I made the effort to come despite the rain on Monday, September 17, 2023. I was torn between ordering the Tori Seiro (chicken and noodles) but ended up choosing the Mini Tendon & Cold Soba Set for 780 yen. The Soba noodles had a nice texture and paired well with the flavorful broth. The Mini Tendon had a variety of tempura including shrimp, eggplant, bell pepper, pumpkin, green beans, shishito peppers, watercress, and some other vegetables - definitely more than what you would expect from a "mini" size! The tempura was fried perfectly and the bowl of soba soup was delicious. Overall, it was a satisfying soba set. Thank you for the meal.

The grilled chicken thigh slices and green onions are irresistible. The savory flavor of the chicken, the aroma of the green onions, and the flavorful broth with chicken essence are excellent. The cooking time may be a bit long, but the satisfaction is worth it. The very long 80% buckwheat soba noodles require you to stand up to dip them into the broth, but until you reach halfway through the steaming basket, you can enjoy the length of the noodles. For those in the generation that appreciates the perfect timing for eating, the "Toriseiro" with plenty of ingredients here may have more satisfying bite. Thank you for the meal.

The soba noodles were a reliable 80/20 blend, with a smooth and beautiful texture. The broth had a strong umami flavor, very delicious. The mini katsudon was more like 2/3 of a regular size, but still satisfying. It was tasty and light, a good choice. Both the soba and the donburi were of high quality in terms of taste and cost performance. However, the chaotic atmosphere was a downside. Perhaps that's why it's not too crowded? Thank you for the meal.

In the past two years, this place has managed to keep their prices unchanged, which is commendable. When I ordered duck here, I was told that it was different from before, with the previous duck being thicker and having better fat content. In April 2022, I was impressed by the "chicken seiro" dish here, with its grilled chicken and green onions creating a delicious and fragrant flavor. I hoped to try the duck as well, but I was informed that due to the impact of hometown tax payments, they were unable to source duck meat. However, the owner found a new source for duck meat and reintroduced duck dishes starting on November 25th. Duck has a stronger aroma compared to chicken, and it was delicious! Both chicken and duck have their own unique qualities. The dipping sauce was a bit strong, but it was balanced out nicely with soba broth. Overall, this is a hidden gem that I would like to keep to myself. Thank you for the meal.

It's been a while since I visited a soba restaurant at the intersection near Kamii. About 5 years have passed since my last visit. The soba there is delicious, but the interior of the restaurant has a cluttered feel, which made me hesitant to return. The restaurant is called Tokiya Juraku Kamii Branch (11-4-9 Ishizaki Building, Kamii 2-jo, Asahikawa City). The soba there is quite thick, unlike the soba at Tokiya located in 3-jo 16-chome. It seems like they are not related, especially with "Juraku" in the name. I looked it up and found Tokiya Juraku in Sapporo, so maybe this is a branch of that. I wonder how it is related. The interior of the restaurant is still the same, with a cramped space and unfinished cleaning. There are flour and cardboard boxes scattered around, and a massage chair in front of the TV. It seems like the clutter will never be cleared. The menu has stains on it, which adds to the charm. The prices are reasonable, starting from 500 yen for mori soba and going up to 880 yen for tempura soba. I ended up ordering a mini tempura rice bowl and soba for 750 yen. The tempura was generous, with shrimp, smelt, lotus root, eggplant, eringi mushroom, and green pepper. Despite the clutter, the soba was delicious, with a good texture. The dipping sauce was a bit too sweet and there was a lot of it. Some customers complained about the lack of rice in their set meals. The portion of rice was indeed smaller than usual. The dipping sauce was also too much. The restaurant serves soba water, which is a nice touch. Overall, the experience was good, but be prepared for the cluttered interior and possibly a wait for a table.

天とじ丼 (Tempura and egg rice bowl) set for 750 yen (I'm sorry I forgot to take a picture), it seemed like a Kyoto-style dish (with a clear and glossy appearance), and the broth was to my liking. However, this restaurant has maintained its chaotic atmosphere unchanged for 20 years, which I think will be a matter of personal preference. For me, I appreciate the taste and value for money, so I give it a thumbs up. Thank you for the meal.

Soba restaurant in Kami-iru, Asahikawa City. There are various "Azuma-ya" in different towns, and there are several in Asahikawa as well. I'm not sure about the relationship between them. Although it's a soba restaurant, there was a sign saying "We also serve udon." It was a cold day, so I ordered the "Nabe-yaki Udon" (750 yen including tax). It was served in about 12-13 minutes. The server said, "It's hot, so I'll remove the lid." When I tried to eat the udon, I was surprised to see that it was thick. The server mentioned that it was homemade hand-cut noodles. The udon was delicious with a good texture. The broth was a bit light in flavor, which was good because nabe-yaki tends to make you thirsty later. The dish was filled with ingredients such as shrimp tempura, pork, shiitake mushrooms, fish cake, green onions, wheat gluten, and egg. The deep pot made it hard to see all the ingredients from the surface. I didn't realize there was an egg until I ate further. There was a small dish of pickled daikon radish, which I enjoyed after finishing the udon. The small restaurant had a slightly cluttered atmosphere, but I enjoyed the piping hot nabe-yaki udon. The service was also friendly.

On a festival day at noon, my wife and I aimed to be the first to arrive at the restaurant. We were indeed the first, but soon three other groups of customers arrived and the place was almost full. It was surprising to see how popular this local restaurant was. The interior was dimly lit and not very spacious, but it had a cozy atmosphere. We ordered the following: my wife had the Tempura Soba for 780 yen, and I had the Mini Tempura Donburi Set (with warm soba) for 720 yen. Both were very affordable! The Tempura Soba came with 2 shrimp tempura, eggplant, bell pepper, chrysanthemum greens, shimeji mushrooms, and sweet potato. The Mini Tempura Donburi had 1 shrimp tempura, eggplant, bell pepper, chrysanthemum greens, and white fish. Both dishes came with plenty of tempura. The Mini Tempura Donburi was served with a generous amount of dipping sauce, which I liked. The soba noodles were thin and chewy, a delightful texture. This restaurant is perfect for when you want to eat a lot on a budget.

Even in the summer, I'm not sure where to enter... It's been a few years since I first noticed this place, and I finally decided to go in after passing by it twice. I muster up the courage to find a parking spot and confirm the location of what seems to be a parking lot. I'm not mustering up the courage to enter the shop, I can go in alone anywhere (laughs). Oh... except for yakiniku maybe? It might look a bit lonely, right? I circle around and use my suspicious handle skills to park in the parking lot! It seems to be a parking lot exclusive to this building. Hmmm... Oh! It smells good...♪ I open the door and sit at the coolest seat. I plan to order "nabe yakisoba," so I usually choose a cool place to sit because eating hot nabe makes me feel hot (￣∀￣). A friendly staff member confirms that they can make "nabe yakisoba" and I decide to order the set with a mini tempura rice bowl. In the kitchen, they seem to be confirming several times that it's a mini dish... I wonder if not many people order it? What is brought to me is a surprisingly generous amount for a "mini" dish! It reminds me of a boss character... The nabe yakisoba, priced at 600 yen, comes with a variety of ingredients. The lid was there when it was brought to me, but they took it away... It's piping hot and bubbling. The egg was fully cooked... The soup is simple, like at a soba restaurant. The tempura rice bowl has a lot of oil, and the rice is on the softer side. It might be good for those who like that kind of texture. Even though it's past lunchtime, some regular customers start to trickle in. It seems like a popular spot that has built up a loyal following over the years. It's a comfortable and casual soba restaurant where you can feel at ease. I'm curious to try the "curry soba" or maybe some cold soba next time.

The price went up, but the 28 soba was worth it with its deep flavorful broth and generous portion. It was a blissful meal. Thank you.

The udon here is delicious and of good value. The texture is good, and the soba noodles are also good, but the udon is also good. The broth is not too sweet or too salty, it's perfect. The broth is so good that even the rice bowls are delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I thought it was taking a long time, but it turned out they were grilling the chicken before adding it to the sauce. This was a great idea! The grilled chicken had a wonderful smoky flavor that was very appetizing. Thank you for the delicious meal.

Winter limited udon! The wide, 20mm-plus cotton-like udon noodles are delicious. The smooth texture of the Sanuki soba here is also delicious, but the udon is also exquisite. The broth of the tempura don is elegant and delicious. Thank you for the meal.

If you hear about it, it's a bloodline from the Kushiro Takeoren. The taste is undeniable.

I ordered the Oomori soba and one-bite pork cutlet bowl. Despite ordering the large size, the portion was quite substantial. The one-bite pork cutlet bowl had a rich flavor and was delicious. Next time, I will come back to try the hot soba.

The price is reasonable and the large serving of soba noodles is quite generous. I might try the mini tempura rice bowl set next time! ♬

After receiving medical treatment at the hospital, I went to Higashiya's Azuma-ya for the first time in a while and had curry nanban with a small rice. It's thick so it's quite hot, but it's delicious. When I go to Azuma-ya, I usually don't have to think too much because I always order curry nanban with a small rice. I originally planned to eat it in the middle of summer, but I accidentally took the wrong bus and couldn't make it to Azuma-ya. Because of that, I'm glad I was able to go to Azuma-ya. I will probably order and eat curry nanban with a small rice again.

I visited Higashiya in Asahikawa Kamui for the first time in about a year. I ordered curry nanban and rice. I started with the curry nanban, which was naturally hot. Since there was no air conditioning, I ended up sweating a lot. However, eating curry nanban while sweating like that was incredibly delicious. After finishing the soba, there was still curry left, so I mixed it with the rice for the finishing touch, which was also delicious. Then, I drank up the soba broth. It was a double delight in one meal (triple including the soba broth), and as soon as the sweat dried up, it became cool and comfortable. That's why you don't need air conditioning. It was so delicious that I want to eat it again.

In June 2017, when you mention "Higashiya Juraku," you think of the long-established high-class soba restaurant in Maruyama, Sapporo. Originally from Kushiro, the Taketoyo-en Higashiya is said to be the origin. The Higashiya Juraku in Sapporo serves white "Sarashina" soba made from freshly ground flour. On the other hand, the Kushiro Taketoyo-en branch serves green soba with chlorella. When I first tried it during a business trip to Kushiro, I thought it was "green noodles." The Higashiya branch in Obihiro also serves soba in the Taketoyo-en style. When I looked at their website, I found that the famous Marunan restaurant in Hakodate is also part of the same lineage. In any case, the Higashiya family has spread throughout various parts of Hokkaido. I visited the Higashiya Juraku Kamiina branch in Asahikawa. The "Oomori" is priced at a very pleasing 550 yen. The Sarashina soba is machine-cut. The portion size is satisfying. It may not stand out as exceptional soba, but it is a good deal before reaching the level of "Ooban" in Sapporo. The dipping sauce is on the sweeter side, more of a light and refreshing type. It is meant to be fully immersed while eating. Hokkaido residents tend to like this style. The garnish is coarsely chopped green onions. I couldn't find any tube wasabi, but oddly enough, there was pickled daikon radish. I would prefer them to go all out with powdered wasabi, typical of local soba shops. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is somewhat cluttered, giving off a quaint "local soba shop" vibe. The signboard saying "Sobadokoro" may overlap with "Midoriori Soba" but it's probably unrelated. In the series of "Midoriori Soba's branch establishments," just like with Marunaga, the landmark "Hanmancho" also had a similar situation. In Asahikawa city, there seems to be a lot of "Sarashina style" soba shops, such as the Higashiya Juraku. The Higashiya Juraku in Asahikawa seems to be firmly rooted in the local community as a casual "local soba shop."

In my opinion, Sobaya is the best! I really wanted to eat there today, so I went for the first time in a while. I have been a customer of Sobaya since I was a child, and my favorite dish for the past 15 years has been the "Gobo Tempura Oroshi Soba (cold)". The soba is topped with a mountain of crispy fried burdock root, which is so delicious and addictive. It goes perfectly with the grated daikon radish. The soba itself is also very flavorful and has a generous portion. It is hand-made and simply delicious. The hot soba water at the end is also amazing. The owner, her daughter, and the soba artisan run the shop together, and it is an old establishment. It can take a bit of time for the soba to be served during lunch rush, so I recommend going when you have some extra time. Also, the winter Nabe Yaki Udon is highly recommended. Thank you for the delicious soba!