01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Ichirokuan’s soba suits a straightforward lunch as well as a final bowl after drinks and small plates. Diners who have tried the zaru soba have commented on the noodles’ texture and the dashi flavour of the dipping sauce, making it a good option when you want to focus on the soba itself. The menu also includes grated-daikon soba, grated-yam soba and dipping soba served with duck broth. Choose chilled soba or noodles to dip in the duck broth, depending on what you feel like eating. The menu lists the duck broth at 1,650 yen. One diner described the duck-broth soba as delicious; it is an appealing choice if you want soba at the heart of your meal, with a dipping broth alongside.
If soba on its own might not be quite enough, you can add oyaki or a rice dish. Oyaki filled with nozawana greens or spring onion miso are listed at 450 yen each on their own, or 400 yen each as part of a soba set. Some diners have enjoyed oyaki alongside their soba, a simple way to add a small dish to a meal built around the noodles. The menu also offers seasoned rice and soba-grain rice for a more substantial meal.
In the evening, this soba restaurant also has a broad choice of small plates to accompany drinks. The menu includes rolled omelette seasoned with dashi, grated daikon with young sardines and bluefin tuna sashimi, as well as Japanese whiting tempura, fried chicken gizzards and salt-grilled skewers. One diner noted that the small plates are ordered separately from the soba, so you can choose a few to enjoy before finishing with noodles. Beer, sake and shochu are also listed, making it possible to start the evening with drinks and a few small dishes. A diner’s comment that the food arrived quickly after ordering may be welcome if you plan to enjoy several dishes one at a time.
Some diners have enjoyed soba-yu, the hot water used to cook the noodles, so with zaru soba you can picture the meal continuing to its final, comforting sip. On the other hand, some have found the soba portions a little small. Depending on your appetite, consider adding oyaki or a rice dish, or making a meal of soba and several small plates.
Opinions differ on smoking: some diners welcome the option to smoke inside, while others have found the smoke or its smell bothersome. If you are sensitive to smoke, bear this in mind when considering a visit.
