Today's lunch was at a soba restaurant called "Isamiya" in Otaru. It seems to be a local favorite. I ordered the tempura soba, which came with large tempura pieces and white soba noodles. It was a bit disappointing that there was no dipping sauce for the tempura, but I still enjoyed the Hokkaido soba. Thank you for the meal.

Today, due to the intense heat, I decided to have soba for lunch and visited Isamiya Bunten. It had been six months since my last visit, as it was closed when I passed by after the Sapporo International. The restaurant was empty as it had just opened. I could hear high school baseball commentary on TV, which made me feel the summer vibes. On a day like this, soba is the perfect choice. I ordered the tororo soba. The restaurant was so cool and comfortable that I couldn't feel the heat outside at all. The tororo soba was served in about 5 minutes. It looked delicious, with a similar texture to the soba I had at Sobahana yesterday. The soba here doesn't have much firmness, but I really like the smooth texture. It had been a while since I had tororo soba, and the way it mixed with the dipping sauce was excellent. The dipping sauce was a bit on the stronger side, which paired really well with the tororo. I enjoyed the tororo soba in the quiet restaurant until the last bite. Thank you for the meal.

I had the opportunity to wander around in the morning, and I was intrigued by the withered facade of a soba restaurant that I happened to pass by, so I decided to enter. The sign read "Isamiya Branch." Has anyone ever said, "The taste of the restaurant is reflected in its appearance"? It's rare these days to enter a place without any prior information. The restaurant is located near Asari Interchange and is only open for lunch from 11am to 3pm. When I opened the sliding door, I was greeted by the owner's mother saying, "Welcome." There were four table seats and four counter seats. There were two groups of customers with five people in total. I sat at the counter. The operation seemed to be run by the owner and his wife, both in their 70s or 80s. I ordered "Toji Soba for 750 yen" while sipping on cold water. The dish was served in 6 minutes. The ingredients included scrambled eggs, spinach, and naruto fish cake. The green onions were served separately. I also received a wooden lotus-shaped tray with shichimi (Japanese seven spice). The soba noodles were plentiful, but lacked firmness and didn't have a satisfying texture. It seemed like the fresh soba didn't reach the level of local soba. I thought the cold soba might be better. The dipping sauce had a weak dashi flavor and lacked saltiness, making it unremarkable. It seemed that dishes like tanuki soba or tempura would have balanced the flavors better. Overall, it was not particularly impressive. Thank you for the meal.

A quick drive to Otaru, which feels like a nearby neighborhood from our house (laughs). My wife said she wanted to eat soba, so I checked my notes and chose a soba shop she hadn't been to before. There seems to be a branch of Isamiya in Asari, so I suggested it. My wife, a true Otaru girl, said, "Isamiya, it's been so long. They have one in Asari too!" She was fine with the choice. The shop seemed surprisingly new. I ordered mori soba for my wife and oomori for myself. It was brought to us in 5-6 minutes. Let's dig in! The bowl is different, made of wood. The soba is thin and lacks chewiness and aroma. The dipping sauce is on the spicier side, with a weak bonito and kelp flavor. It's just your average town soba (laughs). My wife is satisfied because it's from a long-established soba shop in Otaru. That's her for you (laughs). Well, if she's happy, that's all that matters (laughs). Maybe warm soba would be tastier here. I'll come back to try it when it gets cooler. Thank you for the meal.

Visited on February 23, 2021, a public holiday Tuesday around 12:30 pm. It was the Emperor's birthday holiday. I still wasn't used to it, so I thought, "Oh? Today is a public holiday, isn't it?" At first, I went to "Ichigoichie," famous for its ankake yakisoba, but the parking lot was almost full. There were 3 people at the entrance. Are they waiting? I thought about avoiding crowds here. So, I went to a nearby soba restaurant with a plain exterior. There were hardly any cars parked, and I was a bit worried. With a sense of unease, I entered! There was one customer already inside. Despite it being the middle of the holiday lunchtime, the restaurant was empty. The interior had a clean and tidy feel with counter and table seating. Looking at the menu, the most cost-effective option seemed to be the katsu-don set for ¥900! For the set, you could choose between soba or udon noodles and hot or cold. I chose warm soba noodles. The dish was served in a few minutes! Surprisingly, the service was quite fast. The quality was surprisingly high, and the price was a bargain at ¥900 including tax. The thickness of the katsu was just right, not too thin! The half-cooked egg was also excellent. The soba noodles were simple but delicious. The dipping sauce was not too sweet and had a mild and delicious flavor that made you want to drink it all up. I alternated between eating the katsu-don and slurping the soba noodles. It was incredibly delicious! The cost performance was excellent, and the taste was great. Why aren't there more customers here? This hidden gem of a soba restaurant is definitely worth a visit. The cheapest menu item is the mori soba for ¥550, which is a great value. I'm curious about the shrimp tempura bowl for ¥1000 next time. The location is along the Asasagawa Onsen Street, next to Sekoma, so no issues there! I will definitely visit again.

Otaru. When you think of it, sushi (including seafood bowls), ankake yakisoba, and half-fried dishes come to mind! Recently, it seems like they are trying hard with dishes other than seafood. However, there are quite a few long-established soba shops in Otaru. One of these long-established shops, Isamiya (established in 1936), has a branch in the Asari area. Despite passing by this shop countless times in the past 30 years, I have never actually been there! (Confirmed with my parents as well) Can you believe that? Even my colleagues have never been there. It's a mysterious soba shop. But the fact that it is still in business must mean that they have loyal fans. Without a doubt. Alright, let's go. Sorry for the long introduction. I went there. The parking lot in front of the shop can accommodate 5-6 cars. Next to it is Seikoma. It might be a good landmark. Across the street is Trial. I enter the shop. It's empty. Oh, there are two customers in front! A sigh of relief. There are counter seats and box seats, and I choose a box seat. Surprisingly clean. But looking up, the hanging air conditioner looks like it could use some cleaning... There are no customers around. I start talking about the menu. The food arrives. First, the Moon-viewing Soba. I tasted it, and the broth is strong! It's quite pronounced. When you mix the egg, it becomes slightly milder. But still on the strong side. Tasty though. I ordered the Katsu-don Set for myself, which looked delicious in other reviewers' photos. The menu talk continues. Soba set meal... I wonder what that is? 950 yen? I'm curious. Takeout is also available. Parent and child simmered udon!? That sounds interesting. The food arrives. First, the Moon-viewing Soba. I tasted it, and the broth is strong! It's quite pronounced. When you mix the egg, it becomes slightly milder. But still on the strong side. Tasty though. Katsu-don Set. The box is impressive. Opening the box reveals the Katsu-don, broth and condiments, and soba (can also be served warm). Oh, the pickles are outside the box. First, I try the Katsu-don. The half-cooked egg is nice. Next is the Katsu. It's reasonably thick and satisfying, but... The box is so full that the rice layer is thick. I eat the rice. The rice is delicious. But... Next, I try the soba alone. The nori on top is a nice touch! It's a delicious soba with a strong texture. When dipped in the broth... As I suspected. That's it. The overall flavor is strong. It's a shame. The cooking method is good, and the soba itself is delicious, so it's really disappointing. How strong was it? The Katsu-don had a strong soy sauce taste from the "kaeshi" broth. The soba broth felt like adding soy sauce to dashi. It's strong. It's hard to take. I prefer a milder broth for more soba-like soba. It's a shame. Maybe it was just a one-time thing. Maybe they made a mistake in the proportions. But if both the Katsu-don and the soba broth were strong, it's not just a coincidence. The Katsu-don and soba were both... strong. It's a shame because the egg and Katsu were good, and the soba itself was delicious. I feel regretful. If you happen to crave a strong flavor, I might visit again someday. I gave it a 3.3, which is quite generous, but there's no doubt that it's a place I would like to revisit.

Lunch at 1:30. No options for timing or menu, just across from the trial. Without asking, got the large zaru soba for 750 yen with plenty of seaweed. Maybe I didn't need the extra noodles, but the taste was great. The soy sauce portion was a bit small, so I had to add it little by little. Also, the thick rim of the bowl made it hard to drink the soy sauce. The local soba shop had a nice atmosphere. Thank you for the meal!

I also finally entered the consecutive holidays. Today, on the way back from the temple with my parents in the morning, we went to this soba restaurant located across from the trial. It's a branch of Isamiya in Hanazono, right? Out of the three soba restaurants in the Asasato area, I visited the other two, but this was my first visit. I went around lunchtime, and there were quite a few customers. I ordered the cold zaru soba (830 yen). It looks quite nice, right? They pour the dipping sauce generously! It's pretty delicious, isn't it? It doesn't have a special feeling, just like a normal soba restaurant in town, but both my parents and I were satisfied. If I had to say something, I wish the price was a little cheaper. The soba broth was a bit thick. It was easy to drink, but I felt it was a bit lacking. Thank you for the meal!

It was a lunchtime visit and there were many regular customers. There was one staff member in the dining area and one in the kitchen, so the waiting time was not long. I had a pleasant time. Thank you for the meal! ^ - ^

In May 2016, I tried to revisit a restaurant I hadn't been to in three years, but unfortunately it was temporarily closed. So, I drove around and stumbled upon a soba restaurant in Hanazono, a branch of Isamiya. I had heard of this place before but wasn't sure if it was open, so I decided to go in. The interior was relatively clean for a restaurant that has been around since the Showa era. I ordered the Tempura Set (cold soba) for 980 yen. The presentation was elaborate, with the tempura served on the left, soba on the right, and condiments and dipping sauce in the middle. The tempura, consisting of shrimp, green pepper, and seaweed, was crispy and delicious. The dipping sauce had a familiar sweet and salty taste. However, the balance between the three items in the set felt off due to the amount of rice. The soba, while ordinary, lacked a strong buckwheat flavor. The dipping sauce was unremarkable, with a weak broth and seasoning, making the soba feel lackluster. If I were to eat soba here again, I would opt for the hot soba with tempura. There are several traditional soba restaurants in the Asari area, and I would like to try others if given the chance.

This place is located in Shinonome 5-chome in Otaru City, along the Asari Onsen Street. For the exact location, please check the map on Tabelog as usual. I visited the main store of this restaurant before and had their "Shio Ramen," so I came to this branch this time to see if they also serve ramen. Upon arrival, I parked my car in the restaurant's parking lot and entered. I sat at the available counter seat with high expectations and looked at the menu, but I couldn't find ramen listed, so I ordered the basic menu item, "Mori Soba." It arrived in 4-5 minutes, served in an interesting container. First, I tried the soba noodles, which were machine-made and had a standard appearance. Next, I tasted the soba broth, which had a good amount of bonito flavor and a slightly sweet soy sauce base, making it easy to enjoy. Lastly, I tried the soba-yu, which was a clear and easy-to-drink broth. This branch has been operating for 35 years since being established as a spin-off from the main store, and it continues to be loved by the locals. Personally, I wish they also offered ramen here.