The establishment dates back to the Edo period in 1859, making it a 164-year-old traditional soba restaurant. I had the special lunch menu of old-fashioned seiro soba with separate layers, priced at 1,000 yen. The soba had a traditional flavor with a good texture. There was a lovely message on the restroom wall that left a positive impression on me. Thank you for the meal.

When it's hot like this, it's not ramen but soba. Tori Seiro for 1300 yen. The exterior of the restaurant has a charming atmosphere, but the inside is clean with interesting stone walls. The soba noodles are of normal thickness, cooked quite firm. The warm broth complements the noodles well. The first bite is just the soba noodles, not much aroma. The broth is on the thicker side and the chicken is tender and delicious. The soba broth is quite light. The portion of soba noodles is small, but there are no options for a larger size. It's recommended to order two plates or three if sharing with two people. The hospitality is lacking, as water is not self-served and only given to about half of the customers. They didn't bring me a towel or water. Thank you for the meal.

Visited a restaurant in front of the art museum. Heard it was a place where literary figures used to visit, so I couldn't resist going. The customers were mostly older people. There were individuals, couples, and families. I ordered a tempura set meal. It was delicious, but not outstanding. However, I liked the atmosphere and the staff. Thank you for the meal.

I visited this restaurant while on a business trip to Tokyo and decided to stay for the weekend. I was planning to have some sweets later, so I opted for a light soba lunch here in Yushima. According to the information on Tabelog, they only open at night, but luckily they were open for lunch when I visited. I ordered the traditional seiro with separate noodles and the chicken seiro. The chicken seiro is a favorite of mine, with large pieces of chicken and plenty of leeks as toppings. The soba noodles had a good texture and I especially enjoyed the slightly sweet soba broth. The traditional seiro came with three layers of noodles, including one with mugwort. The cold soba broth had a strong dashi flavor, allowing the noodles to shine. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere with table displays of soba cups and replicas of ukiyo-e prints. It was a calming space to enjoy delicious soba. Thank you for the meal!

For a light lunch, I decided to walk from Nezu to Yushima. It was a bit hot, so I chose to have soba noodles. Even though the information said they only serve at night, I found out they were open for lunch as well. My friend chose the chicken soba, which has a slightly sweet broth made with chicken oil. I ordered the traditional soba, which came with three different types of noodles, one of them being made with mugwort. It was a fun and interesting soba experience. I personally would have liked a stronger mugwort flavor, but when dipped in the broth, the flavor was not too overpowering. Overall, it was a reliable and easy-to-eat soba place in town.

On a regular day, I visited Ren Gyokuan for lunch with a business partner. The location is about a 5-minute walk from Ueno Station or Okachimachi Station. It's located just off the somewhat sketchy Nakamachi-dori shopping street. Ren Gyokuan is a traditional soba restaurant established in 1859, making it one of the oldest in Ueno. We arrived around 12:30 and found a cozy interior with a somewhat old-fashioned facade. The seating consisted of tables for 28 people, and strangely, there were no other customers at the time. We sat at a table for 4. The table had shichimi spice readily available, and we were provided with chopsticks and wet towels upon seating. The menu was concise, offering cold soba, hot soba, and our choice was the Kakiage Soba with small shrimp and onions for 1,000 yen, along with a raw egg for an additional 100 yen, totaling 1,100 yen. The food arrived promptly, with the kakiage soba being served after about 5 minutes, accompanied by soba broth, raw egg, and chopped green onions. We added the condiments and egg and enjoyed the dish. The kakiage had plenty of small shrimp, squid, and onions, with a light and crispy batter allowing us to appreciate the different textures. The soba itself was not particularly memorable, but the gentle broth was quite enjoyable, and we finished it along with the soba broth. The friendly staff, including the cheerful waitress, added to the overall experience of dining at Ren Gyokuan. It's a hidden gem, so I recommend visiting on a weekday during lunchtime to avoid the weekend crowds.

I visited Renkyuan for lunch on a regular day. The location is in the Naka-cho shopping street in Ueno. It has an old-fashioned appearance that you might easily overlook. The facade exudes a nostalgic Showa era vibe that I love. I arrived around 12 o'clock and sat at a table. I quickly ordered the Tempura Soba for 1600 yen. The menu also had a variety of appetizers like board wasabi, which almost tempted me to start drinking in the daytime. Sweat. The dish arrived in 6 minutes. The presentation is super simple! It comes with two large prawns and some garnishes. The soba itself has a good texture and a subtle, flavorful soba broth. The prawns soaked in this broth are also delicious! While eating, a group of three grandpas entered and started drinking heavily! Laugh. It's a great place a little away from the hustle and bustle of Ueno, perfect for enjoying a midday drink. The warm hospitality from the grandma staff makes it an amazing restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

After visiting the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, we decided to have lunch at this longstanding soba restaurant that has been around for over 160 years. Even though it was close to 2 pm, the restaurant was still bustling. The weather was nice and warm, perfect for enjoying the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park. We started with beers, which was unusual for my wife to join in as well. We ordered plum crystal, smoked duck, and grated yam before moving on to tempura soba. We felt like we needed more drinks, so we added more beer. To finish off, we had sweet potatoes and pickles as snacks, and we left the restaurant feeling completely satisfied. The food was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Ancient style buckwheat noodles served in a three-layered sieve set, with a different topping for each layer. Today's topping was "yuzu citrus". The portion size is small, but that was expected. The noodles were on the firm side, not particularly flavorful, more for the texture. The scent was average, with a slight hint of yuzu. The dipping sauce was too strong, might be challenging for those from Kansai region. This restaurant is famous for being frequented by the novelist Shota Ikenami.

It's Sunday afternoon in Ueno. Today, I visited the Toshikan to see the Egon Schiele exhibition, and then I moved to Asagaya. The plan is to enjoy sushi made by my nephew (just kidding). Since I had reserved the Egon Schiele exhibition in advance, I decided to have lunch around Ameyoko. My first choice was a famous tonkatsu restaurant. I realized that I hadn't had tonkatsu since November last year. Well, as a sixty-year-old, I usually try to avoid fried food, but for me, following the norm is not the norm. Eating what I want is the right choice for my digestive system and mental well-being. A healthy body houses a greedy spirit and a demanding stomach, as they say. So, I went to the famous tonkatsu restaurant in Ueno, but alas, there was a long line of about twenty people. The nearby alternative also had a line of nearly twenty people. This was impossible. Absolutely impossible. But no worries, I had already checked out a backup restaurant on my way from Yushima. That's where "Rendan-an" is located. It's a historic soba restaurant. I entered and found only one other customer inside. I sat at a table for four and ordered the recommended lunch menu, which was small shrimp and onion tempura soba. The kind lady at the restaurant asked, "Would you like it hot or cold?" and I replied, "Then I'll have the cold one." Soon, my meal arrived. The tempura included 4-5 small shrimp, a few scallops, and plenty of chopped onions. The soba noodles were evenly thick, indicating they were machine-cut, and perfectly cooked. The dipping sauce was rich and slightly spicy, a typical soba dipping sauce. The soba slid down my throat smoothly. I hope that this kind of soba restaurant will continue to thrive. And that's the end of my meal.

I was able to enter without waiting in line for lunch on a regular day. The restaurant was about 80% full. I ordered the small shrimp and onion tempura soba for 1000 yen. While eating, I could hear the kitchen scolding the elderly waitress from the dining area, which made it hard to enjoy my meal. I wanted to enjoy my meal. (T.T)

On a day off, a middle-aged couple enjoyed the "Terracotta Warriors Exhibition" at the Ueno Forest Museum. They visited a long-established soba restaurant that they had been wanting to try. The restaurant is known for being frequented by food connoisseurs such as the author Shota Ikawa, as well as literary figures like Mori Ogai, Higuchi Ichiyo, Tsubouchi Shoyo, and Saito Mokichi. Despite its historic exterior, the interior of the restaurant is bright and modern. Their specialties are the "Traditional Steamed Soba in Three-Tiered Boxes" and the limited quantity "Flat Soba." They enjoyed the soba with a refreshing foam and paired it with the "Chicken Steamed Soba." The fragrant and firm soba noodles clearly show why it was beloved by food enthusiasts. They spent a cultural weekend immersing themselves in the 4000-year history of China and the Edo culture that began in the Ansei era.

This place is said to have been favored by historical figures like Ibuse Masutaro and literary giants from the Meiji era. The exterior exudes a strong sense of tradition. The interior features a mix of traditional soba utensils and ukiyo-e prints, giving it a modern Japanese feel. Despite it being lunchtime, there were only two other customers. I ordered the thick-cut soba for ¥1100. The broth was on the spicy side, possibly unchanged since the Edo period. The noodles were not particularly firm, more rough and uneven in thickness. I tried them as they were, but couldn't taste much flavor. The egg-topped soba for ¥950 had thin, machine-made noodles that were soft and lacked chewiness. The light broth is a traditional way for soba shops to serve it as a finishing drink instead of tea. While there must be a reason why this establishment has continued to thrive as a long-standing restaurant, I can't think of a compelling reason to visit again.

This is a soba restaurant located a little south of JR Ueno Station on Nakamachi Street. The front of the store was under construction, but the restaurant itself has a quaint atmosphere. It is said to have been established during the Edo period and is famous for being loved by Shota Nozawa. When I entered the restaurant a little past noon, I was seated at a table. The walls indicated that the restaurant is a member of the Tohtoren Association, so it seemed like a well-established soba restaurant. However, the service from the staff was surprisingly casual. I ordered the chicken soba and it arrived after a while. The soba dipping sauce was served warm, which was decent. At that moment, I slightly regretted not ordering the regular soba, but it was too late. The appearance of the soba was beautiful, but it didn't meet my expectations. The flavor of the chicken broth overpowered the soba, leaving me slightly disappointed. The soba water also arrived almost simultaneously, which was a bit disappointing. The location itself seemed to be a bit of a nightlife district, with a different atmosphere from the past. Despite this, I hope they continue to uphold their traditional charm. Thank you for the meal.

In the old days, there used to be a traditional soba restaurant near Yushima with a unique black, thickly cut soba served with daikon juice, but it seems to have disappeared. There was also another traditional soba restaurant near Rokumichi Rikkyo in Ikebukuro, but that too seems to have closed down. Today, I decided to try a restaurant with a vintage atmosphere that I had never visited before. Surprisingly, the interior was modern with tables instead of small wooden chairs. I ordered the traditional soba and was relieved to find that the dipping sauce was not made with daikon juice. The soba was served in a small steamer with three layers, sandwiching white and brown soba noodles. The texture was chewy and hand-made, but the broth lacked depth and had a lingering aftertaste. The interaction between the man at the cooking station and the elderly woman serving seemed like a mother-son relationship, but their communication was loud and somewhat uncomfortable. I personally do not like such dynamics, but it is important for the restaurant to improve on this aspect.

During a recent business trip to Tokyo, I visited the long-established restaurant Renkyuan. As a soba lover, I had always wanted to visit. The presentation was lovely, with soba cups on display. I decided to order the flat soba noodles. They were thick like country-style soba, but since they were flat, they had a nice texture. The portion was a bit small, so I felt a little unsatisfied, but the soba was delicious with a chewy texture and a good aroma. The dipping sauce was Edo-style, with a rich flavor. The small onion tempura was also delicious!

I came to Renkyuan, a soba restaurant where you can eat at noon on Sundays. The facade of the restaurant gives a sense of history. I ordered the traditional layered soba with separate dipping sauce (1000 yen). The soba sauce was a bit on the heavier side with a rich flavor. One of the three layers was topped with yuzu citrus, but it had a strong yuzu taste rather than just the fragrance. The soba itself lacked aroma but had a firm texture and was surprisingly delicious.

Renkyuan @ Ueno One weekend afternoon, I decided to drop by the usual soba and sake restaurant to enjoy some drinks. I started with a bottle of Sapporo Black Label, accompanied by a plate of soft bone and plum seasoned with wasabi, crispy and sweet onion tempura, tarako and kombu tsukudani with soba seeds. Each dish was just the right amount to enjoy with my soba. I added some hot sake to the mix as I reached a nice buzz, and finished off with some chicken soba noodles. The leisurely time spent at this long-standing soba restaurant put me in a great mood for the rest of the day. #Soba #Noodles #Gourmet #Foodie #Ueno #UenoGourmet #Ameyoko #UenoSoba #UenoNoodles #NoodleLover #DayDrinking #SobaandSake #SobaCourse #Sapporo #BottleBeer #Sake #HotSake #Appetizers #SakeLover #FoodPorn

I went to the Isamu Noguchi exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. It was the first time I had the chance to see such a large collection of his works. I learned more about his complex life story and the conflicts he had with his Japanese father. After visiting the exhibition, I went to a traditional soba restaurant called Renkyokuan in Ueno. The restaurant has a long history and was frequented by famous writers and artists. I enjoyed some beer, hot sake, and delicious soba dishes, including a unique appetizer called "nuki." The atmosphere was quaint and charming, and I felt a connection to the literary figures who once dined there. It was a memorable experience.

I had lunch at a soba restaurant in Yushima today. I decided to try the kakiage soba with small shrimp and onions, priced at 1,000 yen. The restaurant is a traditional Japanese house and had a cozy atmosphere. I arrived at 11:48 AM and there were 5 customers already inside. The lunch menu had two options: traditional seiro soba for 1,000 yen and kakiage soba for 1,000 yen. I chose the kakiage soba and requested it warm. The dish arrived quickly, served in a slightly smaller bowl than I expected. The soba had a nice chewy texture and was delicious. The kakiage topping consisted of small shrimp, onions, and scallops, and was lightly fried. The onions were still crispy and added a unique spiciness to the dish. The broth was not too sweet and had a rich flavor from the kakiage. Although the portion was small, I was very satisfied with the meal. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience. Visited for lunch on February 18, 2021. Rated 3.48 out of 5.