It's about a 5-minute walk from Nakano Station North Exit. The exterior has a charming look, with the entire building from the 1st to the 3rd floor being a store. The table seats in the center of the 2nd floor have windows, and I enjoy eating while looking out at the small garden. This time, I ordered the following: "Beef Sukiyaki Udon" (1,350 yen) and "Duck Soup Soba" (1,100 yen). The duck soup soba is served as dipping noodles, and although it may look rich in the photo, it's actually quite light and smooth to eat. The soba noodles, with just the right amount of chewiness, have a rich and delicious flavor that doesn't lose to the dipping broth. Duck meat and green onions are truly a perfect match! There's quite a lot of duck meat in the dish. The beef sukiyaki udon features hand-cut thin noodles made in-house, which maintain a good chewiness even when soaked in the broth, making it smooth and enjoyable to eat. The sukiyaki sauce is not too sweet, and it pairs perfectly with the udon. Soba noodles are truly delicious! I also discovered that udon is delicious too. It's important to try various things instead of being prejudiced against them. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the meal!

I'm not very familiar with Nakano Station, but I happened to come across it while wandering around wanting to eat soba. I had the duck broth soba. The duck fat and meat juices had just the right punch, and gradually melting the ginger on the side made for a nice flavor change. It was very delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I went with my family. When we entered, we were guided upstairs to a tatami seat. The restaurant was surprisingly large, not something you could tell from the outside. We were served warm soba tea, and then we ordered the tempura soba. It was just as I like it. By the way, they don't have rice bowls or other dishes, so it might not be ideal for young children.

I went to "Sarashina Sogen Honten" (Kitaguchi branch) for dinner today. It is a soba restaurant located about a 5-minute walk from JR Nakano Station North Exit, through the shopping street and turning right (photo 1). When I arrived at around 5:20 pm, they informed me that they were out of soba and would resume serving around 6 pm. I couldn't believe it! Even though I had checked in advance that they were open on Sundays with no days off, the soba was sold out. However, since it is a popular place, I decided to stroll around the shopping street and wait. When I returned just before 6 pm, I was able to order. I ordered the "Duck Soup Soba (¥1,150)" as the "Three-color Soba" was also sold out. It took quite some time, about 10 minutes, for the dish to be served (photo 3). The pot on the right side is soba broth. The dipping sauce was authentic, with large pieces of duck meat in it. The broth was delicious. The soba itself was also tasty. Interestingly, there was a glass window in front of the counter seat where you could see the craftsman hand-making the soba. It was a genuine hand-made soba. No wonder it took a while. Considering the quality of the soba and broth, the price seemed reasonable and normal. I should have ordered a large portion of soba. The payment was cash only.

It's been a while since my last visit. The soba used to be delicious here, but today it was even worse than standing soba shops. The staff were all slow. It took 10 minutes just to sit down and get tea and a wet towel. The checkout was also extremely slow. When I left after a long time, I told them, "The taste and the staff are the worst I've ever experienced!"

My husband and I came here. The special soba of this month was tea soba with three colors, along with cold soba. Today, we had sobagaki and kakesoba. The prices here are really reasonable, and they serve honest soba. We really value this place. ✨

The staff at the part-time job were wonderful. They provided thorough explanations of the products and had good knowledge of the items, making recommendations easy to understand. Surprisingly, the egg omelette was sweet. The buckwheat tofu was interesting to try for the first time. The soba noodles came out quickly and the atmosphere of the restaurant was pleasant. Thank you for the meal!

The morning drama "Maiagare" on NHK has entered its final stages. Initially, it seemed like a story about the heroine aiming to become a pilot, especially during the first half when she attends aviation university. However, the story took a sudden turn, with the heroine working at her family's screw factory and even aspiring to start her own business. The drama touches on issues such as small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, and women's empowerment (diversity), which are key aspects of current economic policies. The setting of the drama spans across various locations in Japan, contributing to regional revitalization. The drama has received mixed reviews on social media, which is common in this day and age. As for food, the drama also includes discussions about food, making it interesting from a gourmet perspective. As for my food adventure that day, I decided to try some local cuisine and ended up planning to eat Sanuki udon at a place in Nakano that is said to be carrying on the tradition of Ichifuku in Kagawa. However, upon arriving before the opening time, I was informed that the shop actually opens at 12:00, contrary to the information available online. Not wanting to wait for an hour, I decided to explore the area and stumbled upon another restaurant nearby. This restaurant had a traditional and quiet atmosphere, and I was drawn to it. According to a blog, this restaurant was founded by Shigeru Niijima, a pioneer in the study of Japanese noodle eating history, who opened the first shop in Shinjuku in 1948. The shop expanded its network over the years, and the one I visited in Nakano was opened in 1989. The location was quaint and had a historical charm, adding to the appeal. The menu included soba and udon, with the soba prices ranging from 880 yen to 1050 yen. The tempura soba was on the pricier side at 1900 yen, but there was a more affordable option available. The udon was made with local flour from Gunma, which seemed promising. Overall, it was an unexpected food adventure with a mix of history and local flavors.

There was nothing to do, so I took the Tozai Line to Nakano Station. I walked around Sun Mall, but couldn't find any interesting stores, so I decided to check out Sarashina Soba, a soba restaurant diagonally across from Kaeru. The interior had table seating and a unique counter, with three elderly customers already there. I ordered the Tamagoyaki Half Itawasa Nama Soba (small size) for 400 yen including tax. The small size came in a glass with kinpira gobou. I enjoyed it while reading the Yomiuri Shimbun. The itawasa was from Suzuhiro, not Kammo, with a firm kamaboko texture. The tamagoyaki was sweet with the soba restaurant's dashi flavor, and the half size was just right. It came with autumn leaves as a garnish. I added a glass of cold sake and it all came together nicely. I paid in cash and then teleported to Butayama Nakano Store. Thank you for the meal.

I watched a comedy live in Koenji, then went to Nakano to pick up some items I had reserved at a store on Broadway. It was 7 PM, so I thought about grabbing something to eat. I decided to try the famous "Jigoku Soba" at Sarashina Sogen Honten, a place I had been wanting to visit for a while. The name comes from the fact that the soba noodles are not rinsed in water after being boiled, allowing the original aroma, sweetness, and umami of the soba to stand out. When I took a bite, I realized that it was a unique style of soba where boiled soba noodles are served in a bowl without being rinsed. It was delicious!

The "lemon cut" sign of the unusual soba caught my eye and I thought it looked refreshing and delicious, but they were sold out. It was a limited edition for August and since it was September, I asked if it was already finished, but they said they still had it. So, I ended up ordering the September special "chrysanthemum cut" with extra noodles. It cost 1080 yen including tax. I wonder what kind of chrysanthemum was mixed in? It was grainy. It was unique, but I couldn't really smell or taste the chrysanthemum, so I should have ordered a different soba. I've been to this restaurant at the south exit a few times and quite like it, but without a lunch menu, it ends up being more expensive than going to another restaurant for lunch. I should have used it for dinner instead of lunch. The second floor was spacious and quiet since there were no other customers, which was nice. Personally, if you feel like having soba for lunch at Nakano Station, I would recommend Maki.

I visited around 7:00 p.m. on a weekday. The restaurant was featured on TV last Saturday as a delicious soba restaurant in Tokyo. When I entered the restaurant, I heard voices from upstairs. I was seated at a table on the first floor, and there were about 5 local customers. I ordered the "Hell Soba" that was featured on TV. Despite the name suggesting spiciness, it was actually soba noodles served warm with egg white, katsuobushi, egg yolk, nori, and spinach on top. I also got some tempura with Taito ginger as an addition. The soba had a mild and subtle flavor, which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Thank you for the meal.

Sarashina Main Store Kitaguchi Branch Food Blog 3.48 Nakano 5-56-7, Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo I ordered the large portion at Sarashina, but it was actually quite small. Even though it was delicious, I didn't feel satisfied. This lack of satisfaction might be one reason why soba shops are not as popular as ramen shops. I wonder if the cost is really that high. #Soba #Buckwheat noodles #Dinner #Nakano #Nakano-ku #Thank you for the meal #Tokyo #Gourmet #Foodie King

Located near the north exit of JR Nakano Station, Sarashina Sohonten is a separate establishment from the nationwide soba chain "Sasara." This shop opened after the war and was visited because of the shop in Higashi-Nakano. I wanted to eat "Jigoku Soba" after a long time, so I visited this shop as well. The origin of the name "Jigoku Soba" here is that it is freshly fried in oil and not rinsed with water, hence the name "Jigoku" (hell) soba. Because it is not rinsed with water, the soba itself has a slight thickness and a slightly soft texture. The texture is a bit softer, but on the contrary, the sweetness and aroma of the soba that are easily lost in rinsing are alive. The dipping sauce is unique! Is it based on a broth of bonito added to soba water? The soy sauce is mainly used for aroma and does not have much saltiness. Surrounded by plenty of shaved bonito and chopped seaweed, the blue scent of spinach, and the rich umami of the egg yolk, the scent of soba rushes in gently. I was able to enjoy a gentle gradation that is not often found in other soba shops. Two types of Jigoku Soba in Higashi-Nakano and Nakano visited during the consecutive holidays. Despite the eerie names, both had unique soba flavors.

I came to eat the cherry blossom soba in April. It has a subtle cherry blossom flavor and is delicious. However, just the soba alone is still not enough. I finish it in just three bites... I should have ordered tempura. Or it would be great if they offered a larger portion. I also want to try the tea soba, so I will come back next month.

On Wednesday, just before 5:30 pm, I visited for dinner after a long time. On this day, there was no alcohol service due to the prevention of the spread of the new coronavirus, which was a bit disappointing, but I decided to keep it simple and just have soba. Duck Soup Soba (1100 yen including tax) is a menu where you dip cold soba in a rich warm duck soup. The warm duck soup, with its rich duck fat flavor, contains plenty of classic green onions and chewy duck meat. It was a delicious menu to enjoy by dipping cold soba in the duck soup. After eating the soba, you can enjoy the duck soup, which is lightly diluted with soba water, to the last drop.

I entered the restaurant just before closing time. I was allowed to order soba, so I ordered tempura soba. Soon after, the tempura soba was served. The soba was delicious, the broth was okay. I haven't tried anything else, so I can't say much, but I will visit again with more time next time.

Visited the Sarashina main store North Exit this time after going to the South Exit last week. The restaurant is located in a chaotic food and drink district near Nakano Station. Once inside, it feels like a different world with a chic wooden interior, quiet, and calm atmosphere. I was shown to a sunken kotatsu on the second floor, but I requested a table seat on the first floor. The menu seems similar to the South Exit store. Since it was cold, I wanted a warm soba dish, with choices of 1) egg over rice soba 2) fried mochi soba 3) curry nanban. Hmm... after some thought, I decided to have the egg over rice soba with mochi added. The first floor has counter seats and table seats. There is also a small garden separated by glass, with two doors leading to it. I wonder why? Additionally, the interior is decorated with pottery and folk crafts. Now, the special fried mochi added egg over rice soba is ready. The soba is delicate and elegant, fitting for Sarashina. It's nice that the condiments are served separately. Suddenly, a woman who was dining opened one of the doors and went out to the garden. I wondered where she was going, but then she opened the other door and went in. It turned out to be the restroom. Such a stylish design. Feeling full and warm from the soba, I left the restaurant feeling content. The total cost was 1000 yen, with the mochi costing an additional 100 yen. Thank you for the meal.

I came back to this place the day before yesterday. I was curious about the monthly changing soba, so I asked and found out that the difference lies in what is kneaded into the soba. In February, it was sesame, so the soba dough was kneaded with sesame. I love sesame, so I had to order it. Normally, it's served cold, but because it was cold outside, I asked for it to be served warm. From the first bite, the sesame flavor was delicious. I even finished all the broth.

I was craving for some zaru soba and found a nice looking restaurant nearby. It's a bit hidden in a complex alley so it might be hard to find. They had a lot of soba menu options but I stuck to my initial craving and got the zaru soba with extra noodles for 150 yen. The soba noodles were very thin and had a subtle buckwheat flavor. I finished it in no time. The tea was soba tea and the soba broth was delicious too. The oyster tempura was also tasty.

I have been visiting the Nakano's long-established soba restaurant, Sarashina Main Store, so many times that I have lost count. The three-story building has a charming atmosphere with a skylit atrium where seasonal fresh flowers arranged by the owner can be seen. The restaurant is frequented by soba enthusiasts and offers a variety of soba dishes from traditional soba noodles to soba sweets, keeping customers satisfied. My recommendations at Sarashina are the following two dishes: 1. Curry Nanban Soba: This dish features soba noodles in a thick, well-seasoned curry sauce that pairs perfectly with the toppings of green onions and pork. The rich flavors blend beautifully with the noodles. 2. Jigoku Soba (Hell Soba): Served slightly after the Curry Nanban Soba, this dish is unique for not being rinsed in water after being cooked in hot water, hence its name "Hell Soba." Toppings include spinach, seaweed, bonito flakes, and raw egg, which are mixed together and can be enhanced with a dash of soy sauce. The piping hot Jigoku Soba is addictive and a must-try. Additionally, customers can enjoy unlimited hot soba water, which is served in a thermos. I personally like to add a little soy sauce and shichimi pepper to the soba water before drinking it from a small sake cup. Sarashina also sells soba flour, soba tea, and soba snacks at the register, making them popular choices for souvenirs. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience. Address: 5-56-7 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo Phone: 03-3389-4218 Closed on irregular days Opening hours: 11:00-21:00 2nd floor: Tatami seating, tables 3rd floor: Tatami seating Reservation: Available Credit cards: Not accepted Electronic money: Not accepted Wheelchair accessible: Yes Baby stroller: Yes Children: Yes