Snafu Kitchen @ Higashikoganei, Kokubunji, Tokyo @ A creative soba restaurant with a Western-style menu name, but actually serves soba noodles. You can enjoy traditional soba as well as unique creative soba dishes at this restaurant. I visited this place for the second time after 5 years since my last visit on September 13, 2018, and once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious food. Despite not being in the best location, the restaurant has been supported by local fans and has established itself as a wonderful place that has even overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Located northeast of Higashikoganei Station on the JR Chuo Line, turn right at the Komeda Coffee signal towards Musashikoganei, and you'll find the restaurant across from the Musashi Koganei Driving School. My previous visit was quite surprising as I had imagined a lunch set restaurant using local vegetables, but to my surprise, there was a sign on the door saying "Seasonal Aroma New Soba"! Wait, is this a soba restaurant? I was momentarily taken aback. The menu displayed outside the restaurant features a variety of unique dishes alongside traditional soba. Today, I visited specifically for the creative soba dishes. The interior of the restaurant has a dining bar style with a counter for 5 people and two 4-person tables. Being located on a corner, the entrance's glass door and windows allow plenty of natural light to come in. The lunch set menu has completely changed since my last visit, with a mix of innovative and unique dishes alongside more traditional options. The menu includes dishes like Ebi Basil Soba, French Herb Chicken Soba, Soup Curry Soba, Ratatouille Soba, Duck and Spring Onion Soba, Aburi Chicken Soba, Jinenori Soba, Mori Soba, and Jyuwari Soba, each served with Ratatouille, a side dish, and mini mixed rice. There are also various side dishes available, and surprisingly, there is something called a meal galette. It's an exciting lineup. Today, I chose the following dish: French Herb Chicken Soba Set ¥1,470 with Ratatouille, a side dish, and mini mixed rice. The soba features steamed chicken with a herb flavor, plenty of lettuce, tomato, paprika, onion, and a sweet vinegar sauce, which pairs perfectly with the traditional soba dipping sauce. The side dish of green vegetables and white cabbage is a unique mix of diced carrots, bitter melon, tofu, and miso. The Ratatouille includes eggplant, cucumber, daikon radish, and shiitake mushrooms, all made with local Koganei vegetables. The mixed rice with shiitake mushrooms and carrots has a strong flavor, and the rice itself is delicious. All the vegetables used are locally sourced from Koganei. The friendly owner runs the restaurant alone, and when I arrived after 13:00, the tables were almost full with regular customers, but by the time I finished eating, I was the only one left, allowing me to take photos inside the restaurant. This is a great place to visit for lunch or for a night out with friends. The unique creative soba dishes are simply delicious. Highly recommended. Rating: ★★★★★ Parking: Free parking available (1 space down the road on the left side of the restaurant), CP within 200m Visit date: September 15, 2023, lunch service: available Business hours: 11:30-15:30, 17:30-21:30 Closed on Mondays Smoking: Completely non-smoking Number of seats: 14 Counter seats: available Credit cards: accepted Electronic money: accepted, including PayPay Repeat visit likelihood: high Notes: ==========

Other emoticon explanations can be found in the profile. Especially things that are difficult to express in words are only expressed with emoticons. Detailed evaluation: 3.4 points Price/Regular price: 1400/1570 Signature dish: Hamaguri Warm Dipping Soba Impression of the taste: The soba is not 100% buckwheat, so it's not salty. It has a good texture compared to 100% buckwheat soba. The clam soup could have been a bit lighter in flavor. The salad with basil sauce is delicious. Atmosphere of the restaurant: Good Employees: Good Hygiene: Good Points: * Evaluation of the price/regular price: I think it's worth paying the regular price 5 points or more: A restaurant I don't want to tell others about... so I won't mention it (Rarely, the names of 5-point restaurants may be listed outside the category). 5 points: Only one favorite restaurant in each category (e.g. one ramen shop, one curry shop, etc.). 4.5 or higher: I would travel far, wait in line, and use it repeatedly. 4 points or higher: I would use it repeatedly, recommend it to clients or friends. 3.5 or higher: I would put it on my revisit list. 3 points or higher: If it's nearby... if there are no other options, I would go. 2 points or higher: I would look for other restaurants, I wouldn't go there myself. 1 point: I would never go back, I would refuse even if invited. 1 point or less: It's no longer food, they shouldn't be in the customer service business. *Even if it's 3.5 or higher, if you get tired of the menu after visiting a few times, the rating may decrease.

Other emoticon explanations can be found in the profile. Especially for things that are difficult to express in words, emoticons are the only way. Detailed rating: 3.4 points Price/Regular price: 1800/2140 Signature dish: Juwari Soba Set, Galette Impressions: The rich aroma of the soba salad with basil pesto sauce is exquisite. The soba is kneaded and cut by a machine after ordering, so it is freshly made. Atmosphere of the restaurant: Resembles Snufkin? Musician? It's a non-smoking restaurant, but it smelled of cigarettes when there were no other customers, so I wonder if the owner smokes? Staff: Resemble Snufkin Hygiene: Average Points: * Price/Regular price: I would be willing to pay this price compared to the regular price 5 points or above: A restaurant I don't want to tell others about... so I won't list it. (Rarely, I may mention a 5-point restaurant outside the list.) 5 points: Only one favorite restaurant in each category (e.g. 1 ramen shop, 1 curry shop, etc.) 4.5 or above: Willing to travel far and wait in line to use it again and again. 4 points or above: Willing to use it repeatedly, can recommend to entertain or friends. 3.5 or above: Will be on the revisit list. 3 points or above: If it's nearby... if there are no other options, I'll go. 2 points or above: Look for other restaurants, won't go there myself. 1 point: Will not go again, will refuse even if invited. 1 point or below: No longer considered food, should not be in the customer service industry. *Even with a rating of 3.5 or above, it may decrease if you get tired of the menu after visiting a few times.

I visited a restaurant that I had always been curious about during my walks. I ordered the "French Herb Chicken Soba Set" from the lunch menu. The "Shrimp Basil Soba Set" seemed to be popular among the other customers. I was initially planning to try the creative soba, but I was surprised by the beauty of the soba that was served, and also by the abundance of vegetables in the set, including ratatouille and ohitashi. The herb chicken had a strong flavor of herbs and balsamic vinegar, so much so that I thought I could eat the soba underneath just with this seasoning. However, following the advice of the owner, I drizzled the accompanying noodle sauce over it halfway through. The combination of the topping seasoning and noodle sauce was exquisite and very delicious. I especially liked the fried soba grains used as croutons, which combined with the dressing and soba sauce to create a complex and harmonious flavor until the very end. The ohitashi that came with the set had soba miso on the edge of the bowl, and dipping the fresh Kokubunji vegetables and tofu in it created a wonderful experience. The menu also includes interesting items like soup curry soba and galettes, showing the owner's passion. I am looking forward to trying something new on my next visit.

On July 7, 2022 (Thursday), I had dinner after a day of work in Murayama. I got off at a stop along the Chuo Line, specifically at the north exit of Higashi-Koganei. I decided to try a soba or cafe that I found through a search. The place was located on Jizo Street. On my way there, I passed by another soba restaurant with a sign saying it was closed. I arrived at 5:38 PM, slightly after the evening session was supposed to start at 5:30 PM. When I tried to enter, I saw the owner playing the guitar and singing in a position not visible from the entrance. He didn't notice me entering until the song ended. I felt a bit awkward, but he warmly welcomed me and guided me to a seat with a smile. I ordered the "Hot Soup Curry Soba" (1600 yen). The background music playing was quite unusual, like a weirder version of the band The Cure. The soba and soup curry arrived, and the owner recommended trying them separately at first. The soba was decent, better than what I had for lunch. The soup curry wasn't spicy but had a rich flavor with a hint of spices, and it was filled with lots of ingredients. The combination of soba and soup curry worked well, despite being a bit challenging to eat. Overall, I enjoyed the meal. The new confirmed cases for today in Tokyo were 8529, an increase of 4908 from the previous Thursday (about 2.4 times). The spread of the BA.5 variant is progressing, leading to concerns of entering the "7th wave" with predictions of reaching 54,902 cases per day in August. Osaka reported 4615 cases, Kanagawa 3130 cases. Tottori and Saga reported their highest numbers. The nationwide total was 47,961 cases. In the UK, Johnson announced his resignation.

I haven't visited for a while, but are you doing okay? I ended up drinking from daytime on Sunday! "We've finished the daytime business." "Now we're doing the inventory and preparing for the evening." Oh, then can I have just one drink at the counter while you clean up? "Sure, no problem." Even though he's not smiling... (laughs) So, without eating anything, I had one glass of sake for ¥550 (tax included). Oh, I'm sorry for asking too much. Thank you very much. Visiting time: 14:30-15:00. Recommended rating: ★★★★

It's a naming that doesn't seem like a soba restaurant... Moomin??? Today in Tokyo, Higashi Koganei. Curry bowl set at "Snufkin" for 980 yen. The interior has a chic cafe-like atmosphere. Since it's Snufkin's kitchen, it feels like they could serve pancakes. But it's a full-fledged soba restaurant. Looking at the small items inside, it seems like Snufkin from Moomin Valley is the motif. There are many items on the menu, but it seems to be creative soba rather than the typical tanuki or kitsune. It's not tempura, but more like creative soba dishes. It's hard to decide what to order. Since it's creative, it's hard to understand, so I ordered the recommended lunch set for today, the curry bowl set, which was displayed in front of the store. The menu frequently mentions curry. Curry seems to be their specialty. First, some side dishes were served. It feels like an izakaya! However, even these side dishes are not traditional Japanese, but more Western-style? Tomato stewed vegetables? Boiled eggs with chicken balsamic sauce. It makes you want some alcohol. When these are available, it helps pass the time until the main dish arrives. Today is a cold day, so I ordered a warm soup. After waiting for 10 minutes, it was served quickly, probably because I was eating the side dishes. The dipping sauce is simple, with only green onions and sesame. First, I tried the soba as it is, and it has a strong texture, a unique rough feeling. It feels like I'm really eating soba! It's delicious. The dipping sauce has a strong bonito flavor but not too salty. It's a bit strong when drunk straight. You can taste the flavor of the soba directly. It turns out the soba is not creative! The curry bowl is vegetable-based. Is there meat in it? Eggplant, onions, carrots, and radishes are included. It's a very healthy curry. The curry is full of creativity! It's delicious! The consistency of the curry is familiar, but this is definitely a new type of food, rather than a typical soba restaurant. It was delicious!!

The restaurant is a bit of a walk from the station, but still within walking distance. It opened at 11:30 and was almost full right away. They accept the GOTO campaign, and during lunchtime, the manager seemed to be quite busy handling everything alone. However, he explained the menu nicely through the counter and provided friendly service. The soba noodles were served with French-style chicken, giving it a slightly Western touch. The presentation was beautiful. The grilled chicken with herbs paired well with the rich broth. They also offer soba-yu (soba noodle water) to drink. I really enjoyed it. Next time, I'll invite a friend and try the shrimp and basil dish.

I went to eat soba noodles to have a casual chat... Topped soba noodles for 820 yen. "Don't put everything in at once, just a little at a time." Huh?! Eating so elegantly?! Oh, please give me some cheap sake too! "We don't have cheap sake." Oh well... Hmm, the soba noodles are delicious! Maybe I should have gotten a large portion... Wait, didn't I say I didn't need the 3 side dishes, but they still gave me a large portion? Oh well... That was my lunchtime, filled with such trivial conversations.

Local friend and I had Christmas lunch at a creative soba restaurant called "Snafu Kitchen." Located along the Chuo Line, facing Jizo Street near Musashikoganei Driving School, this place opened a few years ago. I vaguely remember it used to be a restaurant called "Lighthouse." I knew there was a soba shop here, but never had the chance to visit as it's close to my home ("I can always go anytime!" but never did, haha). So, this time we finally visited. The interior had a calm atmosphere with counter and table seats. I was excited to try their galette as I read about it being available here, but the menu had unique and recommended dishes like "Pork Onion Soup Gratin Soba," "Seafood Marinated Salad Soba," and "Joushu Highland Chicken Curry Soup Soba." The owner recommended the "Joushu Highland Chicken Curry Soba," so I decided to try it. It's priced at 950 yen for just the soba, but I opted for the lunch set (1,200 yen) which included a side of 3 vegetable dishes and mini hijiki rice. The vegetable side dishes were made with local Musashikoganei vegetables, and they were delicious and subtly seasoned. The soba was made with 100% Akita buckwheat, and it was flavorful, chewy, and had a smooth texture. The soba was kneaded with Akita buckwheat flour in a kneading bowl and processed into noodles using a pasta machine, creating fresh soba. The chicken curry soup was unique, with ingredients like Joushu Highland chicken, fried tofu, eggs, and broccoli. The curry was flavorful and spicy, and I found it delicious even on its own. However, when eaten with the soba, the curry slightly overpowered the soba's taste. The owner suggested trying the soba first without any toppings, which was a great idea. The soba was delightful on its own. The galette was made with 100% soba flour and was freshly baked. It was thick and had a strong soba flavor. It was served with local honey, and it was a simple and delicious galette. The meal was enjoyable, and I unexpectedly found a delightful restaurant.

When it gets cold, I crave warm soups. So I went to eat soba noodles. I found a unique dish called soup curry dipping soba! It was so warming. I also had some drinks. The owner, who is talkative, even played the guitar. It was a satisfying experience.

Snafu Kitchen @ Higashikoganei, Koganei, Tokyo @ Creative dishes based on soba noodles Wow, this restaurant was delicious and surprising in many ways. Highly recommended ★★★★★ Parking: None, CP 300m north Visit date: September 13, 2018, lunchtime Smoking: Unknown Notes: Incredibly delicious soba noodles Located northeast of JR Chuo Line Higashikoganei Station, turn right at the Komeda Coffee signal towards Musashikoganei, across from Musashi Koganei Driving School. I had imagined a vegetable-based set meal restaurant using Koganei vegetables, so when I arrived and saw a sign on the door saying "Seasonal Aroma New Soba," I was momentarily surprised. The menu outside was quite unique, with a variety of dishes. Inside, there is a dining-bar style with a 5-seat counter and two 4-person tables. Being on a corner, the entrance's glass door and windows let in plenty of light. The lunch set includes five options: seafood marinated salad soba, warm dipping soba with baby potatoes and shredded kelp, grated yam soba with shredded beef and long yam, roast duck rice curry with cold dipping soba, and other unique dishes. For dessert, they offer soba seed gelato and soba tea coffee. The blackboard lists appetizer platters, vegetable-rich bouillabaisse, grilled saury with soba miso, iron pot beef and tofu, roast beef, roast duck rice curry, and other items ranging from 500-800 yen. The meal includes gallette, taro potato salad, pickles of persimmon, carrot, cucumber, scallion, turnip, eggplant, onion ratatouille (3 small dishes), shredded beef over rice in a tea bowl, and cold soba decorated with basil puree and topped with sunny lettuce, shrimp, mussels, squid, and cherry tomatoes. The sauce is a mildly sweet soba broth. All the vegetables are locally sourced Koganei vegetables. The extremely thin soba noodles are delicious with the flavorful broth, and the seafood is tasty, especially the surprisingly sweet cherry tomatoes. Overall, it's a fantastic soba dish. The friendly owner runs the place alone and the regular customers engage in lively conversations. There's a guitar by the entrance, and when he's free, the owner starts playing it. His professional-level performance is another surprise. I also received a unique pamphlet. This is a great place for lunch or evening drinks. It's just delicious!

I ordered duck and green onion soba. It was served in a stylish way where you mix the garnish called "gare" while eating. The duck meat was tender and delicious. The galette, made with local ingredients like honey, was not too sweet and had a stylish presentation.

Soup curry soba for 1600 yen (tax included). I got it for 1200 yen with my discount. I wanted to try the soup curry with saffron rice too. Eating it with soba was good, but the soup curry was really delicious. I think other menu items here would be good too. There was a dish with basil and something else that caught my eye. Payment was easy with PayPay and other QR code payments.

The restaurant had a Nagasaki-like atmosphere. The staff were wonderful, like Snufkin from the Moomin series. The soba and side dishes had a great texture, and the soba seed ice cream was delicious. I think both children and elderly people can enjoy a meal here.

Thick-cut bacon Ratatouille soba for 1100 yen.

I wanted to have some light soba noodles for a late lunch and decided to try this place for the first time. The friendly owner greeted me warmly and chatted with me. I ordered the vegetable curry rice with a mini soba set, which they emphasized was made with vegetables from Kokubunji. It arrived in about 10-15 minutes. The curry had a thin sauce with just a few vegetables, which was different from what I expected. As I took the first bite, I was shocked by how salty it was. I even asked my two friends to taste it, and they agreed it was too salty. The owner mentioned there was a "magic" way to adjust the flavor, but I wished they had done that before serving it. They brought me soba broth to try to dilute the saltiness, but it just made the curry watery. The rice was mushy and didn't taste freshly cooked. I heard a microwave sound during the cooking process, and I wondered if they were reheating yesterday's rice. I ordered regular soba, but the owner mistakenly blended it with kale without asking. At this point, the owner's friendliness was starting to annoy me. There were regular customers, a mother and child, who were so familiar that the mother even went into the kitchen to wash her own dishes. It made me feel awkward, like I should also be washing my own dishes. Is that even hygienic? I won't be returning to this place.