yzk41
I had visited this restaurant once before, and at that time, the service was very slow due to it being the busiest time of the day, causing me to go over my work break and leaving me with a slightly negative impression. However, that was in the past. I decided to give it another chance and visited again. This time, I went on a weekday and arrived around 2 pm, slightly avoiding the peak time. There were already about 7 customers inside when I arrived. The fact that this place has maintained its popularity for years is probably due to its delicious food, good service, and convenient location. I had tried their soup soba before, but this time I decided to go with their recommended dish, the "sanma mizu-tsuke men" (mackerel water-dipped noodles). I bought my meal ticket and waited. There was a turnover of customers, so I was seated within 20-30 minutes. Unlike before, only half of the restaurant was being used for seating. Once seated, my order arrived within 10 minutes, probably because I had already given them my meal ticket. So, I started eating. First, I tried the moist noodles on their own. The flat noodles were chewy and smooth, with a subtle flavor of mackerel water. It was delicious. Then, I dipped the noodles into the broth. To be honest, I wasn't blown away by the taste, but it had a well-balanced and smooth flavor. The presence of onions added a nice balance of acidity and sweetness. Personally, I'm not a fan of soups with onions, but I couldn't tell from the photos beforehand. There was something familiar about the flavor... Oh, it reminded me of the sauce in a beef bowl from Yoshinoya. It's not exactly the same, but the flavor that lingered in my throat felt similar. This is just my personal impression, and it doesn't mean that the tastes are alike. In the end, I didn't feel a strong sense of satisfaction or excitement from the dish, despite it being a highly recommended item both in the restaurant and on social media. It's definitely not something that can be easily replicated at home, and it's well put together, making it appealing to a wide range of people. Thank you for the meal.