Curry katsu-don for 680 yen is not something you see often. It's a combination of regular curry and katsu-don, which seems uncommon. My personal way of serving it is: 1. Put rice in the center of the plate. 2. Place tonkatsu with egg on top of the rice. 3. Surround the rice with curry. The key point is step 3, as it clearly separates the curry and katsu-don parts. When served this way, you can enjoy it as a katsu-don, curry rice, or a combination of both. This time, a little bit of curry spilled over onto the katsu-don, but it was still enjoyable. Overall, I had a great time experiencing all three options, especially the curry katsu-don. Bon appétit!

This morning, I watched the US Open Tennis qualifiers, then went back to sleep and missed my walk. It seems that players like Shimabukuro, Shimizu, Taro, and Mochizuki advanced. After work, I walked to Ikebukuro (stopped for a Hoppy first), had the athlete's menu at Fuji Soba, indirectly supporting Shimabukuro, and ended up with over 13,000 steps. The noodle dish had plenty of chicken and half the usual noodles, focusing on protein. The staff was saying it was "refreshing" and "satisfying." Maybe it's not a big portion? Well, for filling up, the tempura soba wins (laughs). This was my second time trying this dish, and the seasoning was a bit strong, so I thought of using the soba broth as a chaser, which worked well as a palate cleanser. Finally, I added the remaining flakes to the soba broth and finished it. Fuji Soba supports Shimabukuro, with occasional campaigns, so if you have a Twitter account, check it out.

I visited a soba chain restaurant called "Meidai Fuji Soba Ikebukuro Higashi-guchi" around 10 pm on a certain day in April 2023. It is located about a 3-4 minute walk from Ikebukuro Station. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere with about 5 customers already inside. I ordered the "Curry Soba" for ¥560 from the ticket machine. I presented my ticket at the order counter, waited for about 3 minutes, received my food, and sat at the counter to eat. The curry soba had the typical Japanese curry flavor that Fuji Soba is known for. The balance of soy sauce-based broth and mild curry sauce created a delicious combination. I sprinkled some shichimi pepper on top for extra aroma and kick. The portion size was not too large, so I finished it quickly. The price may seem a bit high compared to other standing soba shops, but considering the quality and taste, it was worth it. Overall, it was a satisfying end to a night out.

It's been a while since I had morning soba. The usual man wasn't there. There were only two other customers. Not many. It's a chain store, but each store has a different taste of Fuji Soba. However, it doesn't emphasize the differences as much as Osho does. Here, the seasoning on the fried tofu seems a bit sweeter.

Curry rice and soba set for 740 yen. The curry at the standing soba shop was good. Just like this (^_^) It's disappointing when high expectations are not met, but I can stay calm. However, April is always busy with crowded trains and restaurants. Two usual places I go to were too crowded. Cheers.

This is a shop near Ikebukuro Station that I have used many times. This time, I tried the large serving of zaru soba. The cold soba noodles have a nice firm texture and are very delicious. While it may not compare to top-class restaurants in terms of taste, the cost performance is very good.

On a holiday around 5 PM, I felt a little hungry and decided to visit this restaurant. It is located about a 3-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station, tucked away quietly from the busy main street. While many other restaurants were crowded at the time, this one had about 30% occupancy, so I was able to find a seat easily. Inside the restaurant, there were two ticket machines that accepted electronic money, making the ordering process smooth. I ordered the large portion of spinach soba, which is a type of cold soba noodles served without dipping sauce. The noodles were well-drained, unlike some other places where they can be soggy. Fuji Soba is known for sometimes serving noodles that are not well-drained, but this restaurant did a good job in that aspect. The noodles were cooked right after I placed my order, so they were not overcooked and did not become mushy. Overall, I felt that this restaurant provided good value compared to others.

I watched Avatar at night. It was a 3-hour movie in 4DX, so I was shaking the whole time. I came out of the theater at 11 PM feeling tired and hungry. Since it was late at night, I decided to have soba noodles. I opted for kitsune soba, which I tried for the first time. The soba noodles were firm and the soup was lightly sweet. I wish it was cheaper. The fried tofu was also sweet, which didn't really match with the soba. There was a lot of seaweed which I'm not a fan of. Overall, it was too sweet for my taste so I added a lot of shichimi spice.

Mini negi-tama don set 530 yen There's negi over there (^^) *The negi-tama don had long negi. I thought egg don usually had onions, so this was a bit unexpected. It's an egg and crab stick topped with long negi. Even if you look closely at the top of the bowl, you won't see any onions. But if you look really closely, you'll see lots of tenkasu. This menu was thought out simply and efficiently using the ingredients available. The small ingredients and the crumbled eggs make it easier to eat with a spoon or ladle. The red crab sticks are good, but if I were to be greedy, pickled ginger and maybe even green peas would also go well with it. But it's practically one coin. I can't complain. Greedy (^^) Thanks for the meal.

Ikebukuro was just a quick transfer, but when I was looking for lunch, the restaurant I was aiming for was closed. I looked around and found a Fuji Soba shop that wasn't on the corner! I saw a poster advertising a set of cold soba and curry! It was in the 500 yen range, great value for money. I didn't hesitate to go in. The soba with seasoned boiled egg and a little curry filled my hunger and left me satisfied. It was a wonderful restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

Breakfast Set A for 410 yen includes egg rice bowl and soba noodles. I visited before 6:30 am on a weekday. There were 5 customers before me and 2 customers after me. There was a group of 4 people who seemed to have just finished playing. Thanks to them, there was plenty of space inside the restaurant. The father was handling everything on his own. Today, the noodles were freshly boiled.

Located about a 3-minute walk from Ikebukuro East Exit, on the first floor of a building along a side street, is the restaurant "Nadai Fuji Soba Ikebukuro Higashi-guchi". I visited for the first time in late May in the early morning. First, I purchased tickets at the automatic ticket machine in the restaurant. On this day, I bought "Chikuwa Tempura Soba" (460 yen) and a "Hot Spring Egg" (70 yen). I handed the tickets to the order counter and waited for a few minutes until my soba was ready. Those who ordered the cold soba were served quickly, but as I ordered hot soba, it took a bit longer. The restaurant has a counter with 20 seats. I chose a seat towards the back. The "Chikuwa Tempura Soba" came with chikuwa tempura, wakame seaweed, and chopped green onions. I sprinkled some shichimi pepper from the table and tried the soba. The noodles were smooth and easy to eat without being sticky. The broth, typical of Fuji Soba, was slightly on the sweeter and saltier side, in my opinion. I enjoyed dipping the chikuwa tempura in the broth before eating it. The large-sized tempura provided a satisfying bite. I finished every last drop of the broth in the bowl and left the restaurant feeling satisfied. Thank you for the meal.

Tempura soba mini curry set 580 yen I was lured by the shockingly low price at the store. I decided to go for something light this time, maybe some soba. But even though I thought it would be light... I was tempted by the sign at the store and ended up getting the set. - Tempura soba: Warm soba topped with tempura vegetables. A little bit of seaweed and green onions. The taste of the soba broth was... The dashi flavor was a bit light, maybe a bit watery. - Mini curry: It's a retort curry, right? It had small bits of ingredients. A sweet curry that anyone can enjoy. The total volume and price seem to match. Maybe if the taste catches up, it would be even more satisfying. Overall, it was a good deal.

At noon in Ikebukuro East Exit, with limited time, I ended up at a udon place and decided to have a quick lunch at Fuji Soba. I ordered the matsutake rice set, along with a warm udon. The matsutake rice was cheap but filling. The dashi broth at Fuji Soba was surprisingly delicious, providing a consistent taste. Both the soba and udon were satisfying. Thank you for the meal.

In the big city, there's no need to worry about breakfast options. Across the street from this place, there's a chain restaurant called Ootoya that also serves breakfast, giving you a choice between the two. On this day, I chose this place. Although I usually prefer the mori (with toppings) style at Fuji Soba, they also have a great kake (plain) option. I ordered the spinach soba. Some hardcore fans might say, "You should have gone for the morning soba, it's a better deal!" But sometimes I like to try something different to make up for what I usually miss out on. The combination of soba noodles and green vegetables is something I really enjoy, and I wish it was more popular. I can only think of a few places that offer this, like this chain and Bunshu and Futaba in Akihabara. I like the soft texture of spinach in this dish, but I also enjoy the crunchy texture of komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) at Futaba. When I make udon at home, I always include green vegetables and some chopped ingredients (like tempura crumbs). This is my go-to order. This dish comes with a clear broth, but I also appreciate the dark broth that you find in Kanto region soba shops. Even if the broth is a bit sweet, the green vegetables and croquette make it delicious.

To commemorate the 55th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan, a new dish called "Laksa Soba" was developed using Japanese soba noodles. I went to try it out. The shop was relatively quiet, with only a few customers. I ordered the "Laksa Soba" and a side of rice. The Laksa Soba was served in a colorful bowl with a coconut milk-based soup that had a mild and slightly spicy flavor. The toppings included boiled egg, cilantro, crab stick, fried tofu, and chicken, which stood out in the orange-colored soup. The combination of soba noodles and the soup may be a matter of personal preference, but I enjoyed it. I added some sambal sauce for extra spiciness, which enhanced the flavor. After finishing the soba noodles, I enjoyed the rice with the remaining soup, savoring the sweetness of the rice against the spiciness of the soup. It was delicious, and I hope for continued peace and friendship between Singapore and Japan.

I visited the Oniko Shrine during my morning walk. The soba shop across the street had changed its hours, and a photo of soba with takoyaki triggered my interest. I went inside and found the interior to be bright and clean. I selected a ticket for the first time, choosing the Chikuwa ginger tempura. I handed the ticket to the staff at the counter and waited for my order. The steam and bonito aroma from the Chikuwa ginger tempura soba I received were enticing. Soba is said to be good for your health, as long as you don't overeat. The soba at Fuji Soba, with its soft noodles and healthy reduced-salt broth, was delicious and reasonably priced at less than a coin. The Chikuwa tempura with red ginger inside, which I tried for the first time, had a slightly firm coating, so I soaked it in the broth before eating. Overall, the taste has become more refined over the years. The shop is operated by one person and is reliable for a quick meal when other places are not open and you need to move forward.

I tried the Wajima pufferfish that was being talked about. [Order] - Wajima pufferfish tempura rice bowl set 780 yen I don't often have the chance to eat pufferfish, but I'm happy with the satisfaction of being able to say "I ate pufferfish" at this price. The pufferfish was soft and delicious. I hope they offer it again.

I visited "Meidai Fuji Soba Ikebukuro Higashi-guchi Store" around 6 pm on a certain day in August 2020. It is located about a 3-4 minute walk from Ikebukuro Station. The interior of the small store had about 5 customers. A young male staff member was running the place alone. I chose the "Cold Oroshi Soba" for ¥470 at the ticket machine, then presented the ticket at the order counter. After waiting for about 3 minutes, I received the dish and ate at the counter seat. The dish was topped with plenty of grated daikon radish, seaweed, chopped green onions, and bonito flakes. The combination of thin noodles and flavorful broth was very good. Eating the daikon radish and soba together enhanced the deliciousness. It was a very good cold soba to eat in the scorching summer. The "Cold Oroshi Soba" was light and refreshing. It was also good to sprinkle the table chili pepper on top. The bonito flakes added a nice flavor and richness. It was a moderately sized soba dish. It was a very good menu for those who do not want to consume too many calories. The Fuji Soba in Ikebukuro is a relatively calm place to eat. It is a convenient store to use.

Located at the East Exit of Ikebukuro, this place is just a regular Fuji Soba, but personally, it's the one I've been to the most. It's been about 20 years, I think? I'm not sure of the exact number, but it's been a long relationship. Whether it's skipping school at lunchtime, before work, as a late-night meal after drinking, when there's no more trains, after staying up all night, the list goes on. They used to offer soba broth, which was nice. I usually go for the large (special) size, and when I'm really hungry, I get the Katsu-don set. I often find myself stopping by when I'm nearby, and the enka music in the background is oddly calming. Thank you, Fuji Soba, for taking care of me all these years. By the way, I recently found out that "Meidai" is actually pronounced "Myodai" after thinking it was "Meidai" for over 20 years, haha.