A Bowl That Melts into a Quiet Afternoon』 I had a little free time between work, so I dropped in on a whim. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything special. Simply escaping the cold would have been enough. When I opened the door, the interior was brighter than I’d expected, and a gentle voice welcomed me in. There’s nothing flashy about it, but the space feels somehow reassuring. A cold wind was blowing that day, so I ordered warm kamo nanban. The aroma of dashi rising with the steam already felt comforting before I even sat down. The soba is simple, and the duck’s savory flavor spreads gradually. Nothing demands attention, yet before I know it, my chopsticks keep moving. The small side salad and pickles also convey a quiet thoughtfulness. This isn’t a famous restaurant that gets people talking. There’s no cutting-edge equipment or polished presentation. But there is an atmosphere that lets you quietly focus on your meal. Amid busy everyday life, I realize that moments like this are surprisingly precious. Unstrained, unadorned, simply there as always. The next time it happens to come to mind, I feel my feet will naturally lead me back.

+1

『Showa Romance Where Even the Slant Is Endearing』 Came in before 14:00 on a weekday. Had kamo nanban soba. The exterior tickles the nostalgia nerd in me, but once inside, the lady’s warm welcome puts me at ease. It was cold and very windy that day, so although it was my first visit, I ended up choosing hot soba, and you could say this old guy was surprised by just how deeply comforting it was. After sitting in the seat immediately to the left of the entrance, I noticed a slight slant, a nostalgic extra reminiscent of those illusion houses at amusement parks long ago. But by then, I was so absorbed in eating that I no longer cared. Getting a salad and pickles even though I ordered just a single dish was heartwarming too. After writing all this, it’s simply a tasty neighborhood soba shop. It’s no big-city restaurant that satisfies the most up-to-date trendsetters. But, buuut, the fact that this soft, warm atmosphere feels nostalgic means that gentle, slowly flowing time is no longer something we can take for granted. The people here probably aren’t running the business with ever-greater expansion in mind, but I hope comforting places like this keep going for as long as possible.

+3

Every year for 15 years, I’ve always stopped by after visiting Tokyo Daibutsu to pray and had curry nanban. My partner has curry don. I love the flavor and look forward to it every time. I was happy to be able to eat it again this year.

April 2022 Just under a 10-minute walk from Tobu Nerima. Your typical neighborhood soba shop. Maybe because it was lunchtime, the place filled up when we came in. Some tables were having daytime drinks too. So jealous... Since it was rainy and chilly, we ordered warm soba and katsudon. It’s funny how katsudon at a soba shop always makes you want to order it.

A community-oriented shop. The building is leaning, but the food is reasonably tasty.