I had cold tantan soba at Sotei restaurant found at Ueno Station. The restaurant was quite small, so I decided to eat in front of the tempura showcase. The soba was firm and had a strong tantan flavor, which was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Inside Ueno Station, there is a small food theme park-like area, with shops located on platforms 11 and 12, as well as on the Joban Line Rapid Service platform. The operation is managed by Japan Travel Service Co., Ltd. (Yes, the same company that runs "Sumiyoshi" at Nagoya Station). Customers must purchase food tickets from a vending machine outside before standing and eating at this shop. The shop is small, with space for about six adults at a time. The atmosphere evokes a sense of nostalgia, especially when enjoying a meal while hearing the departure bell ring at Ueno Station. Even on a weekday night past 7 o'clock, there is a steady stream of customers. The staff, working alone, do their best to serve everyone efficiently. I tried the Gobo Tempura Soba (including tax, 510 yen). The tempura made from gobo (burdock root) is a bit unusual, but delicious. The soba noodles are slightly thick and firm, cooked just right, and pair well with the light and refreshing broth. On top of the soba are gobo tempura and green onions. The texture and flavor of the gobo tempura are delightful. Breaking apart the tempura and enjoying it with the broth and noodles is one of the highlights of this type of dish. It was a satisfying meal. On a side note, towards Tokyo Station on the same platform, there is a self-service soba shop that was also bustling with customers.

I had the Spring Chrysanthemum Tempura Soba for 500 yen at the standing soba shop on the platform of Ueno Station. The soba noodles were pale and soft, lacking a strong soba flavor, but the sweet dashi broth had a pleasant sweetness from mirin. The spring chrysanthemum tempura was not very tasty.

I took a substitute holiday on a weekday and planned to go to Ueno to enjoy cherry blossoms in Ueno Park and have a drink in Ameyoko. First, I wanted to have breakfast at Sobadokoro Sokou with their morning set of natto & egg for 460 yen. However, when I arrived around 9:50, they were unexpectedly sold out! It turns out that there was slow train operation as soon as I left Oku station, apparently because someone pressed the emergency button on the platform at Ueno station causing the train to be crowded. I arrived at Ueno station about 4 minutes later than scheduled, and it was probably during these 4 minutes that they sold out. It wasn't because I went for breakfast a little late at 9:50, it was definitely the 4-minute delay that caused the sold out situation! I had no choice but to go to Sotei on platforms 11 and 12. Even though it's on the Joban Line, the platform was unmanned and there was not a single person there. I wondered if the shop was even open, but luckily it was. I bought a ticket for Gobo Tempura Soba for 490 yen. The tempura was crispy and small. For 490 yen, I could have had a much better quality tempura soba like Komoro soba or Yomoda soba. I had no bad impression of Sotei at Ueno station, as I had used the shop on platforms 7 and 8 of the Utsunomiya Line 8 years ago. It was just a slightly disappointing breakfast. It's just my luck.

I visited around 6:35 in the afternoon. The shop is located on the Joban Line platform at JR Ueno Station heading towards Toride. I bought a ticket for 310 yen for the soba noodles and entered the shop. The white, slightly soft noodles have a fragrance of buckwheat flour. The color is a dark soy sauce base, and the soup, which can bring out the flavor of bonito flakes while ensuring the saltiness, is the result of effort and ingenuity. The fact that seaweed is included at this price gives a sense of peace. Thank you for the meal.

On January 20th, I was wandering around trying to decide where to have lunch with limited budget. I ended up at Sansotei in Ueno Station. I noticed they had a special menu that I had seen online before. Although I usually prefer Musashino udon or raw egg with my soba, I decided to try the Musashino udon and Ise udon this time. The broth was rich and slightly lukewarm, which was okay but I prefer it hotter. The toppings included pork belly and green onions. The noodles were firm and had a square shape, requiring some chewing. Overall, I think this menu is a good option at a chain restaurant like this.

I visited the standing soba and udon shop "Sotei JR Ueno Station Platforms 11 and 12" inside JR Ueno Station around 12 o'clock on a certain day in December 2022. I selected "Spring Chrysanthemum Tempura Soba" for ¥480 from the food ticket machine outside the shop. The small, somewhat tired-looking shop had two customers already inside. I presented my food ticket at the order counter, waited for about 2 minutes, received my meal, and stood at the counter to eat. The simple Spring Chrysanthemum Tempura Soba came with a slightly small chrysanthemum tempura and chopped green onions on top. I first tried the noodles and broth. The soft soba noodles paired well with the sweet broth. When dipping the chrysanthemum tempura in the broth, the strong flavor of the chrysanthemum was not very pronounced, which was a bit disappointing. The tempura batter was thin, so it lacked a satisfying crunch when broken apart. Adding shichimi togarashi (seven-spice chili pepper) from the table enhanced the flavor. The generous portion of soba noodles provided a sense of satisfaction. It might be nice to add an extra topping to the small tempura for more variety. The broth, with its sweetness and strong dashi flavor, was just right when combined with shichimi togarashi. I enjoyed the Spring Chrysanthemum Soba until the end without getting tired of it. For those seeking a B-class taste in standing soba, "Sotei" offers a pleasing flavor. Although the eating environment may not be ideal, "Sotei" provides a quick way to enjoy soba on the station platform. It's a place where you might occasionally crave the taste.

At Ueno Station, there is a restaurant called Sotei on platforms 11 and 12. Ueno Station also has Sotei on platforms 7 and 8, and Ooedo Soba on platforms 9 and 10. At Ecute Ueno, located up the stairs, there is a restaurant called Soka serving domestic soba noodles, and outside the ticket gates, there is a restaurant called Kiraku. The former NRE was taken over by JR East Japan Foods in April 2020, and in April 2021, it completely disappeared, becoming JR East Japan Cross Station (JR-Cross). Despite this, not all shops at the station are now under JR-Cross, as Sotei is operated by Japan Travel Service Co., Ltd. Sotei started operating in Odawara Station, Atami Station, and Numazu Station in 1949 under a commission from the Railway Kozai Association. At Nagoya Station, there are nine branches of Sumiyoshi Kishimen. On this day, I visited around 8 am. There was a poster outside advertising morning deals on soba and udon. I purchased a ticket from the machine outside for the morning deal soba and udon (330 yen). The dish came with toppings such as tempura bits, fried tofu, seaweed, and green onions. The fried tofu was sweet, and the tempura bits were crispy. I slurped the noodles and drank the hot broth, enjoying the nostalgic taste of traditional station soba.

At the standing soba shop on platforms 11 and 12 of Ueno Station, I ordered the morning special for 330 yen. It came with sweet fried toppings, tempura crumbs, and seaweed on top of the soba noodles. I added the morning limited menu option for an extra 40 yen. The soba noodles were thin, and the broth had a strong soy sauce flavor.

I personally don't have much interest in chain restaurants, so I rarely visit them and don't often write reviews. When writing reviews on Tabelog, I believe it's important to focus on the unique aspects of each individual restaurant rather than general comments that could apply to any location. Japan Travel Service's "Sotei" has 8 locations in the Tokyo area, with some offering limited edition items. The shop on platforms 11 and 12 at Ueno Station serves Musashino Udon, which intrigued me, but I found out they don't serve it in the morning. I visited again on another day and tried the Musashino Udon, which had a unique chewy texture in the noodles and a flavorful broth with meat and green onions. The experience of eating this special dish at a train station was interesting. There are other station noodle shops in places like Mitaka and Hachioji, but I haven't tried them in a while. Maybe I should give them another chance.

I had a delicious autumn mushroom oil soba at a standing soba chain on the JR platform. The restaurant is run by the same company as a kishimen shop at Nagoya Station. The staff here are all very friendly. I'm not a fan of the acidity in mountain vegetable soba, so I was a bit hesitant to order it, but surprisingly it had a nice mushroom flavor. It really captured the essence of autumn, especially with the sesame oil in the chili oil. The cicadas seem to have stopped chirping without us noticing, right?

In the morning, I had breakfast at a place that serves morning soba for 330 yen (limited to mornings). Today, I decided to finally try it out at JR Ueno Station, on platforms 11 and 12. The restaurant only has 5 seats, so it's usually full, but today it was empty. I ordered the morning soba with toppings like tempura flakes, seaweed, green onions, and fried tofu. I added some shichimi pepper for extra flavor. The soba noodles were made with whole grain flour, giving them a nice texture. The broth had a good balance of flavors. The sweet fried tofu added a nice touch. As I finished my meal, a Joban Line train bound for Toride arrived. Just by looking at it, I felt like escaping on that train instead of going to work. It was a delicious breakfast. Used on June 13, 2022.

I had breakfast at this place today, located on the platforms 11 and 12 of JR Ueno Station. I arrived at 7:16 am and realized I may have mistaken it with platforms 7 and 8 on previous visits. They offer a morning soba special for 330 yen until 9 am. The dish includes seaweed, green onions, tempura flakes, and fried tofu in a slightly sweet and savory broth. The soba noodles are made with whole wheat flour, providing a nice texture. There were only 5 seats available, with 3 customers already inside. It was a delicious meal, as always. Visited on May 2, 2022. Rating: 3.28

Today, I visited Sou-tei on the platforms of JR Ueno Station on the Joban Line, located on platforms 11 and 12. It's been a while since I indulged in a slightly luxurious kakiage-tendon soba for 490 yen ordered from the ticket machine. In the world of standing soba eateries, it seems that one egg costs around 60 yen. The kakiage was quite large for a station soba, with plenty of tempura bits and ingredients left even after finishing the soba. It was a bowl that definitely required a spoon. Thank you for the meal.

In Ueno Station, Tokyo, there are six soba restaurants. Among them are "Irori-an Kiraku" on the way from the central ticket gate to Asakusa exit, "Irori-an" on the concourse inside the central ticket gate, "Soka" on the 3rd floor of Ekiute Ueno, and "Oedo Soba" on platforms 9 and 10. These four are part of the JR-Cross chain under JR East. "Sotei" on platforms 7, 8, 11, and 12 is operated by Japan Travel Service, known for its stand-style shops. They specialize in speed service using boiled noodles. The soba was thick in flavor and hot, making it a bit challenging to eat quickly. After finishing, the lingering taste of green onions and bonito broth adds a nostalgic touch unique to Ueno Station.

After visiting the aquarium, I had some time to wait for the train. I usually wait on platforms 7 and 8, but sometimes it's nice to be here too. I'm grateful for being served so much wakame seaweed, but is it too much? (laughs) It's a nice snack to fill me up and warm me up. Delicious! (´ω｀)

Visited on 3/28 in the morning and had the "Morning Special Soba" for 310 yen using Suica payment. It was a Sunday morning when I had to go to work. I was in the mood for soba. While Ueno Station has some delicious street-side soba shops outside, I found it a bit troublesome today. As a resident of Saitama, I have used the shop on platforms 7 and 8 where the Takasaki Line and Utsunomiya Line stop, but I noticed the existence of the shop on platforms 11 and 12 where the Joban Line stops, which is far from Saitama residents like me. I should try this one too. I arrived at 7:21, and since it was a Sunday, there were no other customers. I opted for the Morning Special Soba, which comes with fried tofu, tempura crumbs, and seaweed for 310 yen, a very reasonable price. The owner, maybe following a manual, properly warmed the bowl with hot water before serving, which was nice to see. Chopsticks were also provided. Looking at the photo from my previous visit to the shop on platforms 7 and 8, the angle of the chopsticks looks similar! Their attention to detail is impressive, almost like McDonald's. The taste was as expected. For this price, I was satisfied. If you're in Ueno Station, I would say Sansotei is the best option.

I went on a trip. The beginning of the journey was Ueno Station. From here, I will take an express train. I have about 30 minutes until the express train arrives, so I want to grab a quick bite for breakfast. There is a shop located on platforms 11 and 12 of Ueno Station. It's a traditional station soba shop that fits the atmosphere of Ueno Station. While there are many modern and clean soba shops these days, I still prefer these traditional ones. The shop opens from 7 am, so I decided to go in. There is a ticket machine next to the entrance of the shop. The menu is quite extensive. On that day, I chose the morning special soba (310 yen). I took the ticket inside the shop. The interior is small, with standing space only, and it could get crowded with just 5 people. It was around 7:30 am, and there was one customer ahead of me. I handed my ticket to the chef and secured a standing space. The soba was quickly served, and I received the bowl. The noodles were thin and slightly soft, but not too chewy. They had a simple taste, typical of traditional boiled noodles. The soy sauce-based broth was not too strong, with a hint of sweetness. The flavor of the broth was subtle. The toppings included fried tofu, tempura crumbs, seaweed, and green onions. It was a light and satisfying meal for breakfast. A perfect station soba to enjoy quickly from morning till night. Conveniently located on the station platform. This was a true station soba shop experience.

I visited the standing soba shop "Sotei Ueno Station 11th and 12th Platform Store" inside JR Ueno Station in early October. First, I purchased a ticket at the automatic ticket machine outside the shop. On this day, I bought the "Mushroom Spicy Oil Soba" (490 yen) with an "Extra Egg" (60 yen). Upon entering the shop, I saw a man managing the shop alone behind the counter. He seemed quiet and did not greet me when I entered or when I handed him the ticket. However, when I tried to take the finished soba, he firmly told me, "Don't touch it, I will place it on the counter!" (+o+) While I appreciate their thorough measures for preventing infectious diseases, I wished they had a more obvious system for customers to follow. The shop has standing eating spaces for a few people, but the counter widths are not uniform. The spot I chose had a counter width just enough for a bowl, giving a thrilling feeling of almost knocking over the bowl when standing there. Now, the "Mushroom Spicy Oil Soba" had mushrooms and pork as toppings, with kaiware instead of green onions. I tried it right away, and the soba was easy to eat without any stickiness. The broth had a slightly salty taste typical of Kanto-style, but the delicious umami of the mushrooms and the spicy kick of the chili oil made it even more enjoyable. I tilted the bowl so much that my face was covered and drank every drop of the broth. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

On Saturday morning, I went to Sotei at Ueno Station! Last time I went to the store on platforms 7 and 8, so this time I tried the store on platforms 11 and 12, which was clearly less crowded! I decided to try the spring chrysanthemum tempura with udon for the first time, but soba definitely goes better with spring chrysanthemum tempura! Still delicious!