I had lunch at "Soba Gesshin" in Naka-machi 2-chome, quite a walk from Yutenji Station. It's a regular at the top 100 soba shops. They only serve lunch on weekends, and since I couldn't get in last time due to it being full, I made a reservation this time. It's a small restaurant with two 4-person tables and about 4 counter seats. It was fully booked with 7 customers in 4 groups during our visit. When making a reservation, note that besides soba, you are required to order one drink and a dish. The owner is said to be from the renowned "Ashiya Toyamajin." We started with Sapporo's Akahoshi in a bottle to quench our thirst. Soba senbei came as an appetizer. The otoshi included board wasabi, squid shiokara, spicy chicken tataki mixed with daikon radish, yuzu-flavored shiokara, and spicy chicken tataki with a gentle mountain wasabi. The lightly soy sauce-flavored tataki with daikon radish on almost raw chicken thigh is delicious. We also ordered sake. The duck roast and tempura, shrimp and eggplant sweet and spicy stewed duck, was juicy and flavorful when chewed, overflowing with juices. Mustard goes well with it. The tempura was freshly fried and hot. The shrimp was delicious, but the freshness of the eggplant was exceptional. However, ordering tempura individually at this restaurant is quite expensive. Since we enjoyed the appetizers, we were ready for the soba. Cold or warm, both seemed delicious. Since it was cool due to the rain, we opted for warm dipping soba. I ordered the "Jigohama Soba with clam dipping sauce" in a large portion, and my companion ordered the "Duck meatball soup soba." We waited for about 30 minutes after ordering. The Jigohama soba arrived. The finely ground soba had a smooth texture with a brown color. The scent of soba was light and refreshing, and the cold soba was delicious. The dashi had a relatively refreshing taste with the umami of Rishiri kombu, round herring, and round scad. It's said that Kanto-style soba pairs with a spicy sauce, while Kansai-style soba pairs with a milder one. The dipping sauce was probably Kansai-style. The large Ninety-Nine Clam from Kiri was delicious. The clam broth added a delicious umami taste to the dipping sauce. The clam meat was firm and satisfying. The plenty of celery was also tasty. When I dipped the soba into the slightly refreshing dipping sauce and ate it, the large portion of soba was gone in no time. When I tasted my companion's duck meatball soup, it had a completely different taste, also delicious. I asked the owner if the two broths were different, and she explained that although the base was the same, the umami from the clam and duck meatballs made them taste different. It made sense that the clam broth and the duck meatball broth had different flavors. I savored the happy moment while sipping soba-yu broth. The bill came to 10,000 yen for two people. With the satisfying appetizers, I felt like drinking too much, and I wanted to try both cold and warm soba. The chilled sudachi from "Toyamajin" sounds delicious and worth a try. I've found another soba shop I want to visit again.

The day before my first visit, I made a phone reservation. The restaurant is a 10-minute walk from the Tokyu Toyoko Line Yutenji Station, but due to the intense heat, I took a bus from the Meguro Waterworks Bureau Meguro Sales Office bus stop, which is just a 50-meter walk away. The entrance fee was 1920 yen. There were two groups of six customers already inside. The compact interior had a unique straight-line counter with 8 seats and 4 table seats, run by a husband and wife. The menu of small dishes was quite extensive and tempting, but it was also reassuring for solo diners. Most dishes were priced for individuals, but it seemed that alcohol consumption was assumed in the evening, as entry was limited to adults. We had the following dishes: 600 yen for the appetizer (buckwheat miso and green soybean), 390 yen for Gunma Numata-produced konjac and Akita Odate-produced smoked cheese, 380 yen for today's appetizer (Tsuru Murasaki), 390 yen for Akita Junmai vinegar pickled water shield, 390 yen for seasonal tempura (corn), 390 yen for seasonal tempura (water eggplant), 450 yen for raw sardines, 1200 yen for a variety plate, and various drinks. The total bill was just over 6000 yen, likely including tax. Here are some thoughts on the food: the solo diner-friendly menu was extensive and satisfying, and the individual pricing was reasonable. The appetizer with green soybeans was well done, and the pickled dishes were delicious. The tempura had a light and fluffy coating, and the soba noodles were of high quality. The aroma and umami of the soba were excellent. The dipping sauce had a strong kelp flavor and the soba broth was thick. Overall, the restaurant offered a great variety of dishes, skillful use of dashi in their small plates, and rare individual pricing options.

I visited for lunch. Even during the meal, many people were visiting the restaurant, and the seats were continuously filled. It is a restaurant that requires reservations. The appetizers are delicious anyway. You can enjoy appetizers and drinks from noon. The speed of service was just right, and all the appetizers were perfect for alcohol. The menu was also abundant with seasonal items, so I would like to visit again.

This restaurant specializes in enjoying soba noodles and sake, and does not allow children under university age. It's usually fully booked, so I recommend making a reservation. In addition to the regular menu, there are seasonal dishes listed separately with detailed explanations. The individual dishes can take some time, but you can leisurely enjoy your drinks. I ordered seasonal soba noodles like sudachi soba and jun-sai with myoga, as well as two types of mixed plates. The food was delicious until the end, and the atmosphere was cozy.

Yutenji Station and Gakugeidaigaku Station are about halfway, so it takes about a 10-minute walk from either station. I heard this, so I walked through the shopping street from Gakugeidaigaku Station and arrived. It's a small shop with a modest sign at the narrow entrance next to a sushi restaurant in the same building. The interior has 4 table seats and a total of 12 seats, including 8 counter seats, but it seems like they are only seating every other seat, so effectively only half the seats are being used. Cheers with draft beer! The appetizer is fried soba rice crackers, soaked beans, and thoughtful nibbles. The landlady showed me a handwritten note with seasonal items not on the regular menu. Izumi Nasu eggplant with flavored miso. Enjoy crispy fresh eggplant with flavored miso. Vinegared funori. Enjoy the smooth texture of the first funori of the year. This calls for sake, so when I opened the sake menu, in addition to the standard brands, there was a variety of sake from Terada Honke in Chiba Katori District, including "Daigo no Shizuku," a fresh sake brewed in the Bodaijun method passed down from the Kamakura period. It's an interesting sake with a sweet and sour taste and a slight effervescence. Mashed sardines. Sardine sashimi pounded with miso and green onions. It was a perfect match for the rich sake from Chiba. The next sake was "Musubi" from the same Terada Honke. It's a doburoku made from sprouted brown rice. It's also effervescent because it's fermented in the bottle. As a nibble to accompany this, I added "prosciutto and figs." It's made with figs instead of melon to accompany the strong-flavored sake. Additionally, I added "grilled duck hearts." It's simply grilled duck hearts from Zaoji ducks, but it's delicious, like refined grilled chicken hearts. For this nibble, I chose "Natural Sake Gojinja" from the same Terada Honke. It's a junmai ginjo natural sake brewed only with pesticide-free sake rice, brewery yeast, and lactic acid bacteria, and it was a mild and delicious sake. Since it takes time here, the "soba kaki" that I ordered in advance is ready. Soba kaki made by kneading only buckwheat flour and water and grilling it crispy with seaweed, served with wasabi soy sauce and spicy radish. This is delicious. You can choose between finely ground seiro soba or coarse ground country soba, so I ordered the coarse ground country soba. Enjoy the rustic aroma of buckwheat, ground with the black husk intact, using a stone mill. My companion ordered the seasonal vinegar citrus soba, which was refreshing and delicious.

I visited this restaurant on a Sunday night during my 68th stop on my 2023 soba tour in Tokyo. It's located about a 10-minute walk from the Tokyu Toyoko Line Yutenji Station. We took a taxi from Meguro Station, which cost around 1000 yen and took about 10 minutes. We made a reservation for the night's a la carte menu. The restaurant had a warm atmosphere with only two table seats and counter seats. We ordered: shirasu (young sardines) namero, fried eggplant, grilled miso, tsubugai (whelk) simmered dish, squid with sake lees, duck heart skewers, duck tsukune (meatballs), chicken ham and potato salad, tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), lotus root tempura, asparagus tempura, shrimp tempura, a mix of thin-cut and country-style soba, and chilled junsai (water shield) and myoga (Japanese ginger) in dashi. Since it was our last stop for the day, we also ordered various dishes to go with our sake. All the dishes were homemade and paired well with the sake. The thin-cut soba and country-style soba were both well-prepared. The dipping sauce was a bit light. Personally, I found the chilled soba more delicious. On this particular day, the service was quite slow, so it might be a good idea to visit with extra time to spare.

Visited for lunch. Reservations are prioritized, and after being turned away three times, we were finally able to get in on the fourth try. They offer countryside-style soba made with only the black parts of the buckwheat, as well as the more common white soba. They also have seasonal limited-time menu items and a variety of appetizers. We ordered the countryside soba and tempura, and it was very delicious.

I visited seeking delicious soba. The location is in a quiet residential area midway between Tokyu Toyoko Line Yutenji Station and Gakugeidaigaku Station. The restaurant has a counter and one table for four, creating a very comfortable space and atmosphere. The restaurant has won the Tabelog Soba Top 100 award in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. The menu is in a small file format with handwritten seasonal dishes added, and the owner kindly explained them. It's great that almost all dishes can be selected in a small size! Each seat has a small call bell. The owner explained that they are placed so that they can respond immediately when in the kitchen. You don't need to call out "Excuse me!" The call bells at each seat have different shapes. The owner distinguishes which seat is calling by the sound of the bell, a lovely consideration. The sound is so nice that you want to ring it repeatedly but resist the temptation. I was impressed at various points, and my expectations for the food grew. First, cheers with Ebisu beer! Appetizers ◆ Boiled edamame in a gentle dashi, bringing out the sweetness and flavor of the edamame ◆ Soba chips crispy and fragrant ◆ Bitter melon and myoga vinegar salad a refreshing dish with the bitterness of bitter melon complemented by myoga and mizuna ◆ Boiled tsurumurasaki although sticky, the texture is firm, and the dashi enhances the unique flavor of tsurumurasaki A perfect balance where each dish doesn't overshadow the others! ◆ Tempura: carabinero shrimp, water eggplant, and fava beans you can choose individual tempura items instead of a set, and there's even a half-size option. Such meticulousness! You can also choose side tempura, starting from just one fava bean (@80 yen)! The light and crispy batter enhances the ingredients. Enjoy with a dashi-based tempura sauce or salt. ◆ Simmered eggplant with a rich dashi and refreshing sudachi citrus. A simple yet exquisite dish! ◆ Assorted thin-ground and coarse-ground soba thin-ground from Bontan in Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido, and coarse-ground from Tokiwashinjo Soba Tsukigokoro in Joso, Ibaraki, each highlighting the characteristics of the region and milling method. The soba is undeniably delicious, and the expected soba broth doesn't disappoint. The cold dashi is a blend of Edo-style sharp, with kombu from Rishiri and shaved dried bonito. The warm soba uses Kansai-style dashi. The umami from multiple bonito flakes and fish like muroaji and urume is extracted. The clear and elegant dashi provides a high-level taste. Usually, this would be the end of the meal, but I also wanted to try the warm soba ◆ Nishin soba (small size) a perfect additional order! Among the nishin soba I've had in Tokyo, this one stands out for its deliciousness ♡ It was so good that I would have been happy with a large serving instead of a small one ◆ Drinks I enjoyed Ebisu beer, soba shochu (with soba tea), Yaesakura, Touge, Sobakobo, and Kisen soba shochu. It was my first time trying various soba shochu, each with its own character, making it fun to compare. The clear explanations from the owner were also a nice touch! We are usually light eaters, so being able to eat this much must be thanks to the magical broth. It had been about three years since my last visit, and I was impressed by the updates and the dedication and high quality work of the head chef. With the owner's thorough explanations and meticulous hospitality, this is a wonderful couple and restaurant. I couldn't try all the dishes today, so I've decided to visit again soon to conquer them all. The crescent moon was beautiful after leaving the restaurant. Thank you for the meal!

Today was a soba restaurant hopping day! First, we started with some drinks at a soba appetizer place! We had beer and tempura while leisurely enjoying the atmosphere! Exactly what I wanted at a soba restaurant ⤴︎ And it was super delicious! It was a luxurious time! The best! By the way, the soba here is "sotoichi"! I usually prefer "ni-hachi" soba, but the "sotoichi" here was thinly sliced and very tasty! Easy to eat! However, I heard that since I ordered "sudachi soba," the fragrance might be a bit hard to notice because it's soaked in the broth! Next time, I'll try the dipping soba!

I called on a whim and was told there was a seat available, so I finished eating at Break Beats and then moved to Tsukigokoro. I received an explanation of the menu, ordered three dishes to go with my draft beer. It's nice that they have small sizes for solo drinkers. After finishing the draft beer, I switched to sake. I know Daishichi, but have I ever tried it before? If it's a junmai ginjo with kimoto, it's bound to be delicious, haha. The dishes were good too, and the relaxed drinking atmosphere was even better. For the finish, I had a seiro and a mixed plate of country-style dishes. The seiro was from somewhere in Hokkaido, and the country-style dish was from Inzai, Chiba (I might have misheard). Both were good, but the combination with the dipping sauce was excellent! I haven't really drunk at a soba restaurant before, but it's really nice after all, haha. Mixed plate 1,200 yen Duck heart simmered in ginger 390 yen Spicy chicken (small size) 550 yen Grilled duck meatballs (small size) 560 yen Ebisu draft beer (medium) 680 yen Daishichi junmai kimoto dry sake (1 go) 950 yen

The restaurant has a limited number of seats, so it's recommended to make a reservation for lunch on weekends. In addition to the classic menu, they also offer seasonal tempura and ohitashi as part of their soba lineup. The lady in charge of the floor provides detailed explanations. They have a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including sake and shochu. The meal ends with finely cut soba noodles. The origin of the soba flour may vary depending on the season, and they will explain it to you. It's a sophisticated soba restaurant for adults. Thank you for the meal!

I went to drink in Yutenji, one of the cities that a country-raised middle-aged man is not good at, after parting ways with the other party. When I asked if I could use a card, they said it could be used for over 8000 yen. I was worried if I had enough cash on hand. I ordered my usual Imo Shichiroku on the rocks instead of sake. The appetizer was firm beans and soba miso. The soba was a mix of whole grain and thin noodles, with seasonal tempura (fava beans, young corn, snow peas). The tempura was scarce - a shocking experience for me who usually only goes to casual soba shops or standing eateries in the city. Well, maybe it was a valuable experience. But it was amazingly delicious. The country soba noodles are slightly thicker than thin noodles, but they have a great aroma and texture. Even the thin noodles had a subtle sweetness when eaten. The soba dipping sauce had a strong dashi flavor and was very delicious. The soba-yu (soba water) was thick like kudzu soup, allowing me to savor the soba until the end. I think it's better to eat soba with alcohol and various dishes rather than just on its own. It was delicious. I barely had enough money in the end.

It is a cozy soba restaurant with a counter for 6 seats and 4-person tables. The husband and wife run the place together. They have a wide variety of alcohol choices, and the wife serving on the floor explains them carefully. The food before the soba is delicious, making the alcohol go down smoothly. Chicken sasami, potato salad, duck roast, asparagus tempura, and fine-cut soba noodles. Thank you for the delicious meal today!

I visited this restaurant because it is a well-known establishment. I made a reservation for one person by calling on the same day. The food was so delicious that it brought tears to my eyes. I would love to try more dishes, but for today, this is it. Thank you for the meal. The total cost was ¥6,090. Here is the content and my thoughts on the food and drinks: - I chose AkABU sake in a half cup, starting from Japanese sake. It was so delicious. - The first appetizer (buckwheat miso) was tasty. It made me smile and the sake went down smoothly. - The second appetizer (green soybeans?) was so good. - The sake-steamed clams were incredibly delicious. The refined taste was beyond words, and it made me tear up. - The grilled duck meatballs (small size) were delicious. - I had a half cup of Izumo Fuji sake, which was also delicious. - Tempura with shrimp, eggplant, and taranome (Japanese angelica shoots) was tasty. - I chose cold hand-milled country-style soba, which was delicious. Overall, I was very satisfied. Reservations are made by phone. It seems better to call outside of business hours. The restaurant is about a 15-minute walk from the station. The interior mainly consists of a counter with about six seats and one table. There were only two solo diners, including myself. Dining alone is perfectly fine. The atmosphere is very pleasant. The interior is non-smoking, but there is an ashtray outside.

Today was my second visit. I came during the day last time and the soba appetizers looked great, so I visited at night this time. I enjoyed Sapporo Red Star beer and sake while having dishes like nanohana and kinkan salad, celery ohitashi, spicy chicken, dashimaki, and tempura (white fish, bamboo shoots, and sweet shrimp). To finish, my partner had a mixed seiro of "hamaguri tsukejiru" (fine-ground and coarse-ground country style) and I had a mixed seiro with regular dipping sauce. Feeling adventurous, we also tried the warm "nishin soba." Oh man, it was delicious. The variety of soba appetizers was greatly appreciated, allowing us to enjoy a range of flavors. And above all, the soba itself was fantastic. I've thought this before, but it has a unique nutty aroma. I'll definitely be back.

On this day, I visited "Soba Gesshin" in Meguro♪ It's a 10-minute walk from Yutenji Station☆ I went there to enjoy sake, small dishes, and soba♪ I ordered "Today's Shira-ae (small) @480" with persimmon and spring chrysanthemum, rapeseed blossoms and kinkan♪ For tempura, I had butterbur sprout @480➽half portion. I also tried "Handmade Tamakonnyaku from Numata Farmers in Gunma" and "Iburi Gakko from Odate, Akita & Sake Kasu Cream Cheese" @390. The main soba dish was "Genbiki Inaka (@980)" from Chikusei, Ibaraki♪ I paired it with "Daiseven Namazake Karakuchi (@900)" and "Yukino Bijin Junmai Karakuchi (@950)"♪ The meal started with soba miso and edamame as an appetizer♪ The dishes were beautifully presented, especially the tempura butterbur sprout♪ The handmade tamakonnyaku and Iburi Gakko & sake kasu cream cheese were delightful accompaniments♪ The soba was finely cut with a rustic appearance and a pleasant aroma. The dipping sauce had a bonito flavor, and condiments included salt, wasabi, and green onions☆ The soba broth had a nice thickness and temperature, perfect for enjoying the soba♪

Located a short 10-minute walk from Yuutenji, we stumbled upon "Soba Gesshin." It seems to be run by a husband and wife, with the husband in the kitchen and the wife handling the floor. The interior is small with two table seats and four counter seats, giving off a welcoming vibe. We started with soba tea, a non-caffeinated, vitamin-C rich drink with antioxidant properties. The rich aroma and roasted flavor unique to soba were delightful. The appetizer consisted of soba chips and edamame, simple yet addictive. The edamame simmered in broth was delicious. The chicken ham and potato salad, though slightly lacking, were decent. The nanohana ohitashi paired well with the broth, highlighting the bitterness of the nanohana. The dashimaki, a staple at soba shops, had a homemade touch. The mountain vegetable tempura was a hit, with flavors that truly captured the essence of spring. The tempura of firefly squid, eggplant, shrimp, and lotus root was a bit of a departure but still enjoyable. The marinated firefly squid and new onion were small but packed with flavor. The duck meatball, cooked in a style reminiscent of sukiyaki, was tender and flavorful. The simmered new potatoes and new onions were a seasonal delight. The standout dish was the fresh new potato and sweet new onion combination, a true indulgence. The soba, one with a mixed topping and the other a limited-time clam dipping soba, was fragrant and had a delightful texture. The clam broth was rich and delicious, a true taste of the sea. The celeriac garnish complemented the dish perfectly. However, the soba was slightly overcooked, which was disappointing given the delicious broth. The total bill for our meal and drinks came to just over 15,000 yen. Sampling various dishes made with seasonal ingredients provided good value for money. A warm recommendation for a satisfying dining experience. Thank you. PS: On our way back, we planned to stop by Aquolina but found out it was under renovation. Note for next time.

Today's lunch was soba lunch! The restaurant I visited was "Soyatsuki (Tsukigokoro)"♪ It's a place known for its homemade stone-milled buckwheat soba, selected as one of the top 100 soba restaurants on Tabelog for many years and has even been featured in the Michelin Guide. I made a reservation in advance and headed there. It's a 10-minute walk from Tokyu Toyoko Line Yutenji Station, and I arrived a little before 12 p.m. The restaurant opened at 12 p.m., and I was seated at the counter. The seating consists of 8 seats at the counter and one table for 4 people. The lunch service was fully booked with reservations for 4 groups only. For lunch, I ordered soba, one side dish, and sake as recommended when making the reservation! I enjoyed some draft beer with complimentary soba chips, a small plate of pickled vegetables, a tempura set with shrimp and mushrooms, and finally the mixed ground soba. The fine-ground soba was from Fukagawa City, Hokkaido, with a delightful aroma and excellent texture. The coarse-ground soba was from Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture, with a rustic aroma and flavor. Both had amazing soba flavor! The dipping sauce was sweet and savory, which paired well with the fine-ground soba. I preferred the coarse-ground soba with just salt. The soba broth was light and refreshing. The meal ended with a complimentary serving of soba tea. It was a place where adults can enjoy "sake and soba" together. Thank you for the meal!

Today, I visited the soba restaurant "Gesshin" in Yuutenji that I had been curious about for a while. Since it was lunchtime, I didn't have any alcohol, but the potato salad, boiled greens, and tempura (shrimp, squid, and yam isobeage) were all wonderfully delicious and beautifully presented. I tried the mixed plate of whole grain buckwheat soba and round-cut soba with only the outer shell removed, and it was incredibly delicious. Personally, I think it might be in my top 5 soba experiences so far. Especially the whole grain soba had a fragrant aroma that was just amazing. I ended up getting a second helping! Next time, I'll try going for dinner.

Many people enjoy sake while waiting for their soba noodles, so I think it's a good idea to make a reservation. Even during the lunch hours on holidays, I was able to leisurely enjoy my meal while drinking. They are very particular about quality and provide detailed explanations about sake and dishes. The sake lineup from the famous Terada Honke brewery, known for their fermented brown rice sake, is amazing. It's nice that they suggest ordering a variety of dishes if you're having trouble deciding from the menu. I was impressed by the deep-fried chestnuts with skins on, a seasonal item that was incredibly delicious! The soba noodles are made using freshly ground buckwheat flour every morning with minimal binding agents, resulting in a fragrant and smooth texture. Each dish is impressive, and you can be fully satisfied until the end with their delicious soba noodles.

The soba noodles at "Soba Tsukigokoro" are made using freshly ground buckwheat flour every morning, with minimal binding agents to enhance the natural ingredients and texture of the soba. The hand-cut soba noodles are fragrant and have a pleasant texture. When ordering cold soba, you can choose between "fine-ground seiro" and "coarse-ground inaka," which is a delight for soba enthusiasts. For warm broth, only "coarse-ground inaka" soba is served as it tends to stretch when paired with warm soup. The "fine-ground seiro" soba is sourced from the best buckwheat grains from Hokkaido to Kagoshima, finely ground with a mix of roughly ground buckwheat flour to create a unique texture and mouthfeel. The limited "coarse-ground inaka" soba is stone-ground with the black husk intact, bringing out a rustic aroma and flavor. The restaurant directly sources organically grown Hitachi autumn soba from a contracted farm in Ibaraki prefecture, which the owner, Katadokoro, found most appealing after much trial and error. The broth used in the signature dishes consists only of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, keeping the flavors simple yet rich. Cold soba is served with a spicy broth made from Rishiri kelp and dried bonito flakes, while warm soba or zaru soba is paired with a Kansai-style broth made with four types of bonito flakes and Rishiri kelp, enhancing the flavor of the soba. The restaurant's interior has a stylish cafe-like atmosphere, attracting a diverse range of customers from young people to the elderly, including many solo female diners. The side dishes feature classic options as well as recommended dishes incorporating seasonal ingredients, prepared to highlight the natural flavors without excessive manipulation. The restaurant pays attention to the presentation of dishes, using mainly ceramic tableware and ensuring a visually pleasing dining experience. In terms of beverages, they offer cold soba tea for 380 yen (tax included). The total price for dining is 4,190 yen (tax included). A la carte options include salt-roasted ginkgo nuts, roasted chestnuts with their skins, dashimaki tamago (rolled omelet), grilled duck meatballs, and a cold soba combination plate. Additionally, they offer a homemade soba tea pudding for 350 yen (tax included).