It's located in a hard-to-find place. The road in front of the shop is narrow. They disinfect and take your temperature before seating you. The lady who does it is nice and asks politely. I ordered the meat udon set for 750 yen. It looks really good! The noodles are flat and a bit thin, very chewy. The soup is delicious too, I drank it all. When I said it was delicious on my way out, the lady smiled and said thank you, please come again. I want to come back and try other menu items too.

I have visited Soba-dokoro Wakatake in Okawa City a few times, but it was always closed. Finally, I was able to visit, but it seems they will be closed from the latter half of this month to the first half of next month (please confirm). I decided to go after reading a review by a food log senior reviewer, "Kurume Kasasagi," with whom I have some interaction. The day before, I also tried to visit, but it was closed, so patience is required. I had high expectations for the clear Japanese-style ramen! I was the first customer when they opened, but more customers followed. I had decided on the Japanese-style ramen, so I ordered the "Japanese-style Ramen" dish. It was my second stop after having the Okawa Maruyuki Ramen. The noodles served looked like tantanmen at first glance. When I took a sip of the soup, I was surprised. What am I drinking? There is no point of comparison for the taste. Is it Japanese-style? However, it is not Western-style either. I have never tasted anything similar, so I cannot express it. The noodles are similar to Kyushu ramen noodles, cooked firm. There is a small amount of boiled pork and moyashi (bean sprouts) in it. To explore the state of my mouth, I put some pickled ginger in my mouth and then tried the soup again. Huh? The taste of the soup changed! But even with this change, there is no other similar food. In Tokyo, it is not uncommon for udon and soba shops to serve ramen. I have tried many times, but the taste is completely different. Wakatake originally stems from a large wooden noodle-making tradition in Okawa that produces huge "decorative somen" for Obon, ranging from about 30 centimeters to 1 meter in height, in the shape of a large cylinder. These decorations flutter in the wind when placed in front of a Buddhist altar. It seems that Wakatake does not open during the period before Obon due to the production of these decorations. In addition to udon and soba, they also had champon, so I want to try various dishes before giving my evaluation here. Thank you for the meal. When I searched on Instagram after returning home, there were hardly any pictures of this place. There were only 2 reviews on Food Log and about 3 on Retty.

March 2020 Weekday Food Report: Today, my main purpose was not to eat at a restaurant, but to explore a place I had wanted to visit for a while and take a walk along the Okawa River. The first place I tried to find was difficult to locate, with many trucks parked outside, making me feel uneasy. I decided to postpone visiting this place for now. Next, I visited Wakatake, a place I had been to once before but had trouble finding. Eventually, after seeing a TV program featuring the restaurant, I decided to give it another try. The area around the restaurant was narrow and challenging to navigate, but I managed to find a parking spot nearby. I then explored the area near the river and observed people walking their dogs and going for runs. When I finally found Wakatake, I realized it was a noodle shop attached to a noodle factory. I entered the shop and, despite arriving before the official opening time, was welcomed by the staff. I ordered the vegetable tempura udon and requested the tempura to be served on a separate plate, which was accommodated. The udon arrived promptly, and I enjoyed my meal in a traditional tatami room. The restaurant had a traditional feel, with ceramic utensils and a serene atmosphere. Despite being a bit of a hassle, I appreciated the staff's patience with my requests.

Original ramen with a hint of butter aroma, large serving for 600 yen.

At an udon restaurant, they served Japanese-style ramen (laughs). The broth seemed to be based on udon broth, but the taste was a bit strange ^^; The noodles were thin! They have a wide variety of menu options, so I want to go again ^_^