On my way to Niigata, I was searching for a soba restaurant around Nakano and Iiyama, and I came across this place. It is located halfway up the Ryuo Ski Park, where it serves pizza as a slope-side restaurant in winter and operates as a soba shop from April to November. I made a reservation through their official website before heading out.The restaurant is right in the middle of the ski area. The exterior resembles a Western-style slope restaurant, giving no hint of a soba shop. I arrived a little before my reservation time of 11:30. Guests with reservations sign in on a list. There were already about six groups waiting inside, and when the time came, we were guided in order. The seating consists of around eight tables, maintaining a Western restaurant atmosphere.The menu features a JPY 3,000 course, which includes an appetizer, soba gaki, soba, and soba pizza. In addition to the course, a la carte ordering is also available. To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in the soba gaki or pizza, but I decided to go for the course as an experience, and it turned out to be a great decision. They have a good selection of alcoholic beverages, including Japanese sake, wine, and beer.The appetizer was a simmered dish of Hachijo cucumber and Kurakake beans, along with pickled Yugo. The Hachijo cucumber, in particular, was flavorful, smooth, and truly delicious. Next came the soba gaki. This soba gaki was different from what I knew; it was coarse, fluffy, and sticky, with an exceptional aroma.The soba, which I was most looking forward to, was thin and made with 100% buckwheat. The owner handles everything from processing the buckwheat sourced from contracted farmers to cooking. The texture and mouthfeel were incredible, and the aroma wafted through my nose. It was exactly to my liking. The dipping sauce was a flavorful broth that paired perfectly with the soba.Finally, I had the soba pizza, which is made with buckwheat flour in the dough. There were several types to choose from, and I opted for the anchovy. The extremely thin crust was nicely toasted, and it was also very delicious; I finished it in no time.Every dish exceeded my expectations in terms of taste. The staff was well-staffed, and the service was smooth with very pleasant interactions. This place is definitely a must-visit. Although it’s a bit far, I would love to go back again. It was a great meal!