I visited the restaurant around 1 pm on a weekday. There is parking in front of the store, but you can also park at the neighboring rice mill. I like 100% buckwheat soba, but unfortunately, it is only available on weekends. I ordered a set with mini rice bowl and zaru soba for 1580 yen, along with a bottle of beer for 600 yen. For the mini rice bowl, you can choose from shrimp tempura, chicken tempura, grated yam, or mixed tempura. I chose the shrimp tempura. First, the beer and pickles arrived. The pickles were cucumber, eggplant, and daikon pickled in bran with coarsely shaved bonito flakes on top. I tried the bonito flakes on their own for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were. The pickles were also very tasty. However, the beer was lukewarm (sad face). It was a hot day, and beer just doesn't taste good unless it's ice-cold. I couldn't help but lower my rating a bit because of this. I'm sorry. After a while, the soba set arrived. I was expecting cold soba, but the chilled soba had a nice texture and rich aroma, making it quite delicious. The mini rice bowl was indeed mini, but it was tasty with not only shrimp tempura but also beans and sweet potatoes. This was probably the first time I found soba to be so delicious. It was that good. Thank you for the meal. Next time, I definitely want to try the 100% buckwheat soba on a weekend.

It seemed like a popular restaurant, as it was crowded with customers during Saturday lunch. After waiting for over 30 minutes, I had the zaru soba tempura bowl set. The taste was excellent. The scent of the soba was strong, and both the tempura and rice were well-prepared. The soba tea was also great. However, the service was a bit lacking. I wasn't given a menu while waiting in the waiting area, and once seated, I was left alone for about 5 minutes. It wasn't that they were rude or arrogant, but maybe it's just because it's in a rural area. It might be best to just accept it as part of the experience.

The soba was delicious! Although I will skip the details about the hot and cold soba, the menu provided information about the origin of the soba flour and the ingredients in the broth. The hot soba noodles were thick. The cold soba had a refreshing texture and aroma, which I, a fan of Soba, enjoyed. However, the waiting time was a bit too long... The music made me sleepy... I endured it! Thank you for the meal!

After finishing a cycling tour to see the cliff-carved Buddhas scattered around Iwabune-ji Temple and the surrounding mountains, I made a stop at Soba Restaurant Tachibana near JR Kamo Station. I sat at the end of the counter seat in the back of the restaurant and ordered a Mini Chicken Tempura Rice Bowl with Zaru Soba Set for ¥1250 (excluding tax) along with two bottled beers. Since I will be taking the train back with my bike, I decided to have a drink. The Soba noodles were a stylish pale color and cooked perfectly. The chicken in the tempura rice bowl was made from chicken breast but was tender and not dry. I even finished the soba broth completely. The complimentary appetizer that came with the bottled beer was a nice little bonus.

On Saturday for lunch, my wife and I decided to have soba noodles together. We found a soba restaurant called "Soba Dokoro Tachibana" in Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture, based on a soba feature in a town magazine. It took us about 20 minutes to drive there. The restaurant is located in a quiet area and has a house-like atmosphere. Inside, the restaurant was bright and we were seated at a table. Shortly after we arrived, the restaurant became almost full. Since it was our first time at the restaurant, we saw various set meals on the menu, but we decided to keep it simple and ordered the 100% soba noodles. We noticed a sign saying that they only serve 100% soba noodles on weekends. The soba noodles that came out were slightly thicker and looked beautiful. Although we ordered soba noodles, rice and pickles were served as a complimentary side. Since it was 100% soba noodles, they provided a small dish of salt with a note saying "Please try the first bite with salt." We tried the soba noodles with salt, and the aroma of the soba was enhanced, making it truly delicious. We quickly finished the dish because it was so tasty. We then switched to dipping the noodles in the sauce. Even when we put wasabi directly on the noodles and dipped them lightly in the sauce, we could enjoy the aroma and it was delicious. It truly felt like authentic 100% soba noodles. It was so delicious that we finished it in no time, and we are planning to come back to try other variations next time.

I visited a restaurant in Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture (Kamo-cho) for the first time. It is a house/shop combination. Nearby, there are temples such as Joruriji Temple, Kaisenji Temple, and Iwafuneji Temple. I arrived after playing golf around 1 pm. There was only one group of customers before me. I was torn between ordering the "Ten-don" (tempura rice bowl) and "Zaru Soba" (cold buckwheat noodles served on a bamboo sieve), but I ended up choosing a set of mini Ten-don and Zaru Soba, opting for the 100% buckwheat soba. The Zaru Soba was served beautifully on a bamboo sieve, with plenty of wasabi and a side of salt. The 100% buckwheat soba was smooth, without a rough texture, and had a good mouthfeel. The dipping sauce was not too sweet, with a crisp taste. The sauce on the mini Ten-don was just right, not too thick or too thin. The combination of the 100% buckwheat soba and mini Ten-don was around 1500 yen and was delicious with good value for money. I really enjoyed my meal.

(※Visited in 2019) A authentic soba restaurant located about a 5-minute walk from JR Kamo Station in Kyoto Prefecture. The interior and parking lot are spacious. I ordered the zaru soba (made with 80% buckwheat flour). It was a genuine, well-made soba with a good flavor and texture. I should have tried the 100% buckwheat soba. It's great to have such a delicious soba restaurant in this area. If I ever come back to Kamo, I would definitely want to visit again.

The season for new soba had already arrived, but I hadn't had a chance to eat soba yet. Today, I discovered a soba restaurant called Tachibana in the Kamo area and decided to visit. Inside the restaurant, there were about 5 clean table seats. It seemed to be run by a couple, with the wife serving customers. There were signs inside the restaurant saying "New Soba Season!" along with detailed explanations of which soba from which region they were using at that particular time, with each period lasting about 2 weeks. They sourced from four regions including Hokkaido. When I visited, they were using new soba from Ryuno-Sato in Shiga Prefecture. This kind of detailed explanation is wonderful. It shows how much they value the new soba season and how they want to use the best soba from each region at that time. Looking at the menu, there were various soba dishes available as well as soba sets with rice bowls. It was hard to decide... but that was part of the fun. I ordered the Soba Restaurant's Rice Bowl Set for 1,250 yen (a choice of mini chicken tempura rice bowl + zaru soba for one person). I had to wait quite a bit after ordering. It seemed they made my soba after the order from the customer before me. Not ideal if you're in a hurry. The soba looked shiny and delicious. I first tried a few strands without dipping them in the sauce. Oh, the good aroma of the soba spread throughout my mouth. The aroma intensified as I chewed. Next, I dipped the soba in the sauce. The slightly strong sauce was rich and mellow, with a good dashi flavor that would appeal to everyone. The mini chicken tempura rice bowl had three pieces of tender and juicy chicken, even though it was breast meat. The rice was perfectly cooked, showing a high level of skill. The soba broth at the end was quite thin, which was a bit disappointing for me as I prefer a thicker consistency, but I still enjoyed it until the end. It was a spontaneous visit, but it was clear that they had been in business in this area for a long time. I would love to visit again during the new soba season. Thank you for the meal.

Unexpectedly delicious soba. The bowl was a bit soggy.

I went on a trip to Iga and Suzuka during a 3-day weekend. I drove from Yokkaichi, while my wife and kids took the train to meet up in Iga. However, just before arriving in Iga, my daughter was in a bad mood and asked us to pick her up in Kamo. Since we weren't in a hurry, we passed through Iga and headed towards Kamo on Route 163. We stopped for lunch at a station we had never been to before, and decided to try out a soba restaurant called Kiku that was highly rated on Tabelog. The restaurant had a calm and elegant atmosphere, and the menu offered soba, rice bowls, sets, and udon. I ordered the zaru soba and mini tempura rice bowl set for 1250 yen since we were quite hungry. Although the restaurant was a bit busy and understaffed, we finally got our food after about 30 minutes. The zaru soba and tempura were both delicious, and even though I'm not a connoisseur of soba, I was satisfied with the meal as it filled me up.

■2017/06/10■ーnaba's ThoughtsーAuthentic soba restaurants take time to prepare the noodles. It's recommended for those who want to enjoy soba leisurely when they have time. It seems to be run by an elderly couple. It was crowded on the day I went, and honestly, we had to wait a bit.. for everything.. But looking around, it seemed like most of the customers were older than us, so that was a relief. The soba is made with Shiga-grown buckwheat, Makurazaki-grown bonito, Tosashimizu-grown meji, Hyuga-grown mackerel, and Hokkaido-grown kelp, among other high-quality ingredients. The chicken is local, and they use reduced water. I wrote this to pass the time (^^) I ordered a mini tendon and zaru soba set, as well as a kakiage don and zaru soba set, each priced at 1250 yen. The soba had a clean white color with a distinct aroma, a firm texture, and a good bite. The broth was delicious with a hint of sweetness. Both the kakiage and mini tendon were tasty. The rice was also delicious. The taste was impeccable. It might be necessary to be patient during lunchtime due to the crowd. These were naba's thoughts.

This is a review of the soba restaurant "Tachibana" near JR Kamo Station. I had been wanting to try this place for a while, so when I had some business nearby on a holiday afternoon, I decided to stop by. The restaurant is a beautiful traditional Japanese house and has a good amount of parking in front and on the side. Inside, there is a calm atmosphere with counter and table seating. The owners, who I assume are the husband and wife, were running the place. The wife provided attentive service. The menu mainly consists of hot and cold soba, as well as udon and rice bowls. Prices for soba dishes are around 1000 yen, with various options available. The soba is made with different ratios of buckwheat flour, depending on the type. They also offer homemade udon made with carefully selected ingredients. I decided to try the recommended dish, Duck Soba (1250 yen), which is soba noodles served with a duck broth for dipping. The dish came with a side of rice and pickles, even though it wasn't mentioned on the menu. The soba noodles were thin and had a nice texture, with a decent buckwheat flavor. When dipped in the rich duck broth, which had a strong seafood and kombu umami flavor along with the duck's richness, the combination was excellent. The duck meat topping was thick and tender, adding to the overall satisfaction. The portion of soba seemed a bit small to me, so having the rice on the side was a nice touch. Overall, I found this restaurant to be convenient with its parking and comfortable atmosphere. I would recommend it to anyone with business near Kamo Station.

It's been a while since I visited this place. We ordered the 100% buckwheat noodles with grated daikon and a mini tendon. My partner had the tempura zaru soba. There is parking space for about three cars in front of the restaurant, but it's a bit tight and difficult to park. However, you can park in the parking lot next to the rice mill, so no need to worry about parking. The soba restaurant run by a couple is worth the wait. The serving time may be a bit long, but it's worth it. I have a favorite soba restaurant, Kurodaen in Asamiya, Shigaraki. When I eat soba, I unconsciously compare it to Kurodaen's standard. Did it exceed the Kurodaen standard this time? It was delicious. The soba was visually appealing, had a good aroma, was well-drained, had a good texture, and went down smoothly. I asked for the grated daikon to be spicy, and it was just to my liking. It hit the spot for me. In the past, this restaurant was just normally good, but this visit changed my opinion. My top soba restaurant is still Kurodaen, but Tachibana is now a close competitor. Soba is truly a wonderful dish. Goodbye for now!

A solitary store with a parking lot next to it. The interior is clean and well-maintained. There are counter seats in the back. The store only serves 100% soba on weekends. I ordered the zaru soba. When it says "zaru," it usually means it comes with seaweed. In this store, it refers to soba made with 20% wheat flour and 80% buckwheat flour. The soba is tightly packed and has a beautiful pale color. The broth is rich and has a distinctive spiciness. The broth has a complex flavor with bonito, mackerel, horse mackerel, and kelp. The soba water is made by dissolving soba flour, which is a bit disappointing. It emphasizes the sweetness of the broth.

Soba may seem ordinary, but Tachibana's soba is exceptional. There are many soba restaurants, but none as dedicated as Tachibana. Their cold and hot soba are both delicious. The way they prepare their soba is unique. The spicy daikon radish with new soba is a perfect match. The creamy oyakodon is also a must-try. I always have a hard time deciding what to eat because everything is so good. Sometimes I end up ordering two dishes. But every dish has its own unique and delicious flavor. Tachibana is run by a couple, so there may be a wait, but good soba restaurants are always busy because they take their time to make each dish special. The wait is worth it for the happiness that comes from enjoying their delicious food. If it's crowded, it's best to avoid, but if you're having a drink, try their grilled local chicken. It's a perfect match with beer.

One day during Golden Week, I felt like going somewhere but everywhere seemed crowded, so I decided to go for a drive towards Kamo. Along the way, I found a soba restaurant and decided to give it a try. It was a clean and cozy place run by a couple. I ordered the Niyoubu-don Zaru (made with 80% buckwheat soba) for 1150 yen and the Zaru Soba (made with 100% buckwheat soba) for 1000 yen. Both the 80% and 100% soba noodles were thin and delicious. The 100% soba noodles had a stronger aroma and were slightly firmer, but the difference wasn't significant. The Niyoubu-don was small but tasty, with chewy potatoes. The soba broth was well-balanced in terms of richness and sweetness, and the green onions were especially flavorful. The soba water was slightly thick but not bad. However, the menu had limited options during lunchtime, so it may not be suitable for those looking for a hearty meal. Overall, it was a non-smoking restaurant with clean facilities and I believe it has potential to improve in the future. I wish them the best of luck.

August revisit...or rather, I've been going there every time I have a day off recently. At first, I couldn't really feel the crisp texture of the zaru soba, so I rated it lower. But!! When I tried it again recently, the zaru soba was incredibly delicious!! And the parent-child donburi that I was curious about was also really tasty~. This place serves delicious chicken dishes. They use local chicken and even hide a knife in the meat to make it easier to eat. I personally like the tori nanban soba, and when you bite into the warm chicken, the flavor of the chicken spreads in your mouth. The soba is also made specifically for warm dishes, so it's firm and chewy. Just having a delicious soba restaurant nearby makes me so happy. Since my first visit, I've been going back here regularly. Recently, because it's cold, even though it's the season for new soba (this restaurant serves new soba at specific days and times), I've been eating warm soba. This is because many soba restaurants in Kansai use the same soba for cold and warm dishes, and the warm soba doesn't taste as good. However, it seems like Tachibana properly separates the soba. The broth has just the right amount of bonito flavor, and it's so delicious that you'll want to drink it all. The soba is firm and doesn't get soggy even when it's warm. Oh my, I'm sold. Once you try it, you might not feel the crisp texture of the cold soba as much (maybe because I was busy). So, lately I've been mainly eating warm soba. My favorite is the nishin soba. The nishin is a good size and has a fluffy texture, making it delicious. The other day, I tried some side dishes. The soba tofu with grated yam on top has a natural and gentle flavor, and it's delicious. The grilled chicken is crispy on the outside, and when you bite into it, the flavor and juices of the chicken spread in your mouth. It's really delicious!! Highly recommended. It seems to be getting tastier since my first visit. The kamo-jiru soba I had this time was disappointing, maybe because it was busy, but I noticed that there was scum floating on the broth and the soba didn't have a crisp texture. I'll have to revisit soon. Also, what's disappointing is the selection of sake at this place. Only one type of junmai-shu and one clear sake. I wish they had local sakes and more variety, as someone who enjoys drinking sake before finishing with soba. A new soba restaurant that opened near Kamo Station East Exit. There are many hand-made soba restaurants in the Kizugawa and Kamo area, but they are not easily accessible, so this place is very convenient when you want to eat delicious soba near the station. The slightly cozy atmosphere of the restaurant blends in with the heartwarming town full of nature in Kamo. It has a bright feel and is easy to enter. The side dishes are a bit lacking, which is a bit disappointing for someone like me who enjoys drinking. The soba is firm and delicious, and the presentation with persimmon leaves is perfect. The duck soup soba is light and easy to eat. However, there's nothing particularly memorable about it. If they could add a bit more punch to their dishes, it would be a perfect restaurant. It's not the kind of place you would go out of your way to visit, but it's a valuable restaurant for locals. It's easy for women to enter, they have lunch sets, and it's a rare find for people in the neighborhood. ^^