Today (12/18) on a Sunday afternoon, I felt like having tonkatsu for lunch earlier than usual. I thought, "Oh! I haven't been to Ikkyu since it was renovated." So, I decided to go there. Although I usually enjoy soba, the tonkatsu here is also very delicious. As I drove along the highway, I saw the new white building of the restaurant. It was still only 2 PM, but it seemed quite crowded. Well, I should be able to find a seat. Luckily, there was an open spot right at the entrance. I wasn't sure how to use the complicated machine at the entrance to get a number ticket, but a staff member welcomed us and seated us immediately. I wanted to order the soba set, but it was too much for me to finish, so I ended up getting the tonkatsu set instead. My wife ordered the nabeyaki udon. Neither of us went with soba this time. The new interior of the restaurant was clean and had a cafe-like feel. It was quite different from the traditional soba shop atmosphere. The wooden beams and the overall design were still fresh. The small garden that used to be right in front of the entrance was no longer there. The chairs and the overall ambiance had a more cafe-like appearance. The exterior design still resembled the original building. While waiting for our food, I noticed a different approach where the dishes were brought to the table by a non-human server. It was a bit strange to see the nabeyaki udon being brought out first by this non-human server, followed by my tonkatsu set. It made me wonder how they handle the order mix-ups if they occur. The nabeyaki udon was delicious, with a well-balanced broth. The tonkatsu was also excellent, thick and tasty. However, the system of using a non-human server to bring out the dishes needs some improvement to avoid any potential issues.

I think eating soba in winter is delicious, so I went to try the new soba set with both hot and cold noodles. I ordered the set using a touch panel, and the dish was brought to me by a staff member in just 6 minutes, not a robot. I tried the soba made with Shinagawa's Le Rano Kaori variety. It had a good aroma and the soba was delicious, both the hot and cold versions. Even though I ordered a regular size, it was a bit small for me, so I upgraded to a large portion. The cold soba was a bit disappointing as the noodles were cut, but the overall experience of spending only 15 minutes there was amazing! As a complimentary service, I received some "tenkasu" (tempura batter bits) on my way out, which was very much appreciated. The hot and cold soba set cost 900 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

At 12:50, I visited and remembered eating the seasonal limited menu "Cold Soba with Summer Vegetables" the day after the Eastern Iburi Earthquake. It's been almost 5 years since then, when I appreciated the early relief efforts such as food distribution and charging services provided by Ikkyu Soba. I will eat it again with gratitude. The ice-cold soba was delicious. "Cold Soba with Summer Vegetables" for 1280 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

I visited the restaurant at 2:00 PM and was wondering what to eat. When looking at the menu, I noticed a "new" mark! I ordered the duck steak bowl set and cold soba & small rice portion using the touch panel. As a citizen, I had to try it, right? The dish arrived in 10 minutes. The meat looked a bit thin compared to the menu picture, but the duck steak was tender and delicious! The steak sauce was excellent! The rice portion seemed small for the presentation, maybe it's just my camera angle (lol). The duck steak was really tasty! I wanted more rice, the small portion was not enough (lol). Duck steak bowl set for 1300 yen. It was a delicious meal! Thank you! (^^)v

Toro Toro Soba In the hot summer, I crave for some slimy tororo (grated yam) noodles. It tastes even better when mixed with beaten egg yolk! Tororo and wasabi go well together, right? However, on this day, the soba noodles were too hard! It was clearly undercooked, maybe due to insufficient boiling time or an issue during the noodle-making process... It's a shame because the soba noodles have improved recently! I immediately informed the management, but since they are a company dedicated to research, I am confident they will make improvements.

Duck soba for 1250 yen during lunchtime is just about worth it. The texture of the soba was a bit too chewy for my liking. Also, I didn't expect the duck meat to be so tough. I did enjoy the rich and sweet dipping sauce, which paired well with the aroma of the sansho pepper. It was my first time experiencing a serving robot, which made me oddly nervous.

It had been a long time since I last visited this place, ever since it burned down in a fire. It used to be a shop I really supported, but I had somehow created reasons not to go back. However, I ended up going this time because a friend was with me. I usually only order the octopus tempura rice bowl set here, but to be honest, the quality seemed more careless compared to before, and the prices had increased by 1.3 times. Considering the level of soba, it no longer feels like a casual dining spot. Also, the service is done by robots now. I understand the cost-cutting measures, but eliminating human interaction makes it feel like just another fast food chain. The emptier restaurant compared to before seemed to tell a story.

One of the signature dishes at Ikkyu Soba is their meat soba style, where you can enjoy slurping up the noodles with spicy chili oil. You can also try their cold meat dipping soba, which features sweet and savory pork, plenty of seaweed and green onions, all soaked in a refreshing broth. You can customize the level of spiciness with the chili oil, which pairs perfectly with this style. Despite the slightly disappointing portion size on this visit, the flavorful dishes left us satisfied and wanting more.

"I had a great meal with fresh ingredients - blue leaves, mountain cuckoo, and first bonito. Eating seasonal food can make you healthier. The bonito tataki marinated rice bowl with grated soba set for 1,290 yen was excellent. The seasonal bonito, marinated in a special sauce, had a perfect balance of flavors and textures with the condiments. The soba noodles were also improved, with a strong buckwheat flavor and a firm texture. The broth and marinated bonito sauce complemented each other well. This seasonal menu is highly recommended without any exaggeration. The restaurant seems to have also started serving tempura, and they are really putting in effort. But I do wish they had soba broth."

The one-day soba was exceptional... I visited at 12 o'clock, the bright and friendly service from the perfect staff! Don't let this girl go! (laughs) The BGM was Thomas Hardy Trio's JAZZ♪ I ordered natto tororo, quick! Served in 5 minutes, with a soba broth pot... it was heavy, but I will have it as bukkake style~ The French scallions and seaweed were crispy! (laughs) Even though I will mix it up, the perfectly round natto bowl gives me motivation! The wasabi was fresh and super spicy, GOOD! I mixed everything in the bowl, slurp~ The cold soba was firm and delicious~ I wanted to eat the settled natto, so I poured the soba broth, but the bowl was too shallow? Plate? So I couldn't scoop the broth with this ladle, please provide a spoon! I held the bowl with both hands and drank it all, I know it's bad manners~ (laughs) Natto tororo soba 970 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

This time, I made my first visit after the reopening of the restaurant. It had been about 30 years since I last visited the main store. I had distanced myself since being disappointed by "Ikkyu" in a certain large shopping mall about 15 years ago, so I had low expectations upon entering. I was also curious to see the serving robot... It was just before 3 o'clock, so there was only one car in the parking lot and two groups of four inside. I quickly sat down and ordered the "katsu-don set". The serving robot brought the "katsu-don set" without much wait. Finally, I saw the serving robot and said, "Let's eat". The taste was not much different from the soba I had eaten at a certain shopping mall 15 years ago. If I had to say, the dashi in the katsu-don was not as strong as the dashi soup I had before. Anyway, I was able to see the serving robot, so I said, "Thank you for the meal".

Went to eat Nabeyaki Udon≡ at 3:12 exactly, sat at the counter. The BGM was X'mas♪ by T. Harding Trio. While surfing on the touch panel, the song "Genki no Minamoto Unaju" made me pause for a moment. "Genki no Minamoto"... I was hooked by this phrase (lol). I ordered a small portion of Unaju. The cold Tanuki ordered by the customer behind me was ready in about 3 minutes, and my Unaju was ready in about 5 minutes! It was so quick, like Sosaku Hayasugi (laughs). First, I took a bite of the eel. It wasn't crispy, but it was fluffy and delicious. From the second bite, the sansho pepper matched well and the rice went down smoothly. The regular-sized rice was just right. Unaju small portion 1830 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

I always have trouble deciding on where to have lunch in Tomakomai City. This day, I wanted something light and refreshing, so I went to a restaurant along the national highway. The place had recently been renovated and was clean, with a spacious interior and tables that were well separated. I ordered tempura soba. The taste was not bad, just average.

I want to eat tonkatsu! The tonkatsu here is really delicious. Even though it's a soba restaurant? lol I arrived at 12:30, and surprisingly I didn't have to wait long to get in. Many restaurants offer free extra rice, but here they also offer free smaller portions! (laughs) There is an option for a small portion on the touch panel, which is great for someone with a small appetite like me. The tonkatsu was hot and thick, so delicious! Instead of eating tonkatsu, why not quickly try the new soba! Tonkatsu bowl with small rice portion - 1050 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

Located in Tomakomai with its main store, Ikkyu Soba has several branches across Hokkaido. I visited during a weekday around 1 pm. The restaurant was about 40% full, and the spacious parking lot was convenient. I ordered a set meal with katsudon and zaru soba. The touch panel menu was a bit confusing, and I later noticed they had lunch sets available. The soba was made with newly harvested soba from Otofuke, apparently. I'm no expert in distinguishing different types of soba, but the medium-thick noodles had a good texture. Personally, I felt the soba dipping sauce could have been a bit less salty. The katsudon was generously sized and delicious. The portions were quite large, and I left feeling satisfied. Thank you for the meal.

I stumbled upon a restaurant called Ikkyu Soba Main Store while searching for "nabe-yaki soba" for a certain reason. Currently, they are holding a special event called "New Soba Tour" for autumn, featuring locally sourced new soba noodles from Onikkobe. The soba noodles are dark and firm, typical of this region. The nabe-yaki soba is served in an iron pot. Although it doesn't simmer vigorously, the broth is piping hot. In addition to the standard ingredients, there are shrimp tempura and mochi, adding to the hearty portion. The broth has a slightly sweet taste, but it is a comforting and stable flavor. The soba noodles also have a distinct presence. It is interesting to try nabe-yaki soba, which is not yet widely known, especially in the cold winter.

Duck Nanban Soba 1150 yen I went to the new store which has been open for a while, hoping that it would be less crowded. They also have touch panel and self-checkout now. It's a shame that they don't have my favorite "toji soba." But since I knew that before entering, it's okay. There are plenty of rice bowl dishes, set meals, etc., but surprisingly few options for just soba. The duck meat with yuzu flavor was nice. It was refreshing to eat.

I visited at lunchtime. Hmm? Even though there are empty seats, I am the third group waiting. They must be limiting the number of people. I ordered warm shrimp tempura soba from counter number 37. Because it was 20 degrees that day, and the air conditioning inside the restaurant was working well, it was quite cold. In about 10 minutes, the dish arrived. Oh? The shrimp tempura is small! ← Is this for a child? Lol. I sprinkled chopped green onions and chili pepper... It's delicious~ The soba broth with the melted tempura batter is so delicious that I ended up finishing it all! Shrimp Tempura Soba for 1000 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

The tonkatsu wasn't very tasty. However, the soba was delicious as expected. It's nice that you can serve yourself water and soba tea, but the soba tea was out and the water pot was wet. It's not a place for quiet dining.

I visited the restaurant at exactly 12 o'clock, even on weekdays there was a line. I am a regular customer, so I was smoothly guided to counter seat number 33. The tea is self-service and located in front of the cash register. I ordered the tonkatsu set meal with a little rice using the touch panel while drinking tea. The meal arrived in about 15 minutes. The tonkatsu was thick and delicious when I grated the sesame, squeezed lemon, and poured dressing on it. Although it is a soba restaurant, I would like to try various dishes like a small Japanese restaurant. Tonkatsu set meal for 1230 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

In June 2022, I revisited the main store of "Ikkyu Soba" in Tomakomai, which had burned down in a fire the previous year. The new store has been rebuilt and reopened for business, so I decided to stop by while in Tomakomai. The new store has a much more refined design compared to before, similar to other branches like "Soba Hana," which may be due to the same building design. Perhaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have introduced high-tech features such as a ticket machine for waiting customers, touch panel ordering, and serving robots, which set it apart from the old store. I ordered the "hiyashita nuki" soba, which came with various toppings like tempura flakes, egg yolk, grated radish, daikon radish sprouts, chopped seaweed, and white sesame seeds. While some stores serve "hiyashita nuki" in a bowl, this store served it on a plate. I remember having "hiyashita nuki" in a bowl at "Ikkyu Soba" in Chitose before, so I'm not sure if it varies by store or if the specifications have changed. Despite most ratings being 3.5, with only the service rating at 3.0, the overall rating ended up at 3.0. This is a rare occurrence where individual ratings are not bad, but other minor details hinder the overall rating. For example, the tables at the counter seats are intricately designed but a bit cramped, the shape of the soba pitcher makes it difficult to pour the broth, and the parking lot is still half gravel. There are other minor issues that slightly detract from the overall rating, which should ideally be a 3.5 but fell short. Nevertheless, the soba itself is delicious, so I may visit again in the future.