I visited a traditional soba restaurant near the station surrounded by tall buildings undergoing a large-scale redevelopment project. The atmosphere was calm, with people enjoying drinks and various side dishes. We started with beer and miso-pickled quail eggs, followed by Akita sake and sweetened herring, spicy boiled scallops and konjac. The soba noodles were smooth and flavorful, with a generous serving size. The tempura shrimp, pumpkin, carrot, and seaweed were crispy and delicious. My husband had the udon noodles in a hot pot, which was surprisingly tasty with fried mochi, bamboo shoots, chicken, fish cake, shrimp tempura, shiitake mushrooms, and chewy noodles. The broth was warming and the flavors were well-balanced. It was a delightful dining experience, and we even met a disappointed young German couple who arrived just before closing time. They were looking forward to trying the food but unfortunately missed out.

Handmade soba at Watanabe Shinjuku Station/Soba restaurant Visited a recommended soba restaurant by my foodie friends Lunchtime was bustling at 120% capacity, had to wait a bit to be seated Ordered the impactful sudachi soba I love lemon, umeboshi, and sudachi flavors They didn't have cold soba, so I got the hot soba in large portion The soba came with a lid? When I opened it, there was a nice sudachi aroma! The noodles had a good texture, and I finished all the soba sauce This place is definitely worth M's regular visits Recommendation level: #HandmadeSobaWatanabe #ShinjukuLunch #SudachiSoba

I visited around 1 pm on a regular day. The entrance is narrow, but the shop expands towards the back where the noodle-making area is. There are counter seats as well, but the main seating is at tables. There were many solo diners of all ages, with about 80% of the seats occupied. The staff wearing aprons give the place a nice traditional soba shop feel. I ordered the "Soba Sanmai" set. The food arrived in less than 10 minutes. It consisted of tororo (grated yam), soba noodles topped with seaweed, bonito flakes, and sesame seeds. The soba noodles didn't have a strong aroma and weren't very firm, but they were still tasty. The tororo was average, but the strong presence of nori was good. The soba dipping sauce was not too spicy or sweet, with a gentle flavor that I think would appeal to many. The soba broth was served generously in a teapot and became thicker towards the end. This shop in Shinjuku Nishiguchi has a calm atmosphere different from the hustle and bustle of the city. The staff are efficient, making it suitable for quick meals or enjoying a variety of appetizers with drinks. It's an oasis for older customers!

On a hot summer day in Shinjuku, cold soba is a must. I went out in search of tempura and zaru soba, and found a promising restaurant near the station called Watanabe. They serve traditional soba with unique tempura toppings like seaweed and carrots, which are not commonly seen but delicious. It was really good.

- A few minutes walk from Shinjuku Station West Exit - Serves around 20 types of soba dishes - Bottled beer (large) for 650 yen - Quail egg miso pickles for 500 yen - Spicy simmered scallops and konjac for 700 yen - Soba noodles for 600 yen - Pros: Lively and efficient service, a nice neighborhood soba restaurant - Cons: Always crowded, so it can be a bit hectic

I had the double tororo soba and the soba sanmai. The soba was delicious! The soba sanmai came with nori, okaka, sesame, and plenty of tororo. Since the soba was so delicious, I think next time I'll go for the simple zaru soba with two layers. I went on the weekend and just managed to get a table as there were only two seats left.

I came to Edo for work♪ Today's lunch is soba in Nishi-Shinjuku. I ordered the duck seiro since the tempura was already taken. We also shared the Tochio tofu, which is always delicious. Taking a break from my low-carb diet today. I even got a refill on the seiro. My companion said they couldn't eat much but ended up eating half. Now it's time to get back to work(^-^)。。。#EdoLunch #EdoGourmet

One day, while working from home, I decided to go out to have tsukemen for lunch. Despite being full of excitement, the outside temperature was around 35℃ and I started feeling exhausted as I walked. I remembered a place I had been to before, Watanabe-san's. It was around 11:15 am on a weekday. I couldn't recall what I had eaten last time, so I ordered the Shirasu Soba (tax included 1100 yen). Even though I was dining alone, I was seated at a table for four and soon found myself sharing the table with someone else. It was a bit awkward, especially since there were other empty tables available. The dish arrived and it looked a bit plain. I wish they had added more seaweed. The simmered shiitake mushrooms gave it a Kanto-like touch. I like soba with a sharp edge, but there was some inconsistency in the cooking, which left me feeling a bit unsure. Perhaps I should have gone for the Soba Sanmai set instead? It's rare to find hand-made soba near Shinjuku Station, so it was a bit disappointing.

Hello, this is Mormor. Today, after work, I felt like having a drink with some soba, so I went to "Handmade Soba Watanabe" (※I couldn't take a picture of the storefront, so I'm quoting from their website). I've been here a few times when I worked in Shinjuku, but this might be my first time drinking here. The interior has table seating and counter seating, and I was seated at the counter. In the middle of the counter, there is a large pot with fresh flowers. You can see the soba making process in the noodle-making room in front. I was thirsty, so I started with a beer. I paired it with "Wasabi Stem Pickles." I started with "Tochio Aburaage." "Tochio Aburaage" is a specialty of Tochio in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, and it is about three times the size of regular "aburaage." It has a fragrant aroma, and it goes well with chopped green onions, ginger, and bonito flakes with soy sauce on top. This makes for a great snack. I ordered "Zaru Soba." Since I ordered a snack, I kept the soba simple with "Zaru Soba." I was asked if I wanted it served later, but I didn't want it as a meal to finish with, I wanted to eat it as a snack while drinking, so I asked for it to be served right away. It comes with shredded seaweed on top. The difference between this and "Seiro" is the presence of this seaweed. I dip it in the "mentsuyu" sauce. The fragrant soba and the flavor of the seaweed are delicious. It comes with quail eggs, so I crack them with a shell cracker and put them in the "mentsuyu" sauce. Mixing the quail eggs into the "mentsuyu" sauce, I then dip the noodles in it. I enjoy the noodles dipped in the sauce. The quail eggs add richness and creaminess, making it even more delicious. It was meant to be a snack, but it was so delicious that I finished it in no time. I ordered another serving, and I thought about getting a "shochu soba-cha highball" as well, but since I have work tomorrow, I decided against it. I finished with soba-yu. Mixing delicious "mentsuyu" with soba-yu is very tasty. So, at "Handmade Soba Watanabe," I had a "soba-ya nomi" experience, where the flavorful sake accompaniments and soba made the alcohol go down smoothly. I really wanted to have a "shochu soba-cha highball" for my second drink, but it was still early in the week, so I reluctantly gave up. I hope to visit again when I have more time. Soba-ya nomi at Nishi-Shinjuku's "Handmade Soba Watanabe" #HandmadeSobaWatanabe #Soba-yaNomiBlog link → https://wp.me/pb52jZ-bfbInsta link → https://www.instagram.com/mormor_987/※URL links can be accessed by opening Tabelog from a PC or using a browser like Safari on a smartphone to search for the restaurant and view the review.

I arrived at the bus terminal at 5:30 pm, so I went to my favorite soba restaurant with my mother. We were able to be seated almost immediately. Both of us ordered the "tenseiro" soba. While waiting, we watched the delicate hand movements of the chef making the soba noodles and commented that they must be blood type A. When our soba arrived, it was delicious as always. The cold noodles had the perfect firmness. My mother, who loves soba, also enjoyed it, which made me happy. I noticed that people around us were drinking soba shochu with sobayu (soba water) and getting refills, which seemed like a great value and a delicious way to enjoy it.

I had lunch at the famous soba restaurant "Teuchi Soba Watanabe"♪ The nearest station is a 3-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station West Exit, on the 1st floor of a building behind Yodobashi Camera Shinjuku West Exit Main Store, with a traditional Japanese entrance that gives a typical soba restaurant vibe. Looking at the menu with photos at the storefront, there were appealing dishes like "Shirasu Soba" with whitebait, grated daikon radish, myoga, okra, and "Yuba Soba" topped with my favorite yuba! Upon entering the restaurant, the hostess guided me to a table seat rather than the large counter seat near the entrance. Right next to me, there was a glass-walled soba-making area where the craftsman was making soba noodles. The hand-made soba "seiro" was priced at 600 yen (tax included), and "kake" was 650 yen (tax included), which is very reasonable! There is no large size, and an additional seiro costs 450 yen (tax included). I ordered the "kasane seiro". About 6 minutes after ordering, my dish was served. It was a two-layered seiro, with condiments (fresh wasabi, chopped green onions), soba dipping sauce in a sake pitcher, and a soba cup. It was also nice to have disposable chopsticks. The medium-thin soba noodles, made from whole buckwheat flour, had a subtle grain aroma, and when chewed, the flavor and sweetness of the soba spread in my mouth. It had a good firmness and a moist, glossy texture with a sharp finish. I first tried it without dipping anything, and the subtle sweetness and aroma of the soba filled my mouth. The noodles were smooth and delicious with a good texture. I quickly finished the first layer with the slightly sweet and flavorful dipping sauce. I was happy to be able to eat the second layer as well. I dipped a little fresh wasabi on the soba, then dipped the edge of the soba into the sauce before eating. Finally, I sprinkled shichimi on the soba for a change of taste and enjoyed it until the last bite♪ The soba broth was served in a teapot after I finished the first layer. It seemed like the water used to boil the soba, and I poured it generously into the remaining dipping sauce, enjoying about three cups of the exquisite soba soup♪ Since there were two layers of soba, there was plenty of dipping sauce left in the sake pitcher even after three cups, but I stopped at three cups considering my blood pressure. The restaurant was bustling with customers coming in one after another to enjoy delicious hand-made soba at such reasonable prices in Shinjuku. I had a very satisfying lunch♪

I wanted to eat oyakodon, but it was sold out when I checked the menu outside, so I ended up eating Nanban soba. Even though there were quite a few customers, I couldn't fully enjoy my meal because the sound of pounding soba noodles coming from the next room was distracting.

Last night I ate too much, so I chose a light soba that I can eat easily. This restaurant doesn't have set meals like donburi, so I won't overeat. The restaurant has a faintly good smell of dashi, and even though it's hot outside, I decided to eat warm soba to freshen up my body. The combination of yuba, soba, and dashi is exquisite. I felt like having soba-mae and shochu, but I'll resist the temptation for next time.

Revisited Mr. Watanabe at JR Shinjuku Station West Exit (6 minutes on foot). Before the pandemic, it was a tradition to start with drinks and end with Mr. Watanabe's soba. It's a long-established hand-made soba shop. I was seated at the counter in a U-shape. Today, I chose the Tempura Soba. It was actually my first time ordering tempura. The freshly fried tempura was delicious! The soba was also delicious! As always, the service was good and the atmosphere inside the restaurant was good too. I wonder how many years I have been coming here. These days, I am curious about the redevelopment of Shinjuku West Exit. July 12, 2023, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

I wanted to eat delicious soba after a long time, so I looked it up and decided to go. I went around 7:45 pm on a weekday. I was worried if I could get in right away, but luckily there was a seat available and we were seated immediately. It seemed like other customers who arrived later had to wait until another group left, so we were lucky. The soba was delicious, and we even ordered more. The seaweed was so tasty, it was impressive. I definitely want to go again. Regarding payment methods, they only accept cash, so I would be happy if they could also accept cards or electronic money.

The soba noodles here may not have an outstanding crunch or overwhelming flavor, but that lack of pretentious uniqueness is what makes this soba shop stand out. The hand-made soba noodles are rich in flavor. The broth, ingredients, and cooking are all done with care and attention to detail. The steamed soba noodles are always satisfying. The soba sushi may take a little longer to prepare, but it's worth the wait. It's a creative take on soba noodles that is enjoyable. I also recommend trying the fried dish from Tochio, which pairs well with sake. Even if you don't drink, there are plenty of menu options to choose from. In the cold season, I recommend trying the herring soba or tempura soba. And if they have simmered chicken, that's also a must-try. The tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) is also well-made here.

On Saturday at 11:30, I stood in front of the menu outside the restaurant, taking my time to decide before entering. The place was quite busy, with even the single seats filling up quickly, showing its popularity. I chose one of the six single seats at the large table on the left as I entered. The beautiful fresh flowers in the middle caught my eye. I could see the soba noodles being made right in front of me, giving me a sense of visiting a genuine soba restaurant and lifting my spirits. Soba tea was brought to me quickly, and I placed my order right away. I ordered the tempura soba with an extra serving of soba noodles and soba kuzu mochi (which I really wanted to try). Although the staff seemed to be in a hurry, they were very polite in their service. At this time, there was only one person waiting inside the restaurant, so I felt at ease. At 11:45, my order arrived, and by 12:00, I had finished my meal and left. As I left, there were 2-3 groups waiting outside. I didn't have to wait long to be seated as I was quickly ushered in to take the place of the customers finishing their meals.

Location: In front of the entrance of Shinjuku Chuo Post Office I found "Oyako-don" on the menu of the hand-made soba restaurant that I have mentioned a few times before, so I decided to try it this time. It arrived in about 10 minutes. The set included Oyako-don, a small portion of soba instead of miso soup, grated daikon radish, and pickles for 1100 yen. The taste of the Oyako-don was average, but the amount of rice was surprisingly large, making it a struggle to finish. It might be suitable for those who eat a lot, but I think it's better for the average person to come with an empty stomach. Actually, before ordering, I hesitated about getting an extra serving of soba, but I'm glad I didn't.

To avoid chemical seasonings and additives, I occasionally go to a seemingly proper restaurant to order. I ordered zaru soba for 700 yen, and was told that I couldn't get a large serving but could add an extra sieve for 450 yen. When I checked the portion, it didn't seem like I would get full no matter how many sheets I ate, so I bought some bread on my way home. It was delicious, but they were still doing meaningless things like using acrylic boards and alcohol disinfectant. They should think more carefully. The only places where O157 outbreaks have been thoroughly disinfected are hospitals and school kitchens.

Visited around 19:30☺️ It was quite crowded on weekends at this time. Had to wait outside for about 10 minutes to get in. I ordered the duck nanban soba, which was served in less than 10 minutes. There were three separate servings of soba, but I couldn't quite tell the difference between them. 😂 I went with two friends and all the portions were huge! My friends also ordered tenju and oyakoju, which were also large with generous portions of tempura and toppings. The taste was good, but what stood out was the generous portion size. Considering the amount of food you get, I think the prices are reasonable. There were a lot of foreigners, so it seems like it could be crowded on both weekdays and weekends.

In the evening of the weekend, I felt like having some soba and decided to drop by. I was hesitant between a standing soba shop and this place, which had caught my attention before. The zaru soba was priced at 700 yen, which I found amazing given its location right in front of Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station (not literally in front, but very close) and the fact that it's not a standing shop. The dish arrived quickly, in just about a minute, and I finished it in no time. The taste was decent. The portion size was not that big. It would be nice if there was something more distinctive about it, but even so, the fact that you can enjoy delicious zaru soba at this price in this location may be its main appeal. I believe they only accepted cash for payment. Hmm, in this day and age, I think it would be better if they accepted multiple payment methods at a place like this. It feels like a missed opportunity. Personally, if they had draft beer, I would definitely come back. Thank you for the meal.