It seems that a branch of Tamawarai has opened on the 12th floor of Scramble Square, and after several unsuccessful attempts to visit due to it being sold out or closed, I finally managed to visit today. The restaurant, named "Hanemi," had a unique system where you order and pay at your table when a staff member comes over. I ordered the "Nikomi" for 980 yen, expecting a small portion like at Tamawarai, but it turned out to be about 1.5 times the size. The soba noodles didn't have the same distinctive texture as the original, lacking the bumpy surface and appearing somewhat flat. They seemed to be coated with a transparent film, giving them a standard appearance. However, they were of decent quality. The ground buckwheat outer layer had a crispy texture, but lacked fragrance, with only a slight sweetness. The dipping sauce was noticeably diluted, aiming for a more mainstream taste. On the whole, it felt like a watered-down version of Tamawarai, with its distinctive features somewhat diminished. The benefit of dining here is that you can easily access it by taking the elevator to the 12th floor after getting off at Shibuya Station.

Arrived at the restaurant just after 11 am and ordered the famous "ten-oroshi soba." It took about 15 minutes to be served. The tempura consisted of three small prawns, one shishito pepper, which may feel a bit lacking in quantity, but they were fried perfectly and had a satisfying taste. Some might find it a bit small, but personally, I thought it was just the right amount. Thank you for the meal.

I was prepared to wait in line a bit since it was a branch of Tamawarai, but surprisingly I was able to get in without waiting during lunchtime. I had a bad feeling, but decided to go inside. After ordering, I read some reviews on Tabelog and noticed many comments mentioning that the portion was small and the prices were high, which made me even more wary. In reality, I found the portion to be small and the prices to be on the higher side, but I thought the natto soba was delicious. I have never tried natto soba at Tamawarai before, so I can't compare, but personally, I would like to come back at night to try various dishes while enjoying some drinks.

Vegetable tempura soba (1,800 yen) and tofu yuba topping (550 yen). Visited this place due to the long line at Tsurutontan, but ended up waiting for 30-40 minutes outside even though there were empty seats inside. Finally got seated and tried the tofu, which was delicious. The vegetable tempura soba was okay, but the portion was small. Overall, not very satisfied with the experience.

I was planning to go to Tsurutontan in Scramble Square, but I gave up when I saw the long line. I found this Hanemi branch of Tamashii that I had always been curious about and decided to visit around 1 pm on Saturday. Luckily, I was able to be seated without waiting. (By the time I left around 2 pm, there were about 3 groups waiting in line.) Since I was there, I decided to go for the course meal and ordered some drinks to have a luxurious lunch. [Order Details] - Shibusk Course - Tenoroshi Course - 3 bottles of beer Total cost was around 7,600 yen. Everything was carefully and elegantly prepared. The portions were small, but the satisfaction level was quite high. Surprisingly, the service was casual and dry (not negative or positive, just neutral). I would definitely like to visit again.

Located on the 12th floor of Scramble Square, directly connected to Shibuya Station, this restaurant does not offer any views as there are no windows. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing with indirect lighting, designed by Kengo Kuma. The tofu and yuba dishes are deliciously creamy, while the tamagoyaki is average. The balance of texture and softness in the soba noodles is exquisite, with a rich aroma and freshness. The prices are a bit on the higher side, but the quality of the food justifies it.

I arrived at the restaurant around 12 o'clock on Saturday. There was no wait, so I was seated right away at the counter. I ordered the "Ten Oroshi Soba" course. The tofu was rich and delicious. As for the soba, it was just regular delicious soba.

Category: [Tokyo] Soba ☆ Shibuya Lunch I wondered if there was a soba restaurant in Shibuya that I had never been to before, so I searched and found it here, in a station building in Shibuya that serves as a landmark! It's probably a place that I would avoid because I imagine it would be difficult to get a table without spending around 10,000 yen. The interior design by Kengo Kuma and the earth plaster by Shuhei Koji. I imagine people who won't move for around 10,000 yen on weekdays. How much does it cost...? As Shibuya's gateway that many foreign tourists aim for, having such an impactful interior design can be seen as something to be proud of. I hope the soba here is just as good. Especially since soba, wasabi, and broth are not very popular among foreigners yet, I want them to be introduced to these authentic flavors at a place like this. So, even if it's a small portion, it's fine. I know that soba, wasabi, and broth are expensive. I want foreigners to try genuine soba, wasabi, and broth to understand the flavors that Japanese people love. Seiro (cold soba) for 1,100 yen. The soba, wasabi, and broth are all good. The noodles have a moderate thickness, with plenty of hoshi (buckwheat grains) and a slight sweetness and aroma that is comforting as soon as you take a bite. The temperature is just right, not too cold, making the deliciousness easy to appreciate. The wasabi, although a bit scarce, is authentic. The broth is smooth, without any impurities, and you can taste the dashi (broth). If I were to be critical, the noodles were slightly undercooked. The middle part was a bit sticky, but I think this may vary depending on the batch. Despite the small portion, I strongly recommend this lunch from the perspective of wanting foreigners to taste something delicious. I am not a foreign tourist, so after this, I had a katsudon before heading home.

I was planning to go to Gyokusho, but my schedule was tight so I went to this sister restaurant nearby. I arrived around 12:30 on Saturday for lunch and was able to enter without waiting. The restaurant was not crowded and had a calm atmosphere. I ordered the Shibu Set for 1,980 yen, which seemed a bit pricey for lunch. It came with yuba tofu, duck and board wasabi, and seiro soba. The wasabi was delicious. The portion of soba was smaller than usual, but strangely I felt full after eating. The soba had a nice fragrance and tasted delicious.

I am very sorry to say that I have been trying to call the main store, Tamashige, with my wife whenever we have free time for about a week, all because we want to eat incredibly delicious soba. However, for some reason, we never managed to get through. On the day of our visit, we finally got through after multiple attempts, only to be told that they were fully booked for the day. We considered visiting another restaurant as a backup plan, and ended up choosing to visit this place. The restaurant has a long and narrow layout with a central aisle and counter seats on both sides facing the walls. It is more suitable for 1-2 people, as seating for 3 or more would be side by side. When we arrived, there were already three groups of two customers each, so we were seated at an available table. We decided to go for the half-smile soba course, which included tofu (with yuba), two appetizers (duck and fish cake), grated egg (with grated daikon), soba grains, soba noodles (with tempura), draft beer, and tea. The tofu and yuba had slightly different seasonings and textures, which I enjoyed as a yuba lover. The appetizers were bite-sized and refreshing, followed by the delicious grated egg. I reset my palate with the remaining fish cake before moving on to the soba grains and noodles. The soba grains had a pure flavor, including some husks, while the soba noodles were firm and paired well with the tempura. We finished with soba broth, feeling satisfied after about an hour-long dining experience. Overall, the course of five dishes left us feeling full and satisfied.

I tried to have dinner at Scramble Square, but all the restaurants had long lines. However, this place was the only one where I could enter smoothly. The taste of the soba was good. However, the portion was incredibly small. Also, even though there were empty seats in the restaurant, I was seated right next to a table where people were making a lot of noise, which was strange.

On a Sunday afternoon, I found myself struggling to find a place to eat in the crowded Shibuya Scramble Square food court. I stumbled upon an unusual entrance with a menu board, and decided to give it a try. Despite the cold weather outside, the cozy atmosphere inside made me forget that I was in the heart of Shibuya. The portion of soba noodles was small but delicious. I ordered the natto soba double, but personally could have done without the raw egg. Overall, it was a valuable find in many ways!

I wanted to have some light soba noodles like for New Year's Eve, so I decided to visit this place at the end of the year. The restaurant had a high-class appearance like a traditional Japanese restaurant. Since it opened at 5:00 PM, I arrived right at opening time. Surprisingly, even though it was the end of the year and people usually eat soba noodles for New Year's Eve, there were only 3 groups of customers (with plenty of available seats). The menu had been changed for the end of the year, offering only 3 set courses. Since I was planning to go out for drinks later, I ordered the cheapest course. The food was delicious but the portion size was quite small. I felt like there could have been a bit more soba noodles. The noodles were thick and had a nice texture, but they didn't have a wow factor. Overall, for a dinner at the end of the year at this price, I guess it was satisfying. Thank you for the meal.

The dining area at Shibuya Scramble Square. The soba restaurant here is "Hanemi." It offers a lunch menu that is different from typical soba restaurants. The set includes the "Shibu Course" (2,200 yen) with homemade yuba tofu and a dish of duck and wasabi. Although the appetizers make you crave sake, you will have to settle for tea. Each dish is delicious. The main dish is soba with visible buckwheat grains. The taste is good, but the portion is very small. It's over in no time. Despite a decent number of customers, I wonder if they are satisfied. It's unclear what kind of clientele they are targeting, but the taste is definitely good. A somewhat mysterious soba restaurant.

Soba restaurant on the restaurant floor of Shibuya Scramble Square. Lunchtime is still crowded at all stores. However, in the 11 o'clock hour, there are few people and you can enter without waiting on weekdays. Peak times have a lineup every day. When you enter the store, no one notices and no one comes out. Despite being a commercial facility, the exterior walls are made of mud walls, and the interior is a simple design with only a counter, but lacking in substance. A young man, like a student part-timer, was the only one who handled the hall from start to finish. Some customers left after paying, but no one noticed and there was no response to "Thank you very much." The voice of "Thank you for the meal" sounded empty, like a customer's mutter. The soba is very delicious. Not having shrimp and offering vegetable tempura soba is personally appealing. It's a plus that they only serve cold soba. However, the portion size... Ordering about 4 more mouthfuls of soba for nearly 2000 yen will cost over 2500 yen. The cost performance is very poor as ordering that much will not make you full, so please go there without expecting that.

The second line of the famous Tamawarai soba shop is that you don't have to wait in line, but in exchange, it slightly dampens the excitement of Tamawarai. I ordered the natto soba, expecting a small portion, so I ordered extra natto to compensate. Surprisingly, the natto was delicious with large grains, almost equivalent to a whole pack, overshadowing the soba. The tamagoyaki and tofu, however, did not live up to the expected deliciousness. The sesame tofu (topped with yuba) had no flavor, and the dipping sauce was too little. I considered giving up when I was only 2/3 finished, but when I asked for more soy sauce, it was provided, so I managed to finish the meal. In soba shops where the love for soba is strong, they usually serve soba-yu (soba water) with a small amount of dashi in a soba choko (soba cup), but here, the soba-yu was like drinking a mixture of egg white and natto, making it impossible to enjoy. I remembered Tamawarai's soba-yu as thick and delicious, but here it was thin, even when I visited at 7 pm. I was worried if they could live up to their reputation of being particular about the atmosphere and utensils.

This time, I visited the restaurant "Hansei" which is the first store of the famous soba restaurant "Gyokai" to open in a commercial facility. Gyokai is extremely popular and always has long lines, and is a Michelin-starred restaurant, but this is its sister store. It is located in Shibuya Scramble Square, but the entrance is quite hidden. While many stores in commercial facilities have a standout appearance, they are confident that customers will come in without needing to compete. They have not compromised the brand. The interior of the store was designed by Kengo Kuma. This time, I ordered the famous "Ten Oroshi Soba" for 2,200 yen. The amount of soba is small, similar to Gyokai, and would be about 4-5 bites for an adult. The soba is truly amazing. The aroma of the soba is strong. It is delicious. It can be quite difficult to get into Gyokai, but a sister store like Hansei is more accessible, so I recommend it.

On July 10th, I went to Tokyo with my daughter for her appointment, and we ended up in Shibuya, the fashion district which is the last place I would usually go. It was so crowded that I felt overwhelmed. Before we got to our destination, we decided to grab some food. On the 12th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, which is connected to Shibuya Station, there is a wide selection of restaurants, but there were long lines everywhere. Among them, I noticed a soba noodle restaurant called Hanemi, where there wasn't much of a line and we only had to wait for about 5 minutes. I was curious about Tokyo soba noodles, so we walked in. The entrance already had a high-class feel to it. The walls were covered in what seemed like diatomaceous earth, with a counter along the wall and chairs lined up next to it. My daughter and I sat down and looked at the menu, which had many course options, but due to budget constraints, I ordered the seiro soba (1100 yen). Soon, the soba noodles arrived in a lacquered tray. My first impression was how elegant the soba noodles looked. I started eating and as I dipped the noodles in the sauce and slurped them up, the fresh aroma of the soba filled my mouth and nose. The soba noodles were very delicious, and the sauce had a rich umami flavor. However, the amount of soba noodles was ridiculously small. Is this the standard for Tokyo soba noodles? I can't say for sure because of the location... On the other hand, my daughter went to a tempura restaurant in the same building and she was extremely satisfied after eating a full bowl of tempura. She met up with me with a big smile and said, "Tokyo is the best!" The difference in our impressions of Tokyo was quite surprising... Perhaps it's due to the effort put in by the businesses? Thank you for the meal.

Hmm... I actually wanted to go to Tamawarai, but after researching, I found out it was here. I went after lunchtime, so I was able to get in without waiting in line. The soba restaurant inside Scramble Square had a flashy menu and really gave off a Shibuya vibe. I had high expectations, so I was a bit disappointed with the price compared to the taste. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either, and the portion was small and not enough. Next time, I'll try Tamawarai!

Soba restaurant located in Shibuya Scramble Square. The entrance is unique as you cannot see inside from the outside. There is no line, but it may be better to write your name on the waiting list at the entrance. Feeling anxious as no one seems to notice you, you finally muster the courage to call out and are eventually guided inside. The interior is quiet and simple yet exudes a sense of luxury. The seating consists of a counter facing the wall, with spacious tables and stylish concrete chairs. It has a modern soba restaurant vibe. The Natto Soba costs 1,760 yen and comes with large natto beans, beautiful yellow egg yolk, nori, and bonito flakes. However, the portion is extremely small, almost like a side dish. Despite the high price, the quantity is disappointing. There is no explanation of the high-quality ingredients used, making it hard to justify the cost. Later, you find out it is part of a high-end soba restaurant chain, and you realize you should have appreciated the luxurious taste and ambiance. Understanding the concept and rules of the restaurant is crucial, and it would be helpful to have guidance at the entrance. Unlike hidden fine dining spots in Kagurazaka or Akasaka, Shibuya Scramble Square is a place accessible to everyone. The lack of hospitality may come off as arrogance. Reading another review mentioning "making a huge profit with a half smile" made you chuckle. Overall, it was disappointing due to hunger.