I prepared myself for a wait on a weekday morning, but I was the first in line about 50 minutes before opening. I was grateful to be able to wait in the air-conditioned waiting room.I ordered a half portion of tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and a dry Japanese sake called Kido. The sake was served in a well-chilled vessel, and I received one go (180ml).... More
I prepared myself for a wait on a weekday morning, but I was the first in line about 50 minutes before opening. I was grateful to be able to wait in the air-conditioned waiting room.I ordered a half portion of tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and a dry Japanese sake called Kido. The sake was served in a well-chilled vessel, and I received one go (180ml). It seemed there was no appetizer, so I added some tofu, which could be served quickly while waiting for the time-consuming tamagoyaki to be ready.The tofu topped with homemade yuba (tofu skin) was rich in the sweetness and flavor of soybeans. The accompanying soy sauce was slightly sweet and delicious, making it a perfect match for the sake.The highly praised tamagoyaki was fluffy and delicious, with dashi (broth) oozing out. It was tasty to eat the tamagoyaki with grated daikon and the special soy sauce, but I realized that the texture of the daikon was a bit coarse compared to the softness of the tamagoyaki, so I tried them separately. The soft tamagoyaki was exquisite.Since I was alone, I ordered a half portion, but next time I will definitely order a full serving.For the soba, I started with the coarsely ground seiro (cold soba). Despite being 100% buckwheat, the long strands were a testament to the skill of the soba maker. It was delicious, but I personally prefer a bit more chewiness. I’m not used to the strong soy sauce flavor of the Edo-style soba broth found in many Tokyo restaurants, but this one had a nice dashi flavor.The soba-yu (soba water) was milky and easy to drink, not like a thick potage. For my second serving, I had the hot mori seiro. The soba dipping sauce was sweeter and saltier than the previous one, and I enjoyed dipping the boiled soba into the well-beaten egg. It was delicious.To prevent the soba from becoming soggy, they must have used thicker noodles. Drinking the soba-yu with the egg broth was truly delightful and satisfying.After the meal, I had hojicha (roasted green tea). While it smelled like hojicha, it had a floral aroma reminiscent of black tea that spread in my mouth, making it a satisfying first experience with hojicha.While I personally find soba from Yamagata and Nagano, as well as weekend soba shops in Miyagi, to be tastier when focusing solely on the soba, considering the enjoyment of the appetizers, the serving style, and the atmosphere of the restaurant, I can understand the high ratings and prices. Less
