It’s right in front of you as soon as you exit the North Exit of JR Nakano Station. I hear it’s been selected as one of the “Top 100 Standing Soba Shops in the Kanto Region,” and there’s always a line no matter when you look. Since only five people can be seated at a time, a line is inevitable, but the turnover is incredibly fast. If there are only about three people ahead of you, you’ll be seated in under five minutes. The Kanto-style broth has a rich soy sauce color and a strong flavor of bonito flakes—and maybe mackerel flakes?—paired with unique, fairly thick, chewy noodles. They have a satisfying chew to them, and they’re actually quite addictive. Undeterred, I visited “Inaka Soba Kasai” in Nakano. I had breakfast at Kasai. It was during the “auntie” shift, so I felt at ease lol. I went just after 9 a.m. It’s crowded even in the morning. I ordered the kakiage soba. As expected, the thick noodles and sweet broth are delicious. The kakiage was just average, though. The fried horse mackerel and burdock root tempura might be a bit unusual. I think this is the right approach for YouTubers. The fried toppings are very substantial, and the kakiage has a lot of batter, so I soaked it in the broth to soften it. It tastes great when you eat it while it’s still a bit soggy. I saw a lot of people eating the “Tanuki Wakame” and “Tanuki Tsukimi” bowls, and it looked like the Tanuki toppings were homemade and substantial—they looked delicious. I think I’ll try the Tanuki next time.

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Delicious and cheap! Fantastic for a quick lunch

The soba noodles here are OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD. Highly recommend for a quick standing lunch.

Whenever we are in Tokyo we come here. We really like the soba and udon ☺️

Last time, it was unexpectedly closed...😓 This time is a revenge visit (lol) Arrived at 7:15. There was a note in front of the shop that it opens at 8 So I wandered around for about 30 minutes. At 7:50 when the curtain was opened, I was the first! Today's call Tanuki soba + kitsune topping! I ate it as Mujina soba😁 This is my first time slurping thick Muramen noodles! Nakano's energy drink is delicious (lol) This is also highly addictive😁 Thank you for the meal🙏

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