(Photo above: Danny from the world famous Japanese band, the 50 Kaitenz, unknowingly posing with me – Mike Rogers – for the Gaijin Gourmet at Hamazushi!)
Looking for the best places to eat and dine in Tokyo and Japan before the upcoming Tokyo Olympics? Welcome to the Original Gaijin Gourmet!
Long, long ago in a land far away, Soba was made sometime during the Tokugawa period.
The ancient scrolls of the Wikipedities say:
Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle (unlike thick wheat noodles, known as udon). Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.
It takes three months for buckwheat to be ready for harvest, so it can be harvested four times a year, mainly in spring, summer, and autumn. In Japan, buckwheat is produced mainly in Hokkaido. Soba that is made with newly harvested buckwheat is called “shin-soba”. It is sweeter and more flavorful than regular soba.
In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of settings: they are a popular inexpensive fast food at train stations throughout Japan, but are also served by expensive specialty restaurants. Markets sell dried noodles and men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy. Some establishments, especially cheaper and more casual ones, may serve both soba and udon as they are often served in a similar manner.
Soba is the traditional noodle of choice for Tokyoites.
Yude Taro is my favorite Soba place in all of Tokyo. This restaurant is very inexpensive and the quality and taste of the food is unbeatable!
In many places in Tokyo the Soba Wars are in full swing. Let me introduce you to what I think are the major players at Hanzomon on the Hanzomon Line. Leave the station at exit 5 to find both of these battling warriors within sixty-seconds walk from each other.
The first one is Yude-Taro. Just across the street from exit 5 as you walk out the station. In my opinion, Yude- Taro is the Empire of the Soba Shops; it is cheap, delicious and clean; the others pale in comparison.
Yude Taro is spacious, extremely clean and has seating enough for you and a entire troop of Imperial Storm Troopers.
They have both seating as well as standing room. Don’t bother going there right at 12 pm until 1 pm on a workday, the place will be packed!
As you can see the kitchen is extremely clean.
Buy your food tickets from the machines outside. The staff who handle your food never touch money.
The trump card for Yude Taro is that the soba noodles are made on the premises. This place is cheap but just as delicious as a shop that costs twice the price. I have also read that a man who is considered an expert on Soba said in an interview that he thought Yude Taro was the “Best Soba in Japan.”
Large Zaru soba (¥320) with Wakame (seaweed) total is ¥390. That’s about $4.70
Wide menu that even includes curry rice and, of course, fried foods.
That’s the boss of this branch of Yude Taro in front of a spotless kitchen and freshly fried veggies and fish.
….. And now, to the rebel base!
The next place that isn’t quite as tasty (in my opinion) as Yude Taro is Komoro Soba (about a 45 second walk around the corner). BUT! Komoro Soba is cheaper by about ¥30 ($.50) a plate for the soba. If you are on a budget, then maybe Komoro Soba is for you. The exact same menu of Large Zaru soba with Wakame (seaweed) is ¥390 at Yude Taro (about $4.70) but at Komoro Soba it is ¥310 (about $3.90)… Now, if you are a cheap skate bastard like me, that makes a difference – ESPECIALLY when you are eating this healthy and wholesome food everyday for a week or a month!
Komoro Soba
To go to Komoro Soba, you need to walk out of the station and turn left (and left again at the corner) instead of walking across the street to Yude Taro)
The soba alone is ¥290 at Komoro Soba (about $3.68) while it is ¥360 (about $4.60) at Yude Taro. Yude Taro tastes a bit better (of course, their noodles are made on premises, but it depends on your pocketbook if it is worth it or not. And, unless you’ve eaten soba a lot, you might not be able to tell the difference!)
Komoro Soba is also extremely clean with plenty of seating.
Kitchen is spotless too (I love Japanese restaurants!) Here is a photo of a clone making soba.
As usual, the machines sell the goods and so these are not the droids you are looking for (unless, of course, you want a great meal for a great price!)
Map of the galaxy (Hanzomon)…. Go and seek.
There is no try. There is only do or not do.
Do try these great places to eat. May the force be with you!
———————-
Looking for the best sushi in Tokyo?:
Tokyo’s Best Cheap Sushi is in Okachimachi!? 東京の一番安くて美味しい寿司屋？御徒町にあるの？ http://robot55.jp/blog/tokyos-best-cheap-sushi-in-okachimachi/
———————-
At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
ROBOT55 はビジネス、商業、製品紹介動画の制作のみならず、アートや音楽の映像も創っております。ビジネス動画においてはウェブ動画時代の到来に合わせ、お求めや すい¥70,000という格安価格より承ります。ご予算に応じて皆様にご満足のいく高品質動画を制作致します。勿論インディー・バンド向けPV制作も行っ ております。よ！
コチラよりお気軽にお問い合わせ下さいませ♬