Today is New Year's Eve, 2 pm. The famous soba restaurants in the neighboring town all had long lines. I didn't have time to wait in line as I was still cleaning. So this year, I decided to have soba for New Year's Eve from a nearby restaurant. Senzai Sakagami. The location for food and drink around here is tough. It's a long uphill climb from any station, so unless it's a really special place, there are hardly any people coming, and there are no offices around. Katsu-don and soba set for 950 yen - thin noodles. It seems like time has stood still in this place for decades.

From Hiroo Station, passing through Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park and standing just before the intersection of Sendai Sakashita, you will find "Azabu Kameya". First, the appearance. It looks clean and somehow has a luxurious atmosphere due to its location. When you enter the store cautiously, you will find that it is quite small, with mainly table seats although there are also counter seats. I visited during lunch peak time, so it was crowded, but luckily there was one empty seat available, so I sat down at the vacant table and looked at the menu. The menu includes several standard items such as soba, udon, and rice dishes, and since I didn't do any prior research, I ordered the reliable "Oomori". After waiting for about 10 minutes, it arrived. I immediately tasted it and found that the noodles were thin with a good texture, and the broth was slightly strong but had a good umami flavor that complemented the noodles well. It was delicious! And all of this for only 600 yen! There are also large parks and shrines nearby, so it's a good idea to visit while taking a walk. - Menu: Oomori (Large serving) - 600 yen

A small nostalgic soba restaurant with seating for four, two, and three at a narrow counter. Probably run by a mother and son duo. I ordered the tanuki soba with an extra raw egg on top. The thin soba noodles mixed with the egg and tempura bits were gentle and delicious. It's a place that feels like an extension of everyday life. The tanuki soba costs 550 yen, and adding an egg costs 50 yen, so I thought it would be around 100 yen for the egg. I felt a bit guilty for adding the egg separately. I suddenly added it and got a bit flustered. Sorry about that. My stomach is full and my heart and body are warmed. Thank you for the meal.

On a hot summer day, I went to have grated radish soba. I could hear the sound of radish being grated after placing my order. When I was little, grating radish was considered a chore for children, and I remembered how much I disliked it. That's why I felt a bit sorry for the elderly lady at the shop putting in all that effort, but also grateful. The freshly grated radish was so juicy. The lady mentioned that you could dip the soba in the sauce or pour it over the noodles. I decided to pour it over. The soba was soft and had a good texture. Considering the incredibly low price in this area, it's popular among the many people working at the nearby construction site. Overall, the kindness of the lady, the affordable price, and the taste make this place a great local soba shop.

Neighbors and parents and children often run into each other, and there is a sense of community at this restaurant. They also serve delicious soba noodles.

Parent and child bowl set (soba) for 850 yen.

[2010.7.15] Thursday, just after 11:50 AM, I visited this place alone. I stayed for about 20 minutes. The restaurant, "Azabu Kameya," is located near Rokusaka intersection in Minami-Azabu and Sendai Sakagami. It might actually be closer to Hiroo Station than Azabu-Juban Station. It seems to have been renovated in recent years, as the facade looks relatively new. The interior has 3 two-person tables, 1 four-person table, and a 3-seat counter, totaling about the size of a 6-tatami mat room. There is not much space between the seats, giving a somewhat claustrophobic feeling. There was a small LCD TV in a high corner, which was probably a CRT TV before. It is clean and has a sense of cleanliness, but it follows the traditional style of a local soba restaurant. The menu was partially displayed outside, but not on the table. It was posted on a board on the wall. The cheapest soba dish, either served hot or cold, is 500 yen. There was also a "Juwari Soba" made with soba flour from Hokkaido Kitasorachi for 700 yen, which might be hand-made. I didn't confirm, but as usual, I ordered the most unique dish that showcases the character of a local soba restaurant, the "Okame Soba" for 650 yen. The toppings included spinach, 2 pieces of wheat gluten, 2 pieces of fish cake, narutomaki, shiitake mushroom, wakame seaweed, bamboo shoot, 2 pieces of fried tofu, and datemaki. A plate of green onions was served on the side. It's a free-spirited type that doesn't resemble a face at all. The soba noodles were thin and quite white. The broth was dark but not very spicy, with a refreshing taste. The aroma of the broth was just right, and I was able to finish it all. I couldn't find an ashtray on the table. Also, my SoftBank cell phone had unstable reception, sometimes connecting and sometimes not.

A soba restaurant located near the intersection of Sakagami in Sendai. Despite its clean appearance and the area it's in, the prices are quite reasonable, starting at 500 yen for a basic soba. The restaurant is small, with room for about 15 people at most. When I visited around 1pm, there were only about 5 people including myself. I ordered the kitsune soba for 550 yen. The soba, while not hand-made, had a nice texture and the broth, while not particularly unique, was surprisingly delicious and I ended up drinking quite a bit of it. It's a traditional soba restaurant in a town lined with embassies and luxury homes.