Hyperlocal Tokyo

【Lunch Visit】 This is a place I want to revisit! A soba noodle shop with delicious Indian curry that I had been curious about. ・Order Yomoda Curry with Half Tanuki Soba Set ¥800 "Yomoda's Commitment" ① Broth The broth is 100% completely free of chemical seasonings! The dashi made with bonito, saury, and mackerel, and kelp is so delicious you'll want to drink it all. ② Soba Noodles The soba noodles are homemade, rustic-style, fresh noodles. They have a unique texture and aroma. ③ Tempura The tempura ingredients are prepared in-house and fried in-house. It's a cut above frozen tempura. ④ Vegetables From the vegetables in the tempura to the green onions for garnish, 100% domestic vegetables are used! Please enjoy with peace of mind. ⑤ Seasonal Ingredients Enjoy wild tempura made with seasonal mountain vegetables and herbs delivered directly from Tohoku Farm in Aomori Prefecture. (Seasonal) ⑥ Completely Pesticide-Free Vegetables Enjoy weekly changing soba made with seasonal, completely pesticide-free vegetables delivered directly from Tohoku Farm in Aomori Prefecture. (Seasonal) ⑦ Authentic Japanese-Style Indian Curry Our signature "Authentic Japanese-Style Indian Curry" is made daily in-house, based on our自慢のかけつゆ (自慢のかけつゆ, literally "自慢" means "pride" and "かけつゆ" means "broth for dipping"). ⑧ Water The drinking water for customers and the water used for cooking are all purified water. The water used for making noodles is purified soft water. Enjoy the clean, crisp taste.

There's a branch in Ginza, but I found one here too. They're apparently famous for their curry, but I've never tried it. I always get their other famous dish, the jumbo tempura. It's packed with ingredients like onions, and the flavor is different from other tempura. The soba broth is also delicious, with a strong dashi flavor, but the soba itself is just average. They have a huge variety of soba, so many that I get lost looking at the vending machine. They also have a lot of seasonal dishes. If there was one near me, I'd probably go there all the time.

The Kakiage Soba with Half Curry Set. As the name suggests, it's a truly authentic Indian curry. However, I personally found the combination of curry and soba to be a bit off. The curry itself would have received a higher score. The soba broth had a bit too much acidity for my taste. Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea. The kakiage was quite large. I appreciated the sweetness of the onions, a key ingredient, but it was clearly pre-made and quite cold and soggy. As I ate, I started to feel a bit of indigestion. It would probably be much better if it were freshly fried. The older gentlemen who served us were very kind and attentive.

## Yomoda Soba: A Hidden Gem in Nihonbashi with Delicious Soba and Curry **Date:** August 6, 2024 **Tabelog Rating:** 3.49 I visited this place at 5:45 PM on a weekday after work. It's located a few minutes' walk from Nihonbashi, tucked away in a small alley. At that time, there were only two other customers, likely also finishing up their workday. The standing area can comfortably accommodate over 10 people, and there are also 8 table seats in the basement. The convenient operating hours are from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays. I used the vending machine near the entrance to order the "Special Large Tempura Soba and Half Curry Set" for 800 yen. After placing my order at the counter, the food arrived quickly on a tray. "Yomoda" in "Yomoda Soba" comes from the Matsuyama dialect of Iyo (Ehime) Prefecture. The tempura is freshly fried in-house using pesticide-free vegetables, the noodles are homemade, and the broth is made with natural ingredients. At the counter, I added some chili pepper to my soba and took a bite. The tempura was so large that I couldn't even see the noodles! It was crispy and delicious. The noodles were slightly soft, perhaps a 2:8 blend of buckwheat and wheat flour. The broth was strong and savory, with a clear taste of bonito, mackerel, and sardine. The curry rice, despite being called "half curry," was quite generous in size. The Indian curry, based on a soba broth, had a spicy kick and a genuine flavor that paired well with the rice. For the price, this place offers delicious soba and Indian curry that you wouldn't expect to find in Nihonbashi. It's a real hidden gem! (^^)

This was one stop on a journey to explore the standing soba noodle shops of Tokyo. This shop, while considered the main branch, is unique in that it offers a curry set that is surprisingly authentic Indian curry. It's located in a bustling area just a 5-minute walk from Tokyo Station. I visited at 11:00 AM on a weekday. Upon entering, I purchased a ticket from the vending machine. As a beginner to this shop, I opted for the tempura soba and half curry set for 800 yen. There were 4 customers ahead of me and 4 behind. I handed my ticket to the counter at the back, but no one took it. The elderly staff members were bustling around, but it wasn't clear if they noticed me. I was left waiting for a while, which was a bit disappointing. Eventually, a male staff member took my ticket, and I waited at the counter. After about 2 minutes, I was called to receive my order. The tempura soba was full-sized with a large tempura. It seemed to be pre-made, but it was thick, packed with ingredients, and very distinctive. It even had some wild vegetables. The soba and broth seemed to be made with care, but it was still your typical standing soba. The curry was a chicken curry with a strong spice aroma that wouldn't be out of place in an Indian curry specialty shop. It wasn't spicy, but being authentic Indian curry, the pickled ginger might not be necessary. When I passed by around 11:45 AM, there was a long line, indicating its popularity.