Shubaku — Restaurant in Uji

came here unplanned while strolling the alley. since we just got off from Keihan-Uji Station and didn't have lunch, we decided to try this soba. it was a great decision!

they got English menu and cute hand-drawn instructions on how to enjoy the soba. ordered cold Zaru Soba (100% Buckwheat Soba), a tiny rice bowl with crunchy bits topping (I forgot the name), and sake.

The rice bowl was good, it has crunchy bits topped with chopped green onion on it. seems weird for us at first, but, somehow we couldn't stop eating it and crave for more. And don't get me started with the cold soba. It was delicious, even though only plain buckwheat noodles were served with soy sauce-based dipping sauce, wasabi, and chopped white part of green onions; simplicity at its finest! after we finished the soba, they gave us a pot of soba broth. they told us to mix the broth with leftover dipping sauce according to our taste. it said that the soba broth is good for our health

The sake was great too! smooth, fragrance, not too dry with just a hint...

The noodles texture is superb. Best enjoyed as cold noodle (zaru soba) to better feel the texture. Recommended way to enjoy is first trying the noodles alone, then sprinkling with a bit of salt, then dipping in mentsuyu. The only downside of this place is the wait time. Understandably, each serving takes time to make, but that means there is almost always a queue. So prepare to wait up to an hour if visiting...

A cosy restaurant which specialises in soba noodles. This place is very popular and generally requires you to queue up. There's a lot of cute drawings on the instructions to how to enjoy eating their soba. I recommend that you come just before the peak periods and also try the plain soba, to thoroughly enjoy the buckwheat flavour and texture. Worth a visit if you are...