Soba Ka Roan in Kitami, Hokkaido, is a highly recommended soba restaurant that I visited to cleanse myself of the wasted time, money, and calories spent at mediocre places like Yonjo Horumon. I arrived right at 11:00 am without a reservation and the place was already packed within 30 minutes. Despite Kitami feeling like a ghost town, this soba restaurant was bustling with customers. The spacious and modern antique interior of the restaurant was very appealing. They offer a variety of soba dishes, but their recommended dish is the Wasabi Leaf Zaru Soba. The saltiness and spiciness of the Wasabi leaf complements the soba perfectly, even without dipping it in sauce. The broth is light with a strong dashi flavor and minimal soy sauce, allowing the soba's taste to shine through. The soba noodles are flavorful, fragrant, chewy, and slightly transparent, similar to soba from Chichibu rather than Nagano. Unlike pretentious soba restaurants in Tokyo, where you get little for the high price, Soba Ka Roan provides a satisfying portion and experience. I was a bit disappointed when they said they don't sell Wasabi leaf, but I enjoyed the flavor enough to try making my own pickled Wasabi leaf at home. Overall, it was a delightful day, and it made me think that if I were to be reborn, I would want to be a soba artisan, a boxer, or a cat. #food #food diary #food journal #connecting with people who love to eat #food #foodie #food lover #food exploration #gourmet #connecting with gourmet lovers #foodie #soba #soba noodles #homemade soba #lunch #soba restaurant #Hokkaido travel #Hokkaido gourmet #Hokkaido #Kitami city #Kitami gourmet #Locosolare #boxer #cat #soba aroma Roan

While searching for a nice lunch spot on the way to Shiretoko via Asahikawa and Kitami, I came across this restaurant with a high score of around 3.6 on Tabelog. The place was clean, the service was good, the presentation was nice, and they even served a small onigiri as a bonus. However, I felt that the overall experience was just average, not quite living up to the 3.6 rating. The prices were neither high nor low, just normal for a soba restaurant these days. I couldn't help but think that a little extra effort or innovation could make a difference. For example, serving cold soba with just the right amount of sauce, or providing a separate container for the soba broth when using the seiro. Small gestures like these could enhance the customer experience and attract more fans. It felt like a missed opportunity, and I believe that paying attention to the little details can make a big difference.

It was my first visit to this restaurant. I was hungover so I wanted to eat warm soba. The sweetness was subtle and the gentle broth comforted my hangover. I went with an elderly person and we both enjoyed the delicious soba without any overly salty flavors. The mini soba seed rice ball was a nice touch. I also tried the steamed soba and it was delicious! I plan to try the cold soba next time I visit. I will definitely go back!

This is a shop located along a national highway in Kitami City. It has a calm atmosphere and seems to be located further back from the main street. As soon as it opened, customers started streaming in and it quickly became full! I decided to try it when I saw the sign for "sakura shrimp" outside. The bukkake sakura shrimp soba (1120 yen) was delicious, with a slightly slippery texture at first bite! It had a good firmness and was very tasty! The crispy tempura of burdock root and the sakura shrimp tempura, which emitted a rich shrimp aroma just by bringing it close to my face, were also delicious. The refreshing plum served on the side was a nice touch. The wasabi, which tightened up the whole dish, also had an outstanding presence, enhancing the satisfaction even more! The modern interior of the restaurant matched its appearance from the outside, and you can enjoy authentic and delicious soba here.

I had lunch in Kitami! My companion wanted to eat soba, so we decided to visit "Soba Kourouan," where I had delicious soba before. We arrived around 12:45 pm, and the parking lot was empty. The restaurant was also about half full. I was glad we could get in. Last time I had the cold soba, as it was too hot for hot noodles. This time, I ordered the Bukkake Toriten (soba with assorted tempura) for 1050 yen. It arrived in about 5 minutes. I was surprised by the amount of tempura on top - not just chicken tempura, but also burdock tempura. The presentation was beautiful. First, I tried the soba. It was delicious, with a strong aroma and a smooth texture. The noodles were firm and flavorful. Now, the tempura. It was crispy and not greasy. The chicken tempura was juicy and tasty. I was happy to see wasabi and plum paste for dipping. The wasabi had a strong aroma, and the plum paste was refreshing. Lastly, the rice ball. It was surprisingly delicious. This small rice ball was a nice touch. Overall, it was a delicious meal. My companion was also satisfied. They said, "The soba here is really good." We'll definitely come back. Thank you for the meal!

"Soba Kouroan" - I said, "I got vaccinated, so..." and they said, "So you want to skip the bento?" That morning, two days later, they said, "I was up late working last night," and didn't wake up in the morning. I'm no longer surprised, but there's not a trace of tension. They said, "I'll bring it later," but today I'm in Kitami, so I'll just enjoy some delicious soba at "Kouroan." I sit at the end of the 4-seat counter, and they bring tea and water. "When you decide, just call..." Did they mean to say that? I cover the soba with the steamer. "Would you like a rice ball with that?" I end up ordering it even though I won't eat it. There are three table seats - two for four people and one for two. It's ready in 5 minutes. The soba is thin but has a strong texture, and the color is nice. I could eat this soba alone forever. The draining is slightly sweet but has a hand-cut feel. Sometimes there are thicker noodles mixed in. The taste and aroma of the soba are not chaotic at all, but I have no complaints. The broth is in a pitcher, which is nice. The broth is delicious, with a strong dashi flavor. The broth and a hint of sweetness. When you dip the soba, the sweetness disappears. The rice ball is fluffy and has a good sesame flavor. The soba water is probably kettle water, a bit thick, so maybe they added some soba flour. Among the six rotating soba shops in Kitami, this is one of my favorites. Kitami's soba is of high quality.

I had lunch in Kitami. It's been a while since I last visited Kitami. Let's go eat soba, so I decided to visit Soba Kouran, which has the highest rating on Tabelog. Last time I came to Kitami, I planned to go there but ended up passing by it, haha. This time, I was waiting in the parking lot before the opening. I visited at 11 o'clock. There were already 2 groups of customers. More customers arrived one after another. Truly a popular place. Inside the restaurant, there were counter seats and table seats. I had decided to eat cold soba. They use "seiro" instead of "zaru" or "mor" for the names here. I ordered the simple "seiro for 750 yen". They said it comes with a small rice ball. Of course, I asked for it. There was a lineup of sake bottles in front of the soba-making area. Nice touch. The dish arrived in about 5 minutes. Let's dig in. First, I tried just the soba. So delicious!! The aroma of the soba hits you right away! This is really tasty soba. From the moment I put it in my mouth, the strong aroma of the soba was amazing. The noodles were firm and had a nice texture. The broth was strong in flavor, but somehow mild. It's a delicious broth. It's the first time I've tasted this kind of broth. They served it with green onions, wasabi, and even tempura bits. That's unusual. Towards the end, I tried adding the tempura bits. The tempura bits are so good. I bet they would be amazing in tempura form. I'll have to try the tempura next time. And then, the rice ball. This rice ball is delicious too. They cooked it perfectly. I was impressed by the warm rice ball. Finally, they brought out the soba broth. Thick and rich soba broth. As a soba broth lover, this was the best. Wow, it was a wonderful restaurant. It was so delicious. Next time, I'll have to try the warm soba. Oh, but I also want to try the rice bowl. It's going to be tough, haha. Thank you for the meal!

This is a famous soba restaurant near Kitami Station. They only open during lunchtime, so there is always a line during lunch hours. I could only visit on a business trip, so I decided to splurge and ordered the Tororo Soba for 1500 yen. The orange topping in the middle is Karasumi (bottarga), and there is even gold leaf on top, haha. The Karasumi has a salty taste, so I recommend trying a bite of the Karasumi and soba without dipping it in the broth first to fully enjoy the flavor. The noodles are Somen, but they have a nice firm texture and are delicious.

[Visit on November 8, 2021] - Tsukune seiro (with cartilage): 980 yen - Tempura of cherry shrimp: 550 yen Soba Kaoroan (Tsukune seiro, Tempura of cherry shrimp) 0157-23-3838 5-11 Odori Nishi, Kitami-shi, Hokkaido https://tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0110/A011003/1033881/

This is a report from Hokkaido (lol). I came to Kitami and decided to visit "Soba Kaoroan," which has been featured in the Michelin Guide Hokkaido. The parking lot was spacious and easy to park in. I visited around 12:15 on a Saturday lunchtime, and there were only two groups of customers, so it was not crowded. The restaurant has thorough measures in place for infection prevention. The exterior and interior of the shop had a stylish soba restaurant atmosphere, which was nice. I ordered the "Bukkake Soba with Sakura Shrimp for 1,080 yen" and "Soba Tea Ice for 400 yen," which arrived in about 5 minutes. The refreshing bukkake soba with sakura shrimp tempura looked delicious, and the grated wasabi and plum condiments were good too. I recommend leaving a bit of soba soup before pouring the bukkake sauce over it. Just when I finished pouring, the soba broth was served, so I couldn't enjoy it! (lol) Nevertheless, I slurped it up and found the soba to be delicious! The aroma of sakura shrimp, the burdock, and shiso tempura were enjoyable and tasty. I added a raw egg in the middle and a complimentary onigiri at the end to enjoy the meal to the fullest. It was a shame about the timing of the soba broth (lol) Let's try again next time. I was curious about the "Soba Tea Ice" on the table menu, so I added it to finish. The accompanying senbei did an excellent job! The soba tea ice alone felt a bit lacking, but surprisingly, the combination of soba tea ice and senbei was amazing and delicious! This is highly recommended! I finished it deliciously in no time! There were other menu items that caught my eye, so I would like to visit again to try them out! Thank you for the meal.

This is Kitami. Since I ate a lot last night and this morning, my subordinate suggested having a light lunch with soba, so we ended up having soba for lunch. Even though I ate a lot, I still feel like I haven't eaten enough. After having barbecue, ramen, okonomiyaki, and yonakisoba, I can't say that I've eaten a lot. For lunch, we planned to go to one of the top soba restaurants in Kitami, but they were all crowded, so we ended up going to a different restaurant. This was our fourth choice, but we finally got a seat. It was a revisit, so we ordered something light. I had the "kashiwaseiro" soba for 980 yen including tax. It arrived within about 15 minutes, probably because it was crowded. The green onions were nice. The soba noodles were rough and had a gritty texture, and they paired well with the slightly spicy dipping sauce. The complimentary onigiri was also appreciated. It was delicious soba and onigiri with a good balance of flavors. Thank you for the meal.

After walking south down the main street in front of Kitami Station for about 5-6 minutes, I entered a restaurant without any prior knowledge. It seemed like they only served lunch (at least at the time of my visit), with the last order at 13:30, and I arrived around 13:15 by chance. The interior seemed to be renovated from a home, with elegant furnishings. The service was prompt, not overly familiar, and the staff had a good sense of distance. I waited for a bit in a chair inside the restaurant before being seated at a table for four. Some tables had two people sitting at a table for four, which made me feel slightly apologetic, perhaps due to the pandemic. Shortly after being seated, I was served cold water and buckwheat tea. It was a season where both hot and cold drinks were desirable, so this impressed me. I ordered the tsukune soba, with a slightly richer broth that my body was craving. The warm chicken-based dipping broth was on the richer side, as is typical with chicken-based broths. I also added a side of shrimp tempura. The soba arrived, tied with a small bundle of soba seeds. The soba had a rough texture and a strong chewiness that I enjoyed. The broth slowly spread its umami flavor, and the balance of mitsuba and green onions was just right. The tsukune had a chewy texture that brought out the umami flavor. The shrimp tempura arrived shortly after, with shrimp, shimeji mushrooms, and large perilla leaves. The shrimp had a satisfying crunch and a hint of sweetness that paired well with the broth. It was also delicious when dipped in salt. The good service, the soba that matched my preference, and the fact that they also serve katsudon made me want to come back again sometime in the future.

It was my first visit in a long time, since the outbreak of COVID-19. I sat at the counter seat without any partitions. The menu options were limited, possibly as a cost-cutting measure during the pandemic. I ordered "Duck Seiro" and "Sakura Shrimp Tempura" from the limited menu available only for that day.

Soba restaurant in Kitami. I couldn't visit during lunchtime last year. Finally, I made my first visit. The menu has quite a variety. I like zaru soba, but based on reviews, the sakura shrimp tempura seems to be really good. So, I decided to go with the sakura shrimp bukkake soba. Besides the sakura shrimp, there was also white fish tempura. The sakura shrimp seemed to be scarce, but they were fried perfectly and very delicious. The soba itself was excellent. If a restaurant like this was nearby, I would definitely visit frequently. It's a place I would like to visit again.

I tried the tempura soba cold noodles at this soba restaurant for the first time. I was surprised by the thickness and shortness of the noodles. They seem to be made from 100% buckwheat or something very close to it. Even when eaten on its own, you can really taste the aroma of the soba. The tempura was also good, I like burdock tempura in particular. However, I don't like it when it scatters while eating, but here the burdock was individually fried. I could feel the attention to detail. I will definitely go back.

I was researching restaurants that are open on December 31st and found this Michelin-starred soba restaurant, Roan. The menu was different from the usual, with a special year-end version. After much deliberation, I chose the Tempura Soba. It was delicious from the first bite - just my taste. The tempura was fried perfectly, and the amount of soba was just right to satisfy my hunger. I'm already full from the New Year's Eve meal, and everything was just perfect. The mini onigiri was optional to dip or not, and it had a pleasant aroma of soba in a mini size. Next time, I'll try the Tempura and Duck Soba.

I visited the restaurant around 11 a.m. on Sunday, December 1st. Finally, a December review! The place seemed to be popular as there were 2 groups of customers before me and more kept coming in. I ordered the Tsukune Soba for 950 yen and the assorted Tempura for 750 yen. The Tsukune had large, chunky meatballs with a nice texture and delicious chicken broth flavor. The Soba noodles were finely blended, offering a refreshing and smooth taste. The Tempura was crispy and light, very tasty. Overall, I was impressed by the quality of the food and the popularity of the restaurant. I was too full this time, but I would like to try their Soba tea ice cream for dessert next time.

Bukkake soba with sakura shrimp for 1,080 yen (tax included). The image shows the large portion, with an additional 250 yen for it. I ordered the soba with sakura shrimp, which was quite rare and delicious. There were plenty of sakura shrimp and other tempura toppings, making it refreshing and tasty. In addition to wasabi, there was also plum paste provided for extra flavor. The dish also included a hot spring egg and a small rice ball as a bonus. The soba itself was delicious and to my liking. With a wide variety of menu options, I will definitely visit again.

For lunch, I had soba noodles with "nora-jiru" soup. The sudden cool weather made the warm soba taste even better. This restaurant seems to highly recommend the nora-jiru soup. It's made with burdock, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions sautéed in sesame oil, and served with soba noodles in broth thickened with kudzu starch for extra warmth. If you're unsure what warm soba dish to order at this restaurant, I recommend trying the nora-jiru soup.

Summary: 1. I wish the tempura was a bit crispier. 2. The spiciness of the grated daikon radish was impressive. 3. The restaurant is clean and suitable for solo female diners. This was my third visit. It is located near Kitami Station, easily accessible from the Endo area heading towards North Kitami Station (towards Asahikawa). During lunchtime, the parking lot was almost full, but I was seated promptly at the counter. I ordered the grated daikon radish soba set (930 yen) and a small tempura rice bowl (500 yen). Ordering them as a set saves you 100 yen. The food arrived in about 5 minutes. The soba noodles were thin and had a good texture. The spiciness of the grated daikon radish was impressive. I just wish the tempura in the rice bowl was a bit crispier.

I went on a sweets tour in Kitami and for lunch, headed to the most popular soba restaurant in Kitami city recommended on a review site, "Soba Kaoroan." Located at 5 Chome, Odori Nishi, Kitami City, the map link is here https://goo.gl/maps/6o1Z9rFTwuWBusrK7. They are open from 11:00 to 14:45, closed on Thursdays. They have parking available and it is non-smoking. When I arrived, I was surprised by the exterior of the restaurant, it was quite modern and lacked the traditional Japanese feel. However, the taste is what matters most. The interior had a mix of traditional and modern elements. The staff were welcoming and the service was good. I arrived just before lunchtime and there were two groups ahead of me, but the turnover was quick and I was seated in about 7-8 minutes. I sat at the counter this time. The menu had a variety of options, including rice bowls. I decided on the "Tenseiro" for 1400 yen, which came with a small rice ball as well. Though small, it added a touch of luxury. They also provided a bowl of soba water for each person. The soba noodles were thin and had a strong texture. The dipping sauce was not too strong, allowing the soba to be dipped generously. It had a light sweetness and a hint of saltiness, with a rich umami flavor. The tempura shrimp was large and crispy, with a light and crunchy coating. The pickled ginger was also delicious. Overall, I enjoyed the meal, but I felt that the pricing could have been more reasonable.