This completes my conquest of the Tozai family! I'll pat myself on the back for this. But there are still more soba shops to visit. This time, it's the Tottori branch. The parking lot is a bit tricky to navigate. Inside, the decor still retains a Showa era feel. You can even see a nostalgic wood stove. Unfortunately, on this day, they were out of the shrimp tempura and enoki mushrooms that my wife and daughter wanted, which was a double shock... Bad timing... So we switched to curry soba and tororo soba. I had the soba set meal, and my daughter had the cold inaka soba. The soba set meal includes kashiwa soba, tempura soba, and zaru soba. It's quite filling. The soba is soft and you can enjoy both hot and cold versions. You can choose to have rice or not. The curry soba isn't spicy and is perfect for the cold season. The tororo soba is mixed with yamaimo and goes down smoothly. My daughter, who loves crispy tempura bits, devoured the cold inaka soba. It was too cold to resist having the kashiwa soba without the tempura bits. The taste and atmosphere both had a Showa era vibe. On the way out, I looked up at the snow overhang above the parking lot, just about to fall on the cars!! That could have been costly... Haha.

Oh my, what a very old soba restaurant! Let's go in for a bit. Oh, there are so many customers. They all seem like regulars. The soba set meal looks good... Tempura and zaru soba set? I've never had both hot and cold soba at the same time before. Honestly, I'm not sure which one to start with! But the soba is really delicious, it has a nostalgic taste. Just like when I visited Marumi Edo Higashi in Kushiro, soba never disappoints! Amazing! Oh, and what about that bamboo tube sticking out from the left wall? It used to be a popular menu item called "nagashi soba," where the soba would flow out of the tube along with water. Unfortunately, the system broke down due to its old age. I really wanted to see that nagashi soba in action... Anyway, it was easy to understand why this long-standing restaurant is still beloved by many. Thank you for the meal.

On my day off, I visited Higashiya Tottori Branch for lunch. I ordered the Soba set meal with rice (930 yen). It's not too expensive, right? You get three types of soba and rice for less than 1000 yen! It arrived in about 10 minutes. I had tempura, chicken, and cold soba with rice and pickles. The tempura soba had a mild broth with a subtle sweetness and slightly salty taste. The chicken soba was delicious, with tender meat. Compared to other Higashiya branches I've been to, the warm soba here had a good texture. The cold soba was also good, with a slightly chewy texture. It was nice to have barley tea instead of water in this hot weather. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

Showa nostalgia✨ Thank you for the cold water and tea. I suddenly dove into the menu in front of me and ordered the "soba set meal" which includes three types of soba and rice. I've never heard of it before, haha. The soba noodles are a light green color, and the broth is on the sweeter side. If you order it without rice, it's no longer a set meal but it's cheaper! The friendly auntie adds to the atmosphere and the cost performance of this place is great! ✨

Today's lunch on January 7, 2021 (Thursday) was at a slightly quirky place called Higashiya. There was only one parking space next to the restaurant, so I parked there. Upon entering, I was greeted by the cheerful voices of the kitchen staff, a brother and a lady, saying "Welcome!" The atmosphere inside the restaurant had a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of a retro diner. The menu on a strip of paper added to the charm. It was nice to be served warm tea, especially during this winter season. I ordered the "Tane-komi soba (920 yen)". The Tane-komi soba had a wild appearance with less broth. The soba noodles were made with green flour and surprisingly handcrafted. Although the noodles were stretched and cut by a machine, it is rare to find handcrafted soba at Higashiya. This may be why the soba had a good texture even when served warm. The broth had a slightly strong soy sauce flavor, setting it apart from other Higashiya restaurants. Nevertheless, it was delicious. The egg was tightly sealed, and the chicken used had a firm texture. The shrimp tempura was not too large but had a nice crunchy texture that was easy to eat. Overall, it was an interesting dish at this unique restaurant. With only five more Higashiya Tane-komi soba places to visit, I am looking forward to the next one. (´∀`)

"The East House Tottori Branch" The time of agony has come, I am alone in Kushiro, feeling obligated to conquer all the branches of Kushiro. I started with the East House, wanting to finish it all by the end of the year as I am starting to get tired. It's not just the bad restaurants, three were delicious, one was average, and the rest were terrible. Today, I chose the Tottori branch. When I arrived, it felt familiar, maybe I had been here before. It was closed before 1 pm, even though it's still 1 pm today but it's open. No parking lot, tough luck. Kushiro is foggy, they call it "jiri" here. Inside the restaurant, it's a bit old-fashioned, with fewer chairs and smaller tables. I ordered the "mori" soba for 590 yen. The preparation took over 10 minutes for a single serving. The soba had a good texture, but the taste was forgettable. The soup had a hint of artificial flavor, and the soba water was just plain water. Overall, it was a draw, not a complete loss. I guess I'm starting to accept the mediocrity from the beginning, finding joy in the little things like the texture of the soba."

Visit date: August 4, 2019 On this day, I visited Higeya Tottori Branch with a friend for lunch. We originally planned to go to a nearby ramen shop, but it was closed for relocation. We arrived at around 11:30 and there were no customers before us, with 3 groups coming in after. A cheerful elderly lady served us and brought us barley tea. We ordered: - Set Menu for 900 yen - Zaru Soba (Cold Soba) for 660 yen Our food was served in about 8 minutes. The set menu allows you to choose between various soba options and rice bowl options. We chose Zaru Soba and Pork Rice Bowl this time. The soba lacked firmness and flavor, and the dipping sauce didn't cling well to the noodles, making it a bit weak. The soba broth was slightly cloudy, but it seemed more like plain water. The pork in the rice bowl was thinly sliced loin meat. The meat was tough, and the sauce was too salty, overpowering the taste of the meat. The rice was cooked to our liking. You can park your car next to the shop, but there is only space for about 2 cars. When a customer asked where to park, they were told they could park at the hospital across the street when it's closed. Surprisingly, there was a group of three young girls at this traditional soba restaurant. The elderly lady serving us was very kind, making it a nice dining experience. Thank you for the meal.

The parking lot is next to the shop (lol), only space for one car! I couldn't figure it out so I asked the shop lady and parked. The set meals looked good so I was going to order, but they were sold out of rice (lol). My friend was also going to order a set, so disappointing. My friend got shrimp and egg over rice, and I ordered shrimp tempura and soba. I was worried about what to do if it turned out to be a large portion after ordering. The shop had a retro feel with stone walls and a coal stove. The soba came out first, thin green noodles with a slightly strong broth that went well with the soba. The soba noodles seemed quite long here. I gave some to my friend who was enjoying it. After finishing, the shrimp tempura and soba arrived. The broth was a bit lighter but still tasty. The shrimp were small though. My friend's shrimp and egg over rice also looked delicious. Eating two dishes made me full! Thank you for the meal.

It is neither good nor bad, just average. Is green soba noodles common here? While driving through Kushiro, I stopped by a soba restaurant near me and decided to go in. I was intrigued by the unusual color. The soba noodles were green, possibly colored with kelp, and quite delicious. The menu recommended the "Hiyashiten-goso" which seemed to be a fusion of ramen and soba, with char siu included. As someone who came for soba, I found it a bit confusing and if I had seen that at the entrance, I probably wouldn't have gone in.