nice guy

▼Lunch visit, Wednesday, August 21, 2024 「北珍」, a hidden-gem Chinese restaurant in Oku. It's known for its original 'abura soba', said to have been invented by the previous owner 60 years ago, but today I had the 'tanmen' (650円). It used to be 550円, but that can't be helped these days. Well, it's still a very cheap price. The menu had been updated too, so I'm posting a photo. The tanmen here is loaded with vegetables, and the perfect saltiness makes it the best for me. Mmm, irresistible. The owner looks scary at first glance, but is actually kind. I hope they keep going for a long time. ▼Lunch revisit, Friday, August 23, 2024 Today I came for the original 'abura soba' (650円)~. It's abura soba with a garlic punch, but it seems a little milder than before, a flavor that's easier for women to eat too... it's tasty this way as well. At the end, I added the diluting soup and drank it all! What should I have next~(^^) ▼Lunch revisit, Thursday, February 6, 2025 Today I had the 'niku tamago soba' (800円) for the first time. It's like tenshinmen ramen without the thick sauce. Lots of egg, with the meat and green onion mixed in nicely—a really delicious ramen~(^^)

A shop in my neighborhood I'd been curious about for a while. Honestly, I wasn't even sure whether it was open, but I'd heard the abura soba was good, so I went. It was completely a gathering place for local regulars. I had the abura soba and gyoza. The abura soba is definitely good, but the green beans in it were pretty overcooked... The gyoza filling was unique—maybe there's a cilantro-like herb in it? Sorry if I'm wrong. As I was finishing the abura soba, the owner for some reason brought over a teapot and said 'dilute it to your taste.' Apparently it's for diluting the leftover abura soba sauce. The contents were a soup(?) the color in the photo, but what is this? Still, I enjoyed it to the very end. Around noon, people who seemed to be local regulars kept coming in, and it filled up fast. The owner has a unique vibe, and said they dislike the internet and that customers who come after seeing it online are no good... Maybe something unpleasant happened in the past.

Inside there are 3 counter seats and about 3 tables. Yomiuri Shimbun and sports papers provided. I ordered gyoza (350円) and fried rice (600円). The gyoza filling is pre-seasoned, so you might not need the dipping sauce. The fried rice is packed with ingredients and well seasoned. The soup is unique. It has a film of fat on top, so it stays hot, and it's rich with a strong presence.

A long-established neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Ordered the gyoza for 350円 and abura soba for 550円. Despite the high ingredient costs these days, apparently the prices are the same as they've always been. The gyoza have a modest amount of filling, juicy from the vegetable moisture and meat fat. I was told to use their original gyoza sauce, which already has chili oil and such mixed in. It's quite good and suits the gyoza. The gyoza are tasty, but loaded with garlic—dangerous lol According to locals, the abura soba has been around since shortly after the war, and the current owner's predecessor perfected the abura soba sauce with help from a nearby liquor store. This one is also eaten mixed in an oil (sauce) packed with garlic and with ginger too. It's a bit different from typical abura soba, but very delicious. Halfway through, the owner brought over soup for diluting. A generous amount of the soup they use for ramen—tasty. The elderly owner, who says their health hasn't been great lately, took down the noren at 13:25. It seems closing time has gotten earlier. But this level of satisfaction for 900円 is really great. Amazing value.