Ishiusubiki Teuchi Kyōrakutei — Restaurant in Tokyo

Was a bit of an adventure to get here with a few trains and a walk, but well worth the trip. The Zaru Soba was the best I've had, and the dining experience in the shop was very nice.

I strongly suggest you arrive a half an hour before the shop opens, so you can write your name down on the waiting list they have outside. If you arrive even 10 minutes before opening it'll be too late and you'll most likely have to wait for the first round of customers to finish before getting a seat.

Once inside, the atmosphere is a nice balance between fine dining and local ramen-shop style. The staff aren't strong with English but know enough to ensure you are able to order and pay with no troubles and are also very attentive. There was a slight wait for the meal to come out, but not a big deal.

I ordered a Zaru Soba set for 3000 yen which also came with Tempura along with some Umeshu for 600 yen a glass. You can order it hot or cold as you like, I prefer the cold dip style personally.

If you're on a budget, the difference between the Soba here or a cheaper 1000 yen version isn't significantly different. However for me it was definitely the highest quality and best Soba I've ever had, so was worth the price of the experience and travel to get here. The restaurant previously used to carry a Michelin Star, so around 3000-400 yen for a Michelin Star level experience is also something...

NOV 2024

Arrived several minutes before opening time and was able to get a seat without waiting. Ordered the nishoku soba which includes two types of soba, a sakura shrimp fritter and a thick cut lotus root tempura. The order took about 20 minutes to be served as the tempura took time to fry. Soba was freshly made by the chef which can be seen from the counter seat, the noodles were cut to a shorter length than I'm used to but it was tasty. The 100% buckwheat soba has a subtle difference in taste compared to the regular soba; slightly more earthy. The sakura shrimp was very crispy, shrimp flavor was mild and the tempura was not greasy which was good. The lotus root was very thick which gave it a satisfying crunchy texture. Finished with a buckwheat ice cream; it was topped with some buckwheat grains which added some contrasting texture and also a strong nutty flavor. Overall a tasty meal; price of the soba was reasonable as it was house-made but the tempura was very expensive at 4000yen for the two piece I ordered....

Came here for lunch around 12:10PM local time on Saturday and waited only 10 mins before being seated. Soba absolutely delicious and the tempura is a must try!

Food: Soba texture had a good bite, Tsuyu dipping sauce had good taste, but it was a different experience preparing it than I was used to; You are provided with grated radish and wasabi, but there is also a broth you can mix in for flavor. It was new to me, but tasted great. The shrimp tempura was crispy and plump. Their soba tea cake is worth a try. I found it be fragrant and refreshing. I ordered a regular size, but regret not ordering a large.

Service: Staff is quick and friendly to foreigners. It is a bit of a small place so service is prompt.

Atmosphere: Good size seating for the size of the place.

A few things to know: There is an English menu and staff speak little English. CASH ONLY. Line and wait increased around 12:30PM, but the line moved along very quickly.

Would visit again next time I am...