Ueno Yabusoba was established in 1892. From JR Ueno Station, the restaurant is in a back alley off Ameyoko Shopping Street in the direction of JR Okachimachi Station. It is quiet diversion from the hustle and bustle of Ameyoko. You can easily locate the restaurant at lunch time, as there is, typically, a line of eager customers waiting outside.
The restaurant's pride and joy is its authentic handmade soba noodles. If you have a seat on the first floor, you can observe the chef making soba behind the glass partition. The thin noodles made from Hokkaido buckwheat are firm and flavorful. The soup stock is made from carefully selected dried bonito flakes and honjozo (regular fermented) soy sauce.
The most basic kind of cold noodles is the Seirou, plain buckwheat noodles, served with a dipping sauce on the side. The regular portion is not very large, so, if you have a big appetite, you are advised to order the large portion.
Ten-Seirou, a combination of tempura and Seiro, is a solid choice. The set meal is served with a side of two freshly fried large shrimp tempura, shishito pepper tempura, oba leaf tempura, and yanaka shoga (ginger leaf). Add the grated daikon and chopped spring onions to the sauce before you dip the noodles. If you fancy a warm soba, try ordering a Curry Nanban topped with duck meat and made with the same curry powder that has been used since ancient times.
One of the most popular features of Ueno Yabusoba is the sobayu (soba water) used to boil the soba. It is customary to pour sobayu into the remaining dipping sauce once you are done with your noodles. Most soba restaurants serve it in a wooden bucket, but here it is served in a small metal kettle. Sobayu is rather light and easy to drink, with excellent nutritional value. It is rich in potassium, which neutralizes the salt content of the thick-flavored soup.
凄く美味しかったです。つゆが濃いめで好みな味でした。数ある蕎麦の中でもかなり美味しい方だと思います。店員さんも丁寧でした。 Quote from Google Map Review
