Okayama local cuisine TORAIYA — Restaurant in Kurashiki

The most unique soba I’ve had in Japan. Using special buckwheat flour, the resulting texture is chewier and bouncier or “mochi mochi” as Japanese people describe it. And yes it’s very chewy and refreshing, not like udon chewy which is tough but rice vermicelli chewy. Loved eating it cold with the grated yam. As a set, you also get a selection of appetisers and a choice to add a side dish. I went for their mamakari sushi which showcases Japanese scaled sardine. It was very fishy to say the least but in a good, natural way! I love fish so was tolerable but proceed with caution. Like many of the herring species, there are many small bones but since it had been pickled it is quite easy to eat. Also, mamakari sushi is commonly eaten on special days in Okayama specifically! So it’s an Okayama specialty I guess😂Not the cheapest meal but...

We were walking at Ebisu dōri and taking some photos (including photos of some some manhole) when an ojisan called Ishii san that was going to his work started to talk to us and want to show a Pokemon manhole. He also took us to this shop he works to give us a map of the city and gave us instructions to find another Pokemon manholes.

We already had a reservation at another restaurant but we came back later to visit him and try some dessert. We had 3 kakigōris: pear, muscat and amazake. All of them were good and was so refreshing because it was very hot in that...

Serving up a local specialty, Toraiya’s signature creation is their Kibisoba, made using Takakibi (sorghum), a nutritious type of grain that is high in dietary fibre, magnesium and iron that is grown in Okayama prefecture.

Their use of this grain gives their soba a distinctive reddish brown hue and unique nuttiness not commonly found in others.

Considering that it’s a rare ingredient by the Japanese plus the kibisoba is developed and exclusively sold only in Toraiya, it’s definitely worth a stop when...