I took a stroll around Inokashira Park in Kichijoji and decided to also visit Jindaiji. Thanks to VIVANT, the place was quite lively due to the nice weather. I played with some dogs during my walk, prayed at the temple, and then took a break at Hachioki. I wanted to try the Jindaiji soba, but since I had a hearty ramen for lunch, I opted for some dango (rice dumplings) instead. I ordered the dango set (480 yen) which came in four flavors: soy sauce, mitarashi, yomogi anko, and yomogi sesame. The mochi was soft and delicious, especially the yomogi sesame flavor. I later found out that Hachioki was a filming location for VIVANT.

I walked along the approach and enjoyed rice cakes and baked manju from Hachioki! After 3 o'clock, I noticed that there was an empty seat at that prime spot, so I decided to go in! Even though it's until 4 o'clock, they welcomed me warmly even after 3:30. I aimed for a seat closest to the pond for a cool breeze. I ordered kuzukiri (650 yen) and soba manju (4 pieces, 480 yen) to enjoy while drinking water. When I asked for a refill, the staff commented, "It's unusually hot today, isn't it?" It's true that it's hot outside, but the water is refreshing. Soon, the visually cooling kuzukiri and slightly warm soba manju arrived. I started with the manju, feeling the sweetness seep into my body. Water... Although the outside air is hot, warm tea would be better with the manju. I also took a bite of my friend's kuzukiri. With black syrup, it was sweet and rich. Perhaps I should have gone for tokoroten at times like this. The sweetness overwhelmed me again. Splash! Occasionally, the pond's carp would jump. The water wheel was turning, and watching the water was calming. My stomach was full, I had enough sweets, maybe it's time to head home! Fuchu Temple is quite interesting and has a nice atmosphere. Thank you for the meal.

I had tempura soba noodles. The tempura was crispy and the soba noodles were delicious! To finish, I also had soba broth. The weather was nice, so I was able to sit outside and enjoy the view of the pond with koi fish while surrounded by greenery, feeling completely relaxed. I also ordered a dessert platter with four types of dango, and each one was delicious.

Every year on March 3rd and 4th, there is a Daruma Market at Jindaiji Temple. This year, I visited on Friday and Saturday morning. There were more stalls and people compared to last year, and it was very lively! I originally planned to visit Ikkyu-an, but after walking around the temple and its surroundings twice, it was already 10:15... I couldn't wait until the opening at 11:00, so I went to Hakkiga. I sat inside the restaurant where I could see a small pond and a water wheel. I was thinking of getting zaru soba, but then I found my favorite shiitake mushroom tempura! So, I decided on the shiitake soba. The addictive aroma of shiitake mushrooms... delicious~ By the way, the soba at Jindaiji Temple tends to be on the sweeter side. This time, I also got kuzumochi and sweet red bean soup. The kuzumochi was cut into 8 easy-to-eat pieces. The sweet red bean soup came with pickled perilla seeds, which kept the flavor interesting until the last bite. Ah, pure bliss~ Since I was driving, I resisted the urge to drink alcohol... Thank you for the delicious meal.

Visited Meidaiji for the first time to attend the Daruma Market. Managed to purchase the Daruma I was looking for and decided to have lunch outdoors since the weather was nice. Chose a restaurant with outdoor seating and ordered the mushroom tempura soba. Also had a bottled beer to cool off. The taste was average, but the atmosphere was great. Thank you for the meal!

I went to the Shindai Botanical Garden's dog run with my dog and on the way back, we stopped by a soba restaurant that allows dogs. It was around 3pm and there were no lunch customers, so we sat at the empty terrace and enjoyed tempura soba and a plate of mushroom tempura. I also had a couple of beers and left feeling satisfied. Outdoor dining will be even more enjoyable in the spring and summer. I look forward to stopping by again on our way back from the dog run.

I went to the restaurant for lunch on a holiday! It was around 11 o'clock, but there was a long line - it's a super popular place. I think I waited for over 30 minutes. You can see the kitchen where they make the soba from the seats, so it helps pass the time a bit (laughs). But it seems tough to wait in line in the middle of summer. The restaurant is quite spacious. I ordered the tempura soba! The tempura was made with shiso, eggplant, shrimp, and was light and crispy. The soba had a great texture! It was delicious! The portion of soba is small, so if you're really hungry, you might want to go for the larger size.

When you think of Jindai-ji Temple, you think of soba noodles! There are many soba noodle shops along the approach to the temple. Some shops also sell delicious dumplings being grilled right in front of the store. Additionally, there are many dog-friendly shops in the area. On January 2nd around lunchtime, all the shops had long lines, but we waited in line at "Hachioki" near the main gate. Luckily, a table for two opened up and we were able to get in after about 10 minutes. We ordered Jindai-ji beer, tempura soba, and grated yam soba. Here's to hoping we can eat lots of delicious food this year!

Even in winter, on a sunny day, taking a leisurely walk near Jindaiji Temple is refreshing! Walking around the area, surrounded by nature, feels great!! Let's greet the temple grounds before heading back. Oh, but before that, let's check out the shops along the mountain path. It's almost 4 o'clock, and many shops are closing. Ah! I spotted some rice cakes being grilled outside. There are also manju cakes available, called "Hachioki" - sounds auspicious! I decided to try the grilled manju (1 piece/200 yen) and rice cakes (1 stick/120 yen). I bought two sticks this time (soy sauce and sweet soy glaze flavors). The grilled manju is made by grilling steamed grass cakes on a hot plate. They look delicious and piping hot! The rice cakes are grilled on a net and served with soy sauce or sweet soy glaze. I sat on a bench outside the shop and took a bite of the rice cake. The soy sauce flavor is good, but I think it would be better if it was a bit warmer. The sweet soy glaze, on the other hand, is amazing! The combination of the grilled rice cake and the hot sweet glaze is delicious. If you're unsure, I recommend the sweet soy glaze flavor! Next, the grilled manju - it's delicious, freshly steamed and grilled. Of course, it's piping hot, and the red bean paste inside is a perfect match! I should have bought some tea beforehand... Oh, I really want some tea now!!! Thank you for the meal.

The shop, taken from the phrase "fall seven times, stand up eight," is pronounced "Yaoki." It is the liveliest street in the vicinity of Meiji Shrine, and this shop adds to the liveliness. At first glance, it's unclear if it's a tea house, a sweets shop, or a souvenir shop. In the back of the souvenir shop, you can experience painting on pottery, and in the pond next to the shop with a tea ceremony umbrella, there are swimming carp. When a girl selling dango at the storefront combines all these elements, it becomes picturesque. It's like a department store of Japanese entertainment, but what kind of shop is it really? Curious, I peeked inside and ended up buying something without realizing it. Of course, the reality is that it's a soba noodle shop. Despite the crowd at the dango stand, the grass bun stand next to it was deserted, so I couldn't help but buy some freshly baked buns on the spot. I also bought some to take home. The hot buns in the warm weather were a bit too hot. Sitting on a bench outside the shop, I ended up burning my mouth. The buns I took home were delicious even when cold, with a strong mugwort flavor, so it's better not to overcook them. While throwing away the bun wrappers, I also bought soba yokan. I enjoyed it at home, but it was just okay when it comes to being made from soba. The yokan itself was undoubtedly delicious, but in hindsight, I think I preferred the soba buns. I wonder if the ice flag will still be fluttering until the end of this month. Suddenly, I felt a hint of loneliness as summer comes to an end.

In the area around Jindaiji Temple, there is a famous soba restaurant. I decided to dine here because it seemed like I could get a table without waiting too long. I ordered the Nameko Oroshi Soba made with spicy daikon from Hokkaido for 900 yen. The texture was smooth and I finished it quickly, but the taste was just average. The daikon was quite spicy. What I enjoyed more about this place was the delicious sweets they offer. I tried the four pieces of dango for 400 yen, and both the soy sauce and mitarashi dango were soft and fragrant, freshly made. There are also other soba restaurants nearby that serve 100% buckwheat soba, so it might be fun to try different places and compare the flavors.

I went to Shodaiji Temple. There were many soba restaurants to choose from, but I decided to try this one with a terrace seat by the pond, which looked cool and inviting. I ordered the Tempura Soba for 1400 yen (with extra noodles for 200 yen) and a plate of dango for 400 yen. The soba noodles were on the softer side, which is not my preference as I prefer them to be a bit firmer. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the large portion. The dango, which came in four different flavors, were small and I quickly finished them all.

I ordered a 200 yen yomogi mochi, which was grilled on both sides. They wrapped it in paper before handing it to me. The warm mochi was soft, sticky, and delicious. The heating process also brought out a nice aroma. Inside, there was a small amount of red bean paste, making it easy to eat in one bite. Next time, I'll try the soba noodles. Thank you for the meal.

At Sengakuji Temple, it's common to see many soba restaurants and shops selling dango (sweet rice dumplings). I decided to try one of the shops selling dango for 120 yen each. Considering the price, they seemed a bit small. The dango seemed to be pre-cooked, then flavored and reheated before serving, which made the outside a bit dry. The soy sauce flavor was strong, but there was a noticeable sweetness to the dango. Overall, I thought the quality was good.

I arrived early in the area around Jindaiji Temple and decided to try soba for the first time here. I ordered zaru soba. The soba had a slightly soft texture. They also serve oden, so I might end up drinking in the evening. The broth was not too sweet or too salty, just right to drink as soba-yu.

During the Heian and Kamakura periods, I have eaten at most of the soba shops near the temples, including Hakkiga-san. Today, I indulged in the luxury of eating soba while overlooking the pond with carp and the water wheel. I chose the mountain vegetable soba (950 yen) to refresh myself today, but I recommend trying the mushroom soba (1150 yen) for the harmony of soba and mushroom tempura. The soba noodles, with a hint of sweetness in the broth, have a nostalgic taste that makes you want to eat more. The owner mentioned that the taste of the soba varies slightly depending on the season and weather. The delicacy and use of domestic ingredients are impressive. The noodles are slightly thin and have a greenish fresh color. The owner's son was seen making soba noodles in front of the pond. All the soba flour used is domestically produced. They use different types of soba flour based on the season and situation to match the soba. Recently, they have been using a lot of soba flour from Yamagata. Today, on January 23rd, they are using soba flour from Hokkaido. I received a "big road" in my stomach. Despite the big waves of the coronavirus, let's receive the spirit to overcome anything at Hakkiga-san. (Thank you to the neighbor who provided parking.)

After having lunch at Shodaiji Temple, I took a short walk and got a little hungry, so I stopped by Hakkisaka for some miso dengaku (110 yen). It's a small size, but the konjac has a good texture, making it satisfying to eat. The miso isn't too sweet and tastes delicious. They also offer other light snacks like ohagi, grass manju, and dango, making it easy to drop by when passing by. There are long benches outside where you can take a break and enjoy your food. This time I had soba at a different place, so I'll definitely come back here next time for their soba. Thank you for the meal.

We stopped at a shop during our walk around the Jindai-ji Temple for a snack. My wife ordered zenzai for 600 yen, but it turned out to be more like oshiruko. She was fine with it though, as the anko (sweet red bean paste) was delicious. I opted for the assortment of four dango for 480 yen. While I wished they were a bit fresher, it was nice to enjoy different flavors.

After taking a stroll around the Shodaiji Temple, we visited "Hachioki" for a little break. They have a terrace where dogs are welcome. They also sell shaved ice, yomogi manju, and rice dumplings at the storefront. This time, we ordered: - Assorted Rice Dumplings (4 types): These small rice dumplings were freshly baked at the storefront, and the savory soy sauce aroma tempted us. They are just the right size for a dessert after a meal, and the chewy texture is delicious. The assortment includes soy sauce, mitarashi (sweet soy sauce), red bean paste, and sesame paste flavors. - Yomogi Manju: These eye-catching yomogi manju were also being baked on the storefront griddle. I couldn't resist trying them after seeing them pass by. The aroma of yomogi is lovely, and the red bean paste inside is not too sweet, making it delicious. I also bought Ohagi, a special treat for the autumn equinox, with four varieties: coarse red bean paste, smooth red bean paste, kinako (soybean flour), and sesame. The small size was just right, and they were very tasty. Thank you for the meal! ★Dog Information★ Terrace is OK Water service: Not available Dog food: Not available

While visiting the Fukasudai Temple, I decided to have lunch at a different restaurant since most of the places were closed on Mondays. I ended up at "Hachikoshi" in front of the main gate. I ordered the "Tempura Soba" for ¥1,400. It was a refreshing change to visit Fukasudai Temple on a weekday, as there were fewer people and the greenery, water, and fresh air were soothing. The soba that was served was delicious! The tempura was also cooked perfectly. It was a great choice to dine here. I enjoyed my time savoring the soba broth until the last drop. Thank you for the wonderful experience. Visit time: 12:10-12:40. Recommendation: ★★★★