemented the soba well. However, the timing of serving was a bit off, as the noodles arrived too soon, causing them to stick together. As I tried to enjoy both the soba and appetizers together, the soba soup was served next. It felt a bit rushed, especially when I noticed other tables also receiving multiple dishes at once. When I thought about leaving, dessert was served - soba yokan and kumquat. The delicious food and relaxing atmosphere made me wish I had more time to savor them properly, but the popularity of the restaurant led to a busy dining experience. At the checkout, I commented on the restaurant's success, to which the staff replied with a somewhat complex expression, mentioning that it's only busy on weekends. It's clear they want customers to appreciate their carefully crafted dishes properly. Outside, the parking lot was crowded with cars struggling to find space. I recommend visiting on weekdays. Thank you for the meal.