Hyperlocal Tokyo

Located a 3-minute walk from Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, "Tsukiji Fuke Sōka" is a soba noodle restaurant established in 2004 (Heisei 16). This establishment is part of the Sōka lineage, founded by the eldest son of the renowned "Fuke Sōka" in Ōmori, who inherited the family tradition. I visited on a Saturday at 12:30 pm. There was only one group waiting inside, so I was seated at a table after about 10 minutes. I ordered a large portion of "mori soba" (cold soba noodles), but what arrived was clearly "zaru soba" (cold soba noodles served on a bamboo tray). When I inquired, the staff admitted they had made a mistake, which was quite amusing. However, it's always nice to have a change of pace, so I decided to make the best of it. The soba noodles were slightly thicker than usual. I first took a bite without any dipping sauce. While the soba aroma was a bit faint due to the season, the texture was smooth and pleasant. The most distinctive feature was the thick, rich dipping sauce. Initially, I thought the portion was small, but after dipping the soba noodles into the sauce and slurping them up, I understood why. The sauce was incredibly flavorful. It wasn't just salty. The full-bodied bonito broth was packed with umami, richness, and a subtle sweetness. This explained the smaller sauce portion. The thick sauce clung beautifully to the soba noodles, enhancing the overall taste. It was truly delicious. I enjoyed the soba noodles with various condiments and finished with a cup of soba tea. This time, I only ordered soba noodles, but I'd love to try their "soba-nomi" (soba noodle drinking) experience next time. Thank you for the meal.

“Oh my! The soba broth…!” Since Tsukiji Market was closed on Wednesday, it wasn’t too crowded. I was able to get a table that had just been vacated and was quickly seated. It was a bit warm that day, so I was craving a refreshing soba and ordered the “Spicy Daikon Radish Oroshi Soba” (¥1,500 including tax). My companion ordered the “Gobo Tempura Mori” (¥1,950 including tax). …Hearing that, I started to think it might have been a better choice… I’m a weak-willed person, I admit. My grated daikon radish, soba broth, and garnishes of green onions and wasabi arrived after about 5 minutes. My friend’s “Gobo Tempura” also arrived. ‘Oh! This gobo tempura has sakura shrimp on top! It looks delicious… Maybe I made the wrong choice after all…’ I quietly poured the soba broth into my soba bowl. The woman at the restaurant told me, “The daikon is spicy, so add it in little by little and adjust to your liking,” so I followed her instructions. It was a little spicy, but not as much as I expected, so it was fine. I added a bit more grated daikon radish… The broth was quite strong. It was delicious mixed with the soba, and the noodles had a good texture. Oh, the grated daikon radish is soaking up the soba broth! It’s almost all gone! It’s like I’m eating daikon soba soaked in broth. What to do? There isn’t a lot of broth to spare… Hmm, this is tricky. There’s still a lot of grated daikon radish left. If I add more, it’ll just absorb the broth. For now, I’ll eat the remaining grated daikon radish and soba in the bowl, and then pour more broth on top and eat it as a soup. I add more grated daikon radish… Ah, it’s absorbed it again. My friend is happily eating their “Gobo Tempura Mori” in front of me. I somehow managed to finish the daikon soba soaked in broth and had some soba tea to finish. Next time, I’ll order the “Gobo Tempura Mori.”

A charming soba noodle restaurant in Tsukiji. I enjoyed some small dishes with drinks and finished with soba noodles. This time, I had the 'Seasonal Changing Soba,' which was back on the menu after a long time. The 'Tomato Kiri' with its red color and subtle tomato aroma was a real treat. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I had the "Chi-ayu Tenmori" (baby sweetfish tempura with soba noodles). It cost 2350 yen, which is quite expensive. The broth was rich, the soba noodles had a refreshing aroma, and the baby sweetfish tempura was crispy with a slightly bitter taste. It was a luxurious experience. The interior was clean and tidy, but it also had a bit of a retro, Showa-era soba shop atmosphere. There were two servers for the number of seats, and they were very attentive. The price-performance ratio was a bit of a stretch, but I enjoyed the delicious meal.

The soba noodles had a strong flavor and were quite delicious. However, the price was high, and while it was good, I thought I could get something else for that price. I probably won't go back next time.