I arrived at Kosaku Station for the first time. Kosaku Station is located in Hamura City. For lunch, I visited a soba restaurant here. It was 1:00 PM and there were two groups of four customers already there. A young man and a young woman greeted me at the entrance, perhaps a young couple. We sat at a two-person table near the entrance and ordered cold water and soba noodles (700 yen) from the young man. In the past, I would have definitely ordered the country-style soba noodles (750 yen), but as I've gotten older, the thickness and strength of the country-style soba noodles have become tiring for me. There was also a three-flavor soba option (1,000 yen), but I decided to go with the default soba for now. While waiting, I observed the hand-washing ritual and after about 8 minutes, our soba arrived. The young woman who served us seemed to handle both cooking and serving at the restaurant. The soba had a refined appearance, different from the more common soba restaurants in town. I took a sniff to check the aroma, and it was rich and inviting. The taste of the soba was delightful, with a nice texture and a sweet flavor. The soba dipping sauce was on the sweeter side, which complemented the soba noodles well. The portion size was just right, not too small, which I appreciated. The delicious soba made me finish it quickly. As I was leaving, I thanked the young man by calling him "sensei". Later, a group of three customers arrived, and I noticed the man letting the women order first, which was a nice gesture. Overall, the delicious soba, good service, and pleasant atmosphere made it a great dining experience. Thank you, Iyo restaurant!

The atmosphere of the restaurant feels high-end with the warm curtains, but once you enter, it's a very cozy space. I was a bit caught off guard, but the soba noodles are delicious. I ordered the country-style soba, but personally, I prefer a more rustic one. The tempura came with two shrimp, which felt like a good deal. Next time, I'll try the three-color soba.

After work, I stopped by a soba noodle restaurant. It was another hot day, so I ordered cold soba noodles. The menu had "Tenseiro" written on it, and being ignorant, I asked if this was the same as "Tenzaru". They confirmed it was the same, so I ordered it. I noticed that they had large bottles of beer for ¥650, which is the adult version (633ml) that I couldn't resist. I asked for a side dish, and they recommended grilled miso. Although it's a standard menu item at soba restaurants, I had never tried it before. It was delicious, and I found that sake goes better with it than beer. I quickly finished the large bottle of beer and ordered cold sake. The owner seemed very skilled. I changed my order to a mixed tempura platter instead of Tenseiro, and finished with more soba noodles. It was a great decision. The soba broth was tasty, but being uncultured, I usually soak my soba noodles in the broth, so there wasn't enough left and it was a bit bland. I wanted to ask for more broth, but I didn't have the courage. Next time, I will be brave enough to ask for more soba broth. I had a great time at the soba restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

The other day, I visited Iyo-san in Kosaku! It's pronounced "Iyo." It's located about a 5-minute walk from Kosaku Station East Exit! The interior of the restaurant has a traditional feel with only tables! It's a small place but very clean! The menu includes both cold and hot soba and udon noodles! This time, I ordered the "Country Soba (¥750)"!! It arrived in about 10 minutes! It looks like simple country soba! The flavor of the soba is strong, and the texture is smooth and very good! Since the weather has been getting warmer lately, choosing cold soba was the right decision! A traditional soba restaurant in Kosaku! If you're in the area, be sure to stop by! Thank you for the meal, I will definitely go again!

Hello♫ On Saturday, I stayed home alone as it was raining between the rainy season. I decided to visit this restaurant to have lunch and also charge the battery of my bike, which I haven't used for about a month. It was my first visit to this restaurant that I had been wanting to check out for a while. There was no parking listed on Tabelog, but I managed to find a spot for my bike. I arrived at the restaurant called 1310. To my surprise, there was a parking space right next to the restaurant! I parked my bike and entered the restaurant. I greeted the young owner and was the only customer in the restaurant at that time. I ordered the duck soup soba for ¥950 without getting the large portion, as I wanted to see how it was first. The duck soup soba arrived in about 8 minutes. The aroma of the duck soup was delightful. I started by tasting the soba noodles, which were smooth and had a good texture. The duck soup was rich and flavorful, with green onions, eggplant, and duck meat. The taste was slightly strong but had a subtle sweetness that followed afterwards. It paired well with the soba noodles. The duck meat was tender and full of flavor. I added chopped green onions and seaweed halfway through to enjoy different flavors. Surprisingly, the portion of soba noodles was more than it appeared, and it was just right for me. The soba broth was also delicious as a finishing touch. The other customers in the restaurant ordered the mixed tempura soba. I would like to try that or a combination of tempura and countryside soba next time. It was a delicious meal! Thank you very much. I have updated the parking information on Tabelog.

Lunch prepared near the Komatsugawa Station for errands. Due to train delays, I had limited time, so I thought soba would be quick and went to this shop. I ordered the Duck Soup Soba (large size). I had a delicious duck soup soba in Saitama when I was young, and whenever I have soba in the Kanto region, I usually choose this one. The soba arrived. It had a shiny brown color and a refined shape. The rich flavor of the duck soup is just to my liking. It mixes well with the soba and is very delicious. There is a photo of Yasuo Katagura (Yuko Toyo) on the wall of the shop. When I asked, I found out that he trained in the Issha-an style. I want to remember this soba shop for a future visit to the local area.

Cold soba noodles. I really wanted to eat them, so I mustered up the courage to go to the restaurant alone. I had the tricolor soba and they were all delicious. Each one had a different texture and taste. It's hard to explain, but I think you should try them and find your favorite. I also want to try drinking with soba next time.

I decided to have lunch with soba noodles from the morning. When I feel like eating soba noodles, I often come here alone for lunch. However, today my colleague and I talked about curry for lunch, so we decided to visit a restaurant for curry soba noodles. But as I was about to enter the restaurant, I noticed a sign outside advertising curry soba noodles. I asked inside and found out that they serve dipping soba noodles with curry on the side, which was exactly what I wanted to eat (lol). It was delicious. Thank you for the meal, I will come back again.

I tried the recommended duck soba at a soba restaurant located a 3-minute walk from JR Komasa Station. The cold soba noodles, with a firm texture, are dipped in a warm, flavorful broth. The soba's flavor enhances the richness of the duck, making it very delicious. The staff's service was also pleasant, and I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

The vegetables are plentiful, healthy, and delicious.

The three-colored soba noodles are delicious.

Well, it's just average.

2014.10.28. Revisit: Ranchi This morning's news mentioned that the first winter wind will blow today or tomorrow, so I felt like having duck soup soba for lunch. I arrived at the restaurant exactly at 12:00, and there were no other customers inside. I chose the duck soup soba for 950 yen from the menu, and even though I wanted to add extra noodles (+250 yen), I restrained myself for weight control! The duck soup soba arrived shortly, with beautiful soba noodles served in a small sieve and the usual soup. The soup contained duck meat, eggplant, burdock, and green onions, and the combination of soba and duck fat was delightful. I felt that as the cold weather gradually increases, the duck soup will become even more delicious. 2014.06.09. Revisit: Ranchi This restaurant is located about a 4-minute walk north from Kosaku Station on the JR Ome Line, on a side street. I arrived at the restaurant around 12:40, and there were only two other customers inside. I sat at a small table near the entrance and ordered the three-color soba for 950 yen. The three-color soba arrived soon after, with a classic arrangement of sarashina, seiro, and country-style soba. While I used to prefer seiro in the past, I have recently developed a liking for the country-style soba. 2011.04. Ranchi I arrived at this soba restaurant around 1 PM, and the place was already empty. Feeling a bit hungover from yesterday, I craved warm soba soup and opted for tempura soba. After about 10 minutes, I could hear the sound of tempura being fried... and it was served promptly. The soba had a nice aroma with steam rising, and the tempura looked freshly fried with two shrimp, eggplant, pumpkin, and shishito peppers. The soba and soup had a refined and delicious taste. The tempura was crispy and hot, and I enjoyed it while blowing on it. I remember when they used to have a tempura soba with a large shrimp on the menu, served in a big bowl that surprised me. The udon noodles were thin, and I used to enjoy the katsuobushi-flavored soup with udon. The owner of this soba restaurant, Iyo-san, used to operate on the first floor of a building near the Ome Police Station. They have since relocated, but I still remember my father enjoying his late-night udon while drinking at Iyo-san's.

From Tachikawa on the Ome Line, it takes 25 minutes to reach Kosaku Station. Exiting from the north exit of the station and turning left before the traffic light, you will find "Iyo" where you can enjoy a mixed duck soup for 1,050 yen. This place has been known in the neighborhood for some time. Despite being close to the station, it is located in a residential area adjacent to it. It was past 7 pm when I arrived, and there was one customer enjoying soba miso as a side dish with alcohol. The interior of the restaurant was a bit messy, and it would have made a much better impression if it were a bit tidier. Although the mixed duck soup is not listed on the menu, when I asked, they said they could make it for the price of a large serving (+250 yen), so I ordered it. The soba and udon are served together in one colander. The duck soup is quite rich, with green onions and eggplants cooked until they turn completely brown. It is not a refined duck soup, but rather a rustic style. The soba noodles seem to be hand-made, with a moderate brown color and variations in thickness and length. When you dip the soba in the duck soup and eat it, the soba enhances the sweet flavor with the heat of the soup, smoothly passing through the throat without clashing with the rich duck soup. Following the rich flavor of the duck soup, a subtle sweet aroma of grains gently drifts through the back of the nose. The udon noodles are medium-thin, with a slightly chewy texture and an elegant wheat flavor. They absorb the duck soup generously, spreading the richness of the duck in the mouth. Enjoying the duck soup with soba water, it was a delightful meal. I believe this is a place where you can casually enjoy soba without it being a special occasion.

There is a shop located about 50 meters from the right turn at the alley just after the Kozaku Station North Intersection, heading towards JR Ome Line's Kozaku Station. The shop is nestled in a residential area and may not be easily noticed. They offer three types of soba noodles: ground buckwheat noodles served in a bamboo steamer, thick-cut country-style soba, and white soba noodles. Each type has its own unique flavor, allowing customers to enjoy based on their preferences. For those who want to try all three types at once, there is also a three-color soba option available. Additionally, customers can enjoy soba-based desserts. Although the shop is run by a young artisan, it is considered one of the popular eateries in the area.

This is a shop located about a 5-minute walk from Kosaku Station on the JR Ome Line. It used to be near the Ome Police Station, but moved a few years ago. Inside the shop, there are photos and handwritten notes from Yukyojiro Katagura, known as a master of hand-made soba. I tried the tricolor soba, which includes sarashina, seiro, and inaka soba. They are all flat noodles, which is a characteristic of this shop. The sweet and savory sauce is rich and goes well with the flat noodles, making it delicious. The soba noodles are elegant and have a very beautiful shape, as you can see in the photos. Just looking at them makes you want to eat them, right?

When you exit the east exit of Kosaku Station on the JR Ome Line and walk towards the Kosaku Station North Signal, you will find this restaurant by turning left into the alley just before. Inside the restaurant, there are four-seat table seats on the right, two-seat table seats on the left, and the kitchen at the back. There are three types of soba available: seiro, inaka, and sarashina, so I ordered the three-color soba with duck broth. The seiro and sarashina soba have consistent thickness and width, but the inaka soba has a much larger width compared to the thickness. The soba noodles do not have noticeable uneven cuts or scraps, and the draining is not bad, but the texture is lacking. The taste and aroma of the soba are somewhat weak. The dipping sauce contains thin slices of duck meat and eggplant, both of which are stewed, but the taste is not quite there. The soba-yu (soba water) is light and thin, and I didn't feel much flavor from it either. It seems that the quality of the soba flour determines the taste, and even if the buckwheat is good, the flavor may diminish over time after milling. Many soba restaurants in the Issa-an style focus on soba-making techniques rather than the quality of the soba flour. This restaurant seems to be in the Issa-an style as well, with good value for money but lacking in some areas.

I had the opportunity to visit Koasa Station and since I had no knowledge of the area, I decided to visit this restaurant as I was craving for soba. As I walked from the station, I noticed a lot of high-rise apartment signs on the opposite side, which made me a little nervous, but the restaurant itself looked fine. It was already the end of October, so they had just started serving new soba. On that rainy day, I was thinking of ordering warm soba, but when I saw that the duck soup soba was only 850 yen (usually it ranges from 1000 to 1700 yen), I decided to go for that. I also ordered the three-color soba mochi for dessert. In the end, the total bill was over 1000 yen. The duck soup was served piping hot in a hot bowl, and it was rich and flavorful. It really warmed me up. The duck fat infused into the broth, and the hot eggplant and leeks played their roles well. The duck meat, both lean and fatty parts, were plentiful and satisfying. The soba noodles were thin and soft, with a gentle texture. The portion was generous, so it should be enough for women, even though the men around me seemed to order extra large servings. The soba water at the end was a nice touch to finish the meal. The three-color soba mochi was cute and delicious, with kinako, sweet bean paste, and sesame sugar on three pieces each. They were all elegant and tasty. It might be a bit unusual, but this place could also be used as a dessert spot for locals. I left feeling full, with a separate stomach for sweets. It was a cold day, so many customers were ordering the warm tempura soba, which seemed to have scallops in it... I was really curious about it. If I have the chance to come back, I will definitely try the tempura soba next time! Oh, and just a heads up, smoking is allowed in the restaurant, so non-smokers should be aware. The tables are spaced out decently, so it didn't bother me.