This time, I visited a popular and reasonably priced standing soba restaurant in Iidabashi. This place, Toyoshima, is quite famous for its standing soba restaurants, with branches in Kasuga and Edogawabashi as well. This might be the main branch? There is also an independent or affiliated store in Ogawamachi! They open from 6:30 in the morning, but it took me a while to finally visit. The location is a 2-3 minute walk from Iidabashi Station on the JR Sobu Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Tozai Line, Yurakucho Line, and Toei Oedo Line. The opening hours are probably Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm, and closed on Sundays. I went alone around 3 pm on a weekday. The soba restaurant only has about 8 standing seats. There is no ticket machine, so you need to order verbally and pay in advance. The menu is displayed behind the counter. They offer both soba and udon. The meat udon with thick slices of meat on top is popular and their specialty. The prices are: Meat Udon/Soba - 480 yen, Meat Ball Udon/Soba - 570 yen, Thick Meat Udon/Soba - 680 yen. I chose the Tanuki Soba for 330 yen. They also have Kitsune Soba, Tamago Soba, Tempura Soba, Tempura Ball Soba, and even cold versions for about 100 yen more. They also have set menus with rice balls and inari sushi. I ordered the Tempura Soba for 350 yen. It took about 2-3 minutes to be served. The Tempura Soba looked delicious with a dark broth and a generous amount of noodles. The tempura was big and crispy. The portion was quite large and filling for 350 yen. The broth was tasty and the noodles had a unique texture. I left feeling satisfied. I will definitely visit again. Next time, I want to try the udon!

I have a monthly appointment near Iidabashi. To make the most of it, I discovered Toyosoba, a restaurant that serves thick pork cooked in soy sauce on top of soba noodles. With a deep love for meat and noodles, I planned my meal in advance and eagerly awaited my Toyosoba experience. However, when I returned after finishing my appointment, the restaurant was closed! I was disappointed, but I decided to create my own version of the dish at home to soothe my disappointment. It turned out surprisingly delicious, so when I finally visited Toyosoba two months later, I ordered their signature thick pork soba. It was as satisfying as I had hoped, but I also added my own version to my repertoire. I am grateful to Toyosoba for expanding my culinary horizons. Thank you for the delicious meal!

On this day, I had some time in the morning around the general start time of 9:00 AM due to a meeting I had since early morning. In this area, there are three standing soba restaurants famous for their "niku soba" (soba with meat). Among them, there is one that is especially known for their "original thick meat soba," which as the name suggests, comes with a thick slice of pork belly on top of the soba noodles. Although I had heard about its popularity, I had never tried it before, so I decided to give it a try. Located diagonally across from the footbridge from Iidabashi Station, this restaurant exudes a Showa retro atmosphere, with a very minimalistic appearance - just a small counter that can accommodate 5-6 people. Except for the area next to the water dispenser, there is almost no space between the counter and the road, so you need to go outside first if you want to refill your water. Therefore, make sure to fill your water first before taking your seat. I ordered the original thick meat soba (680 yen) and a raw egg (90 yen). The quiet but polite owner prepared my order diligently. The dish arrived in 1-2 minutes, and I was first amazed by the size of the pork belly. It occupied about 2/3 of the bowl and had a thickness of about 1.5 cm! When I took the first bite, it was incredibly delicious! The meat was tender and juicy, with a perfect balance of texture. The sweet and savory broth had soaked into the meat, making it easy to eat despite its size. The soba noodles and soup were the typical comforting flavors of standing soba, but the broth seemed to have an excellent synergy with the immense pork belly. The crispy tempura bits sprinkled on top added a different texture and a fragrant aroma. Having such a hearty meat dish in the morning is quite rare, but it was delicious and satisfying! Thank you for the meal!

I had meat soba. The soba itself tasted like the typical standing-eating shop, but the sauce, although advertised as Kanto-style, was dark and sweet, which I personally enjoyed. Despite the hot weather outside, feeling like midsummer even in September, I finished all the sauce. The meat also paired well with the sauce, and I enjoyed it.

Lunch: Original Thick Meat Cold Soba ¥780 (tax included) "Toyoshima" is an inseparable part of the Tokyo standing soba culture. The current owner's father founded the restaurant around 1970 in Sugamo (now closed), and currently operates three stores in Edogawa-bashi, Kasuga, and the one visited in Iidabashi. The Iidabashi store has a nostalgic Showa-era atmosphere that is quite melancholic. Visited around 11:00 am on a weekday. The blue sign and the bold letters "This is delicious! Kanto-style meat soba" create a charming storefront. The shop has only a standing counter. You tell the old man your order, place money in the tray on the table, and he returns the change. The signature menu item, the "Original Thick Meat Soba" served cold. I didn't realize they also had a cold version. The soba is presented in a cool glass bowl with plenty of tempura crumbs, chopped seaweed, green onions, and thick slices of meat surrounding it. The meat, the star of the dish, is tender to the point of being easily cut with chopsticks, soaked in a sweet and savory broth. The blackish sweet and savory broth also enhances the umami of the pork. However, it's not as salty as expected, offering more than just a labor-intensive flavor. The soba noodles are cooked just right, with a nice firmness. The tempura crumbs add a crispy texture that is enjoyable. Personally, I think I could have done without the thick meat, as the portion was too much. I would like to try the warm meat soba next time.

It was a little after 2 p.m. on Saturday with no other customers. I wanted to order onigiri as well, but they were sold out of rice dishes, which was disappointing. It was my first time, so I ordered the meat soba. The owner seemed a bit unfriendly at first, but the service was polite. It's a Kanto-style soba, so the broth was rich and flavorful, which I didn't mind. For 480 yen, it's not bad, but I wish it had a bit more volume, so next time I'll try the thick meat soba.

This is a famous standing soba restaurant near Iidabashi Station. Their specialty is the thick meat soba, with a huge chunk of pork belly on top of the noodles. The soup is pitch black and looks very appetizing. The flavor is primarily sweet, with the pork belly being tender and sweet like braised pork. The soup is also sweet, possibly from the braising liquid. Personally, I don't like it too sweet, so I wish it had a bit less sweetness. They also offer tempura soba, but it seems like they don't fry it on-site, so the meat soba is probably the best choice here. It might be great for those who prefer sweeter flavors.

A standing soba noodle shop near Iidabashi intersection. I happened to pass by in my car and decided to go in. The sign said "meat udon"! The interior of the shop is just a counter where you directly order from the staff. I was originally thinking of ordering the famous meat udon, but then I noticed they had thick meat udon so I quickly changed my order. It came out very quickly. The meat on top looked very impressive. I ordered a large portion, but a regular size might have been enough. The soup was Kanto-style, with a rich soy sauce base. It had a nostalgic taste that reminded me of old Edo. It was very satisfying, and I drank all the soup. Thank you for the meal!

This place is famous for its thick-cut meat that fills half of the bowl in their thick meat soba dish! They also serve cold noodles! I visited and was excited, but the meat was not as thick as I expected. However, it was delicious and tender! Even though it's not paper-thin, you can still tell it's thick by the tenderness of the fatty parts. It's not melt-in-your-mouth, but more like fall-apart tender. The meat is the main attraction, and the noodles feel like a bonus. It's a stand-up style shop with no food tickets. I wish this place was closer to my workplace.

Every time I pass by the standing soba noodle shop, I can't help but be curious. Today, I finally visited. I ordered the cold meat soba for 580 yen. The dish was served in a cool glass bowl, with large pieces of meat, tempura flakes, chopped green onions, and seaweed on top. I slurped the thick soba noodles in the sweet and flavorful broth. The soba noodles were average, but the generous portion of meat was delicious and unique. I was the only woman there, surrounded by salarymen who mostly ordered the "thick meat soba," which looked incredibly appetizing with its huge pieces of meat. Thank you for the meal!

I revisited this place today because it was closed when I came last time. According to my research, the specialty here is the meat soba. When I arrived at "Toyoshima Iidabashi" around 4:00 PM, there were no other customers except for one person who came after me. The counter can seat about 7-8 people. The owner served me water. I was planning to have warm soba, but I was tempted by the sign that said they had started serving cold soba, so I ended up ordering that. Just so you know, there is a 100 yen extra charge for cold soba. The soba and udon noodles were lined up separately in a plastic container. They boiled the noodles, cooled them with ice, added toppings, poured cold broth from the fridge, and finally topped it with green onions. However, it seemed like they had run out of cold broth by lunchtime because it wasn't very cold. When the noodles are served cold, they have a chewy texture and the broth is not as sweet. The famous meat topping was also cold and the fat had solidified, and the tempura bits were too crispy. I think it's better to have the warm version here, even if it's hot outside.

This restaurant has a fixed menu, and it's been a while since I've been here. The meat udon is the go-to dish here because I enjoy playing the Musashino udon game. The rich black broth with the flavor of meat. If you can choose green vegetables as an option, it would look just like Musashino udon. If you can choose noodles with a firm texture like Sobaya, it would be Musashino udon. It's best to eat this type of udon cold to bring out the chewiness, but I avoid doing that to prevent the pork fat from solidifying and becoming lumpy. In the past, this udon was considered a pricey item at standing soba shops, but with the recent price increases at other places, the ¥480 price for this quality seems like a great value.

Visited the Toyoshima Iidabashi branch of Iidabashi. This place is famous for its Niku Soba (meat soba), so I ordered the thick Niku Soba. When it arrived, I was surprised to see that the meat was really thick, about 1 centimeter in thickness. My companion ordered the regular Niku Soba, which had thin slices of meat. The soup was a rich soy sauce-based broth, on the darker side, with a hint of sweetness and not too salty. The soba noodles were medium-thick, with a rustic texture that could be felt. Overall, it was a unique and satisfying experience. I would rate it around 3.6 points, considering its uniqueness among standing soba shops. The top-rated standing soba shop, Bunsho Asakusa branch, has a rating of 3.5 points, so I would place this place on a similar level. I would definitely want to come back and try it again.

Today, I visited the Bishamonten at Kagurazaka to celebrate Toranohi (Tiger Day). Afterwards, I had a tight schedule and couldn't take my time for lunch, so I decided to grab some standing soba noodles. The restaurant is located within a 5-minute walk from Iidabashi Station, right next to an overpass. I ordered their specialty, the Thick Meat Soba (680 yen). The meat here is indeed large, thick, and quite impressive! It's very tender and lives up to its reputation as a specialty. In addition to the meat, the dish also includes fried tempura flakes and green onions. As for the soba noodles, to be honest, they were just average in terms of taste. The broth is very dark, slightly sweet, and rich. The person next to me ordered the large portion, which came in a huge bowl filled with plenty of noodles. It's worth noting that you can upgrade to a large portion for an additional 240 yen, which is a great deal. This standing soba restaurant in Tokyo is ranked 12th on Tabelog, so it might be a good option for a quick meal when you're in Iidabashi.

After enjoying the iris flowers at Koishikawa Korakuen, I visited this place, which was my first time in 5 years. Around 12:40 on a weekday, there were enough gaps at the counter, making it a comfortable experience even for women. This place serves standing soba noodles just like in the Showa era, with no windows or partitions, facing away from the road while eating. Although there is air conditioning, it feels like eating outside. It can get hot in the summer. And, surprise surprise, the price is still the same as before - only 350 yen for tempura soba! Cheaper than convenience stores. You pay 350 yen as soon as they serve you water. The noodles arrived in just 1 minute. Fast! The broth is a rich and sweet-savory soy sauce-based broth, almost black in color. The broth has been aged for nearly half a year, turning black and becoming rich in flavor. The tempura soaked in this broth is really delicious. This place is famous for its original thick pork soba. I think it was around 670 yen? I ordered around 12:40 and finished by 12:50. Standing soba noodles make for a quick meal. It's impressive that the prices have not increased at this place in front of Iidabashi Station, where only two staff members are working. A friend to the common people. Thank you for the meal.

Muramen's Kyoto brand boiled noodles with slightly sweet jet-black broth. The top of the bowl is dominated by pork belly. Crispy fried egg adds depth and thickness to the broth. The kitchen and standing counter layout is minimalistic and efficient. This is a typical Showa-era distinctive soba shop. The pork is not only simmered but probably also grilled before being stewed, giving it a slightly smoky flavor, and the broth does not taste as sweet as the reviews suggest. Next time, I would like to try the thick pork soba. I enjoyed the unique and delicious pork soba. Thank you for the meal.想夫恋立ち食い蕎麦ランキング①Sobayoshi (Nihonbashi) 5.0②Ichiyusoba (Nippori) 4.5③Ala Rokuya (Mita) 4.5④Tenkasoba (Tsukiji) 4.3⑤Ikejiri Soba 4.2⑥Bunshu (Ryogoku) 4.1⑥Bunshu (Asakusa) 4.1⑥Saisai (Oi-cho) 4.1⑨Motocho (Yurigaoka) 4.0⑨Yomoda Soba (Ginza) 4.0⑨Isshintasuke (Mita) 4.0⑨Kanoya (Shimbashi) 4.0⑨Oyoshida (Toranomon) 4.0⑨Bunshu (Oyama) 4.0⑨Bunshu (Bakuro-yokoyama) 4.0⑯Chikubushi (Kojimachi) 3.9⑯Tenkame (Hanzomon) 3.9⑯Gangi (Mita) 3.9⑯Kameya (Kanda East Exit) 3.9⑳Bunshu (Narimasu) 3.8⑳Shinshuya (Shibuya) 3.8⑳Tanbay (Shimbashi) 3.8⑳Dontei (Okurayama) 3.8⑳Fuji-ben (Kawasaki Kitabu Market) 3.8⑳Toyoshima (Iidabashi) 3.8Okutone (Shimbashi) 3.7Tenkame (Hanzomon) 3.7Eisaka Sarashina (Shinjuku) 3.7Tozai Soba (Kasai) 3.7Hyotan (Ichigaya) 3.7Iwamoto Q (Ikebukuro) 3.7Rokumon Soba (Nakanobu) 3.7Hakone Soba (Noborito) 3.6Metroan (Kinshicho) 3.6Marugame Seimen (Shin-Yokohama) 3.5Komoro Soba (Hanzomon) 3.5Iwamoto Q (Jimboucho) 3.5Kisoba Suzuichi (Yokohama) 3.5Yamato-ya (Nakanobu) 3.5Hieikan Soshu (Higashikanagawa) 3.5Yudetaro (Ichigaya Gobancho) 3.5Fuji Soba (Ichigaya) 3.5Yudetaro (Hanzomon) 3.4Hikifune Soba (Hikifune) 3.4Juban Ken (Shinagawa Yamanote Line) 3.4Ho Chan (Ikejiri Ohashi) 3.4Yudetaro (Mita) 3.4Sotei (Noborito) 3.4Metroan (Shinkiba) 3.4Kisoji (Shin-Akitsu) 3.4Shibusoba (Futakotamagawa) 3.4Echigo Soba (Tokyo) 3.4Tsuruya (Ueno) 3.4Komoro Soba (Kitasenju) 3.3Shibusoba (Futakotamagawa) 3.3Shibusoba (Mizonokuchi) 3.3Shibusoba (Nagatsuta) 3.3Umemoto (Mizonokuchi) (Closed) 3.3Nadai Hakone Soba (Tamachi) 3.3Sobaichi (Shinjuku) 3.3Saga Valley (Shibuya) 3.3Komoro Soba (Shimbashi) 3.3Jin Soba (Nishi-Hachioji) 3.3Fuji Soba (Ichigaya) 3.2Fuji Soba (Tamachi) 3.2Fuji Soba (Shimbashi) 3.0Hanamaru Soba (Nishi-Oshima) 3.0Yoshi Soba (Shibuya) 3.0

In Tokyo, I had a meeting in the morning and visited this place near the client's office for the first time. I love standing soba noodles, so I was looking forward to it. There were no other customers when I arrived. I ordered the famous meat soba from the menu. Since it's standing soba, the noodles were served quickly. There was a big slice of pork belly on top. It was quite fatty pork belly. I was a bit worried about the fat, but I started by tasting the soup. It was very dark, but not spicy, and actually quite delicious. The soup didn't have a strong broth flavor. The noodles were nice and chewy, which I liked. Finally, I tried the meat. It was well cooked, with the fat nicely rendered, and tasted really good. This was a great dish. I would definitely come back if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal.

I visited around 10 am on a regular morning. I ordered the tempura soba for 350 yen. The tempura was a bit soggy as it had been fried a while ago, and the noodles were pre-cooked and quickly dipped in hot water right after ordering. It's reasonably priced, so I think it's acceptable.

I had meat udon for breakfast. It cost 480 yen and the size of the meat was impressive. The taste of the meat was good. As for the udon, no comments. The broth is advertised as Kanto-style, so it is quite soy sauce-based. The restaurant only has a counter for standing and eating, which I like the atmosphere of.

On this day, I had the pork belly soba again. The price of 480 yen is amazing. The large, amber-colored pork belly is delicious. The Kanto-style pork soba is so tasty that I crave it occasionally. Moreover, the speed of service is extremely fast, making it perfect for when you're short on time.