I visited a new style soba cafe in Tokyo, Akasaka called SOBA CAFE MORIOKA, which is known for its soba-loving owner, Hidekazu Ikemori from DEEN. The cafe has a spacious interior with table seating for two people each. They serve soba made from Togakushi and domestic wheat flour, both using 100% soba without any mixture. The natural flavor of soba stands out, showing their dedication to soba craftsmanship. In addition to the standard "Mori Soba," they offer creative options like "Cold Tomato Basil Soba," "Mushroom Soba," and "Refreshing Lemon Dipping Sauce." I ordered the "Rich Walnut Dipping Sauce" and "Mushroom Dipping Sauce" combination, both with intense flavors. The walnut sauce had a thick and rich taste, while the mushroom sauce was as expected, perfect for mushroom pasta lovers. Overall, the soba was interesting and delicious, although the strong flavors made me thirsty later. My companion's Keema Curry Soba was a bit average, so there may be hits and misses among the various options. I recommend trying different soba dishes to find your favorite. Thank you for the meal.

I prefer soba over udon, and this shop is one of my favorite places with creative soba dishes. I visited around 5 PM and enjoyed the following dish: - Tuna Mayo Mixed Soba for 1700 yen It was a cold soba dish with a slightly strong flavor that went well with the thin soba noodles. It had plenty of shiso leaves and seaweed. The portion was generous, so even a smaller portion would have been enough. It seems like a regular amount for younger customers. The focus here is not just on enjoying the original flavor of soba, but also on experiencing various ideas and flavors with soba dishes. Next time, I might try the cold tantanmen. Thank you for the meal!

The soba noodles come with two types of dipping sauce, each with specified condiments like yuzu pepper, which is quite unique. I also tried the curry and walnut sesame sauce. The curry had ethnic elements like coconut and shrimp, while the walnut sauce was unexpectedly made with soy milk, but both were delicious!

DEEN's vocalist Ikemori, who loves soba so much that he finally opened a soba restaurant in Akasaka. It's a place that has been quietly talked about for a while, and I finally visited. The restaurant is called "SOBA CAFE IKEMORI" and is located in Roppongi, not far from Akasaka. The interior of the restaurant has only table seating. Despite the restaurant being named after Ikemori, there is no overwhelming celebrity presence, which is nice. I was worried about what would happen if DEEN's songs were playing. The menu includes mori soba, kake soba, and a variety of unique options. I decided to try the Keema Curry. - Keema Curry 1,700 yen A Keema Curry made with the sweetness of onions to enhance the richness and spiciness, and with minced beef and pork to deepen the umami. The soba is made with a fine white morekake flour. It is a warm soba with a good texture that doesn't lose to the Keema Curry. The spiciness increases the more you mix and eat it. It was delicious, but not very surprising. Well, it was my fault for ordering such a menu. Maybe I should have gone for the "Revolutionary Tsuke Soba" instead. The other unique dishes ordered by my companion were also delicious. Thank you for the meal. *Please visit my blog for more restaurant recommendations. Come and visit♬ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please also visit the official blog of Shinagawa Ikko ♬ https://ikkos-films.com/ Instagram [IKKO'S FILMS] https://www.instagram.com/ikkos_films/

"Soba Cafe IKEMORI" is a soba restaurant located in Akasaka, Tokyo. It is about a 5-minute walk from Akasaka Station. The interior of the restaurant has only table seats, including larger tables that can accommodate up to 6 people. The restaurant was created by DEEN's Ikemori-san and offers a wide range of soba dishes, from simple mori soba and kake soba to creative options like peperoncino tsukesoba and tuna mayo wae soba. I tried the "Tuna Mayo Wae Soba (1,700 yen)" which had a generous amount of tuna mayo, shiso leaves, and chopped seaweed on top of cold soba noodles. The rich flavor of the tuna mayo paired well with the soba, making it a delicious dish that you can enjoy until the last bite. In addition to soba dishes, they also offer soba-based desserts, so I recommend visiting this restaurant for soba lovers.

I happened to watch the episode of "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" on TBS on July 24, 2018, which featured DEEN's vocalist, Hideaki Ikemori. I was surprised to see him, as it has been over 20 years since then, but his style, way of speaking, expressions, and the charm that appealed to maternal instincts have hardly changed from the atmosphere of those times. In the early to mid-1990s, there was a period of great success for Being Inc., led by Daiko Nagato. ZARD, WANDS, Maki Ohguro, T-BOLAN, and others had huge hits. DEEN was also part of that success, with a string of hits from 1993 to 1996. Hideaki Ikemori loves soba noodles, and it was mentioned that he would explore different soba restaurants during national tours. He has made several appearances on "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" since then. On June 13, 2022, he opened "SOBA CAFE IKEMORI" in Akasaka, which he personally designed the menu for and produced. Upon further research, I discovered the Umeiya Tatsuo Pickles Shop. The website of Umeiya Tatsuo Pickles Shop is still active, and the company is headed by President Kazuo Kamihayashi, who is also the president of DEEN's management company, Good Day. Nagano Factory, which produces and sells three types of soba noodles supervised by Hideaki Ikemori, is part of this. Additionally, an article on Dime magazine mentions that Kazuo Kamihayashi was involved in setting up the Umeiya Tatsuo Pickles Shop with the late Tatsuo Umeiya, who was managed by Hirozumi Do Production (now Nagara Production), and later established Good Day to handle management. The mastermind behind the Umeiya Tatsuo Pickles Shop, which used to exist in tourist destinations all over Japan, was Kazuo Kamihayashi. Therefore, with the expertise and production routes already in place, Kazuo Kamihayashi teamed up with Hideaki Ikemori to launch this new venture. I decided to visit the restaurant. The prices were quite high, with the mori and kake soba priced at 1,200 yen. I entered a building that looked like a music office and went to the shop on the first floor at the back. Two female customers came out, and inside, there were two other female customers. I sat at a table for two and ordered the recommended "Kakumei Tsuke Soba" for 1,400 yen. The soba noodles were white and soft, cooked just right. The warm dipping sauce had a spicy flavor with a crunchy texture of green onions and black pepper, enhanced by the flavor of sesame oil. I dipped the noodles and tasted a somewhat nostalgic flavor that reminded me of cup noodles or cup soba soup. The portion was not very large, and just as I finished eating, they brought me a bottle with soba water and gray powder in it. They said it was for flavor enhancement. I poured the soba water into the dipping sauce, and when I drank it, the sweetness of the sauce subsided. I then sprinkled the powder labeled "Happiness Dashi" from a bottle labeled with bonito extract into the sauce. The aroma of bonito filled the air. It turned out to be bonito extract. Hideaki Ikemori's name was also on it. The two women who had been eating before were now shopping in the souvenir corner. They seemed to be fans of Hideaki Ikemori due to their age. Later, a group of young men from the neighborhood, five people followed by three people, came in. It seemed to be quite popular. I paid with PayPay and received a point card, a large coupon with Hideaki Ikemori's photo on it, and even a DEEN merchandise mirror. Now, will this be the second success after Tatsuo-chan Pickles?

DEEN's vocalist, Hideichi Ikemori, known for hits like "I want to take you away just like this" and "Don't look away," has produced a real soba restaurant♪ The restaurant is located on the first floor (semi-basement) of a building where the agency and studio are located, near TBS. DEEN, a popular band with many fans even after almost 30 years since their debut, is led by Ikemori, who is a big fan of soba. He eats soba almost every day, as featured on the TV show "Matsuko's Unknown World" (TBS), and has a unique love for it. He enjoys soba even at home, using supermarket-bought dried noodles and pre-made sauce. His love for soba is so strong that he dreams of eating soba every day and has even published a book about it. The soba at the restaurant, named "Revolutionary Dipping Soba," is delicate and delicious, with a unique sauce that includes black pepper and perilla oil. The white wine produced by Ikemori, made from the Koshu grape, is also worth trying. Overall, the experience at the restaurant was delightful, and I even received a commemorative item as a gift for their first anniversary.

I visited SOBA CAFE IKEMORI. It is located a 3-4 minute walk from Akasaka Station. The shop is supervised by Mr. Ikemori and has been featured in the media, having opened about a year ago. I visited on a Friday around 6:00 pm, and although it wasn't too crowded at first, by 7:00 pm it was almost full. Lunchtime seems to be quite busy. I had a hard time deciding what to order, but I chose the cold tantan soba (tax included 1600 yen) this time. The taste was... absolutely delicious!! They use 100% buckwheat soba, which has a good texture and is really tasty. The broth is mildly spicy, not too hot even for someone like me who doesn't like spicy food. It has a rich flavor and is refreshing, perfect for summer. The hojicha-flavored cake was less sweet than I expected, with a nice red bean paste accent, and was delicious! I also ordered the soba soft serve, which was also delicious! It had buckwheat flour sprinkled on top, showing attention to detail. The price was 450 yen, but it was also good value for money! The prices of the various soba dishes may seem a bit high at first glance, but considering the location in Akasaka, the use of high-quality ingredients, and the atmosphere of the restaurant, I thought it was actually good value for money. There are many other menu items I want to try, such as carbonara soba and shrimp curry dipping soba, so I'm already thinking about what to eat next time. In addition to regular soba, there were many types of soba on the menu, so I'll also include photos of the menu. The young male staff members provide polite service, making the experience enjoyable. If you're looking for a meal in Akasaka, I highly recommend it!

It's hard to find the cafe because it's located in a residential area. The atmosphere is more like a cafe than a soba restaurant. I love soba noodles, and it was my first time trying them with salt. It was delicious. They offer two types of dipping sauces, so you can choose and enjoy. I chose the Mori Soba to savor the flavor of the soba noodles. After finishing that, I also ordered the Sarashina Soba for comparison, and I was satisfied. I also had soba tea, and of course, I had room for dessert. The soba-flavored ice cream was delightful. I look forward to trying their creative soba noodles next time.

DEEN, famous for their soba dishes, opened last June. The restaurant is a bit hidden away from the main street where other eateries are located, but you can easily find it if you follow the navigation. It's a popular spot among fans, so the seats were quite full. The interior has only table seating, giving more of a café vibe than a traditional soba restaurant. On this day, I tried the Tuna Mayo Soba for 1700 yen (tax included). It was a cold soba dish with plenty of seasonal shiso leaves and chopped seaweed on top, mixed with tuna mayo. There were many pasta-like menu options, making it hard to choose. The shiso leaves added a nice touch and the dish was delicious! The subtle tuna mayo surprisingly paired well with the soba. Some might argue that you can't taste the soba itself, but even just the soba on its own was tasty. It might not be the best choice for those who simply want plain soba. They also offer soba soft serve and roll cakes, which I would have tried if I didn't have work afterwards. Since soba dishes are more popular in the summer, I hope to visit again someday.

Soba cafe Ikemori is located near Akasaka Station. It is owned by the famous band Deen's vocalist, Ikemori. As it was my first time there, I tried the basic Mori Soba and Kakiage. The Mori Soba comes with three types of dipping sauce: wasabi and dashi, sweet, and spicy. They were all delicious. The Kakiage, when eaten with salt, had a sweet taste from the onions and was really tasty. They also offer various styles of soba such as Tomato Cheese, Walnut, Soy Milk, and Bolognese, making you want to come back for more.

The reviewer visited DEEN's soba restaurant opened by Ikemori, who loves soba. They were torn between ordering regular soba or something unique, and ended up choosing the recommended Bolognese soba. It was delicious, but lacked the traditional soba flavor. However, they felt that the price of 1700 yen was a bit high. #SobaCafeIkemori #AkasakaGourmet #AkasakaLunch

This is a soba restaurant with a soba cafe concept. It is located in a slightly hard-to-find place. The interior of the restaurant is like a cafe with only table seats. They offer various types of soba, with many Western-style sauce soba dishes. It seems like it was produced by a famous person. This place might be good for young people.

I had been curious about "SOBA CAFE IKEMORI" since it is produced by Hidekazu Ikemori from DEEN. Finally, I had the chance to visit this cafe, which has a variety of interesting menu items. I decided to try the basic mori soba made with Togakushi and domestic soba flour, along with the special tempura. Although I'm sure the base was well-prepared, it didn't quite suit my taste. Running a restaurant is indeed a challenging task.

I revisited Akasaka's "SOBA CAFE IKEMORI," supervised by Shuichi Ikemori. When the restaurant first opened, I bought some soba noodles and sweet soba dipping sauce to take home, following the instructions to cook them myself. To my surprise, the result was even more delicious than at the restaurant! This time, I decided to try a different menu item and also buy another item to take home. I arrived around 12:30 and the restaurant was quite busy, with about 80% of the seats filled. Last time it was hot weather, so this time I ordered something warm with a punchy name, along with some dessert. I ordered the "革命つけそば" for 1,200 yen, the special tempura for 400 yen, and the soba soft-serve ice cream for 400 yen. The dipping sauce for the soba had a glossy sheen on the surface, different from the usual soba dipping sauce, and hinted at a deep-seated spiciness. When I tasted it, the spiciness was not the typical kind, but rather a subtle heat that was quite addictive. The soba itself didn't have a strong buckwheat flavor, but it was explained that they blend different types of soba flour for their noodles. Mixing the soba with the spicy dipping sauce and green onions was a new and enjoyable experience that lived up to its name. The special tempura was fried to perfection, with a crispy coating that was delicious on its own or dipped in the dipping sauce. Adding soba water to the dipping sauce created a different flavor profile and warmed me up nicely. I finished off with the soba soft-serve ice cream to cleanse my palate. Overall, it was a delicious meal. When I asked the staff, they explained that the dipping sauce is made with black pepper, perilla seeds, sweet sauce, spicy sauce, and other ingredients, creating a complex and deep flavor profile that I could now understand. I look forward to enjoying the items I purchased at home. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

This is a soba restaurant located in Roppongi Rokuchome. Known as a "soba expert," DEEN's Ikemori supervised the "creative soba" menu. You can enjoy classic mori soba, kake soba, and modern soba in a stylish space. The restaurant opened in June 2022 and is operated by Nagano Factory Co., Ltd. They also sell Ikemori's supervised dried noodles and noodle soup. It is about a 5-6 minute walk from Akasaka Station Exit 5b. The closest exit is Exit 7. The entrance is on the 1st floor, but the restaurant is located a few steps down in a semi-basement. The interior is bright and clean, with an Asian-style painting on the wall. Most customers were women. The menu includes various soba dishes with prices on the higher side due to the location. I visited for lunch and ordered the "革命つけそば" (Kakumei Tsukesoba) for 1,200 yen. It came with the special "Kakumei" dipping sauce and Mori Soba noodles. The sauce was spicy and sweet with a generous amount of green onions. The balance of flavors was good, and the black pepper added a nice kick. The soba noodles were flat and medium-thick, with a good aroma. The dipping sauce paired well with the noodles. The restaurant also offers a unique way to enjoy soba broth with powdered dashi. Overall, I had a pleasant experience and would consider returning to try their other creative soba dishes.

I don't know if it's DEEN or Mr. Ikemori, but it seems to be a restaurant created by a soba enthusiast. I visited at 12:20 on a weekday and it was 90% full. Located in a somewhat off-the-beaten-path area of Akasaka, it's quite impressive. About 80% of the customers are women. The interior is clean and doesn't look like a typical soba restaurant (probably because of Mr. Ikemori's fans). I ordered the Mori Soba (1000 yen). It was excellently prepared soba with good temperature control. It comes with three dipping sauces: sweet, spicy, and wasabi sesame oil salt. The sweet one is too sweet, but the spicy dipping sauce and wasabi sesame oil salt are excellent. Overall, I think it's a pretty good soba restaurant. They also offer many variations of soba with different dipping sauces, but just enjoying the regular soba is satisfying enough. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Located just a few minutes' walk from Akasaka Station, this restaurant is known for its soba noodles and is owned by DEEN's Ikemori, a soba enthusiast featured on the TV show "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai." I visited during lunchtime and there was no wait. I tried the revolutionary dipping soba and found it to be a bit on the junky side, but I guess that's just the way it is. Thank you for the meal.

DEEN's Hidekazu Ikemori, who has traveled around the country trying various soba dishes, eventually ended up producing his own soba restaurant. The newly opened soba café is located an 8-minute walk from Akasaka, in a space on the 1st floor of the agency building. The entrance may be a bit hard to find as it is slightly tucked away despite the sign being visible outside. Inside, there are around 10 table seats in a café space with a clean and sophisticated adult atmosphere, featuring American antique jukeboxes and a space for selling stylish tableware. The menu offers a variety of creative soba dishes, with the highlight being the Revolutionary Tsukemen (1,200 yen). I chose this dish as it was the most conventional among all the menu items, showcased by Ikemori on TV. The portion is not large, and adding extra soba costs 700 yen, making it slightly pricey for a business lunch. Many customers seemed to opt for soft serve ice cream as dessert. As for the taste, the Revolutionary soup instructs you to "mix well before eating," and when mixed, the black pepper and bonito flakes blend well with the noodles, creating a delicious flavor that even reaches your nasal cavity. The noodles are slightly thick due to being roughly cut, resembling linguine with a swollen half, providing a firm texture that pairs nicely with the rich Revolutionary soup. It's simply delicious. After the meal, soba-yu is served with original collaboration dashi powder, which can be enjoyed more like a soup by adding more soba-yu. Personally, I prefer a moderate amount of dashi and more soba-yu, which nicely concluded the meal. In case you're interested, here's the recipe for the Revolutionary soba soup that was introduced on TV: - Men-tsuyu (100cc) - Water (slightly over 30cc) - Bonito flakes (1 pack) - Sesame oil (2 tablespoons) - Black pepper (coarsely ground) - Green onion (to taste) 1. Microwave the bonito flakes for 1 minute and crush finely. 2. Boil the men-tsuyu and water in a pot. 3. Put black pepper, green onion, and crushed bonito flakes in a bowl, then add the boiled men-tsuyu. 4. Finally, add sesame oil to complete the soup! Try making it at home as well! Overall, it was a delightful meal that leaves you wanting more soba!

SOBA CAFE IKEMORI Hello, it's a hangover meal. I heard that DEEN's Ikemori-san from a TV show called "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" recently opened a soba restaurant in Akasaka. Since I enjoy eating soba quite a bit, I decided to go and taste what they have to offer. The exterior of the restaurant looked very stylish and more like a cafe than a traditional soba place. The name "SOBA CAFE" also gives off that vibe. Menu: - Mori Soba: 1000 yen - Kake Soba: 1000 yen - Kakumei Tsuke Soba: 1200 yen - Special Tempura: 400 yen I couldn't decide what to order, but ended up choosing the Mori Soba and added the Special Tempura. When the dishes arrived, the soba looked delicious with its flat noodles, which seemed like dry noodles. The tempura was big and crispy, and there were two types of dipping sauce - one thick and one light. They also served wasabi, grated radish, and yuzu pepper as condiments, offering various flavor combinations. The soba was fragrant and tasty, although not as good as handmade soba from a specialty shop. It was surprisingly high-quality for dry noodles. The dipping sauce was delicious too. The tempura, with lots of onions, was sweet and flavorful when dipped in salt. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. In conclusion, SOBA CAFE is a good place to enjoy casual soba dining. It might be a bit tricky to find, but it's worth a visit. If you're curious about Ikemori Soba, you can try it out first before deciding. There's a chance that Ikemori-san may be present at the restaurant on some days, so it could be an exciting experience to meet him.

On this day, I went to Suntory Hall Concert to attend a recital by Kyosuke Satoda. Before that, I decided to stop by a recently popular soba restaurant for a meal. The owner, Shuichi Ikemori, is actually a musician, the vocalist of a rock band called DEEN. He writes a column in a magazine called "Soba Shunju" and is quite knowledgeable about soba. I had heard his name mentioned in a conversation with the owner of a familiar soba shop I visited about six months ago, and I also noticed that he has been appearing on TV shows recently. I had been wanting to visit the soba shop he opened in Akasaka about a month ago, as it was conveniently located near the concert venue. The restaurant is incorporated into a stylish building in this area, with a tropical-themed interior and a jukebox playing pop music, creating a Hawaii-like atmosphere. There were only two other customers when I arrived around 5:30 p.m. The restaurant seemed to be run by an older man who appeared to be the manager and a young female staff member. I was seated at a table for two in the middle. Although the restaurant is labeled as a "soba cafe," the menu mainly consists of creative soba dishes and a variety of desserts. I ordered the "Mori Soba" (1,000 yen) with an additional side of "Revolutionary Sauce" (250 yen) as recommended by the staff. The Mori Soba came with two types of soba, and it was served in a special circular basket. The soba noodles were flat and seemed to be machine-made, with a light aroma and mild flavor. The texture was okay, but lacked chewiness and tended to break apart easily. The Revolutionary Sauce, created by Ikemori, was both sweet and spicy, with a strong soy sauce flavor. It was made with smoked flying fish broth, which gave it a unique taste. The condiments included chopped green onions, bonito flakes with salt, yuzu pepper, and two types of wasabi, but none of them stood out. I asked the staff about the difference between the two types of wasabi, but they couldn't give me a clear answer. The Revolutionary Sauce, served in a large side dish, was spicy with plenty of green onions and a sesame-like oil on top, which turned out to be perilla oil. It had a strong black pepper-like spiciness. Overall, the meal was not bad, but the unconventional flavors might not appeal to those accustomed to traditional Edo-style soba.