Teuchi Soba Kagurazaka (手打ち蕎麦 かぐら坂) A handmade soba specialty shop that was once selected in the 2017 Michelin Guide (Bib Gourmand). This visit I ordered the kakiage (mixed vegetable & seafood fritter) seiro and the tori (chicken) seiro. For reference, 'seiro' apparently doesn't mean the buckwheat noodles (soba) themselves, but the vessel the soba is served in. [Kakiage Seiro] Even though the noodles are on the thin side, thanks to the owner's delicate touch their springiness really comes alive. You can fully feel the chewiness every time you slurp. In perfect harmony with the tsuyu, which has a strong katsuobushi aroma and a nutty flavor, it delivers the best texture you could expect from soba. The tempura that came with it was even more surprising. The crispiness from the thin batter, shrimp, and vegetables together was so excellent that for a moment I wondered if I'd come to a tempura specialty restaurant. [Tori Seiro] As you can see in the photo, it comes with a warm chicken broth. It's a dish where you dip the noodles not in cold tsuyu but in hot chicken soup, a kind of 'soba version of tsukemen'. It contains chicken full of smoky aroma with a well-developed Maillard reaction, of a quality you'd only taste at a high-end yakitori restaurant. On top of that, the sweet, warm flavor from caramelized onions and well-cooked scallions is captivating. When you plunge the noodles into the curious soup, which seems tsuyu-based yet has a deep flavor, happiness fills your mouth along with the springy texture of the soba. To finish, pouring in rich sobayu (soba cooking water), drinking it, and savoring the lingering taste fills your whole body with deep satisfaction. Teuchi Soba Kagurazaka A handmade soba restaurant once featured in the 2017 Michelin Guide (Bib Gourmand). I ordered the Kakiage (mixed seafood and vegetable tempura) Seiro and the Tori (chicken) Seiro. Interestingly, I learned that 'Seiro' doesn't actually mean the soba noodles themselves, but refers to the bamboo steamer/vessel they are served in. [Kakiage Seiro] The noodles are thin, but thanks to the master's delicate craftsmanship, they have an incredible bounce. You can really feel the chewy texture with every slurp. Combined with the rich, savory, and deeply aromatic bonito-based tsuyu, it hits every note of what the perfect soba experience should be. The tempura was even more surprising. The thin, crispy batter combined with the fresh shrimp and vegetables was so phenomenal it made me wonder if I had accidentally walked into a high-end tempura specialty restaurant. [Tori Seiro] As you can see in the photo, this features a warm chicken broth. Instead of dipping the noodles into cold tsuyu, you dip them into a hot chicken soup—almost like a soba version of tsukemen. The chicken inside has a deep smoky aroma and a perfect Maillard sear, boasting a quality you'd expect from a premium yakitori joint. The warmth from the caramelized onions and perfectly cooked scallions blends beautifully into the mysterious, deeply flavorful broth. Dipping the bouncy soba into this soup delivers an explosion of flavors and textures right to your palate. Finishing off the meal by pouring the rich sobayu (hot noodle water) into the remaining soup provided a comforting aftertaste that left me completely satisfied. Teuchi Soba Kagurazaka A handmade soba specialty restaurant that has also been listed in the 2017 Michelin Guide (Bib Gourmand). This time I ordered the "Kakiage Seiro" and the "Tori Seiro". By the way, "seiro" apparently doesn't mean the soba itself, but the vessel (steaming basket) the soba is served on. 【Kakiage Seiro】 The noodles are thin, but thanks to the owner's delicate craftsmanship, they have real firmness (koshi). They go down smoothly, and you can enjoy a chewy texture with every slurp. They pair superbly with the rich, fragrant tsuyu full of katsuobushi aroma—a flavor that satisfied every texture you'd hope for from soba. And what surprised me even more was the "kakiage". The crispiness of the shrimp and vegetables fried in a thin batter was of such high quality that it felt like I'd come to a tempura specialty restaurant, and it was very delicious. 【Tori Seiro】 As in the photo, this comes with a warm chicken soup. Instead of cold tsuyu, you dip the noodles into piping-hot chicken soup—a dish like a "soba version of tsukemen", so to speak. The smoky aroma comes through clearly, and the chicken, which makes beautiful use of the Maillard reaction (searing), is of wonderful quality, just like what you'd get at a high-end yakitori restaurant. Added to that is the gentle, warm richness from caramelized onions and well-cooked scallions. When you quickly dip the soba into the deep, mysterious soup that makes you wonder if it's tsuyu-based, umami spreads throughout your mouth along with the noodles' firmness. Finally, pouring in the rich "sobayu" and taking time to savor the lingering taste was the best moment, with satisfaction seeping through my whole body.

+3

Kagurazaka. Apparently it's a popular handmade soba shop in Ōasa, Ebetsu City. A client recommended it, and this was my first visit. Around 12:30 on a weekday, the parking lot was full and about 90% of the seats inside were taken, showing how popular it is. Since the owner cooks alone, fried items take over 50 minutes, and as I had work in the afternoon, I ordered the niku mizore seiro, large, ¥1,430. It wasn't a fried item but still took time; it arrived after about 30 minutes. Many of the customers were elderly people who seemed to have time to spare. The soba is thin with a refined texture, and I felt the dipping sauce had little dashi aroma and a sharp soy-sauce edge. Someday when I have time I'd like to have the tempura soba. Thank you for the meal.

+3

This is my dozen-somethingth visit here. As expected of a popular shop, it's the most delicious of all the soba places I've eaten at. I often order the mori soba. Sometimes I order the nishin soba, which is also superb. The soba dishes with tempura apparently take a very long time since the owner cooks alone, so for me, coming between work, they're dishes I want to order but can't. I'd like to try them someday.

+3

A popular shop in Ebetsu City known for handmade soba. There's only one type of noodle. Country-style soba, medium-thick. The noodles have good firmness and are delicious. Depending on the time, fried items and rice bowls can't be served. Today I came in at 15:00, so I was told there were no fried items or rice bowls. I hadn't planned to order them anyway, so no problem at all. At this time of day it's a one-person operation with a single female staff member. I ordered the hiyashi tanuki. What's distinctive is that the hiyashi tanuki is topped with thinly shaved bonito flakes, spinach, and lemon. They use nice tableware, so it looks good too. The dipping sauce was a bit scant, maybe... After finishing the soba I wanted to add sobayu to the sauce and drink it, but there was almost no sauce left, so I gave up. I heard that at the lunchtime peak it's full with people waiting. A popular soba shop in Ebetsu City.

+3

I had some business in Ebetsu, so I researched tasty-looking soba shops in the area. Also considering opening hours, this was the one I picked. It was 14:30. Ten minutes earlier I called just in case they'd run out of soba, and they said today they'd be open until 15:00. After confirming it was still OK, I rushed over. When I arrived, there wasn't a single car. Inside, the part-timers were having a late lunch. (Finally getting a breather—sorry to intrude~) The shop is small but has a calm, nice atmosphere. The tables are well spaced, and the layout lets you see all the seating from the counter separating the kitchen. (Except the raised seating) The soba isn't juwari, but they said it's 90% buckwheat, so my expectations rose. I'd decided in advance on karami oroshi, but the spicy daikon delivery was delayed, so my plan went out the window... panic. After a bit of thought, they agreed to give me kashiwa seiro with a little grated daikon on the side. I also managed to order the futouchi (thick-cut), which I almost forgot. The soba that arrived looked delicious ♬ To be honest, more than the soba itself, I was surprised & happy that the dipping sauce was plentiful and piping hot! (If there's only a little it cools right away and there's no point... it's disappointing. Plentiful & hot is the best ^ ^) In Hokkaido, soba sauce is generally quite sweet, and with tsuke soba that tends to be even stronger; Kagurazaka's dipping sauce is also fairly sweet. But perhaps because the soy sauce is pronounced, it also feels a bit salty. (Though when you dilute it with sobayu, the sweetness stands out.) When I gently lifted the noodles, I couldn't see any unevenness on the surface. A bit disappointing. Without that texture to catch, the aroma may be harder to taste. If it were ground a notch coarser it'd change completely, I think... When I ate it, it was as I expected, but this was soba in unfamiliar territory at a time when other soba shops had already closed. I'm truly grateful 🙏 The owner couple and the part-timer must have been exhausted right before closing, yet they listened carefully to my requests—thank you. I hope to come again when they have karami oroshi, and when the soba's aroma is a bit stronger. Thank you for the meal!

+1