Yamayokozawa Soba & Udon

I tried so very hard not to eat at a restaurant on the way home today.

I made it past the ramen place and was almost past the bulk of my temptations when I noticed a black flag flapping in the breeze that said "Soba & Udon: Handmade, Hand-cut" and I veered immediately right.

I hadn't had good old fashioned, old school, soba and/or udon for ages, so I sat myself down at 山横沢 (yamayokozawa) Soba & Udon and surveyed its woody, SMOKEFREE (schwing!) environment. Clean, small, nice. It seemed to be a one-man operation when I went there and the smiling man ran immediately to me and apologised, for there was only soba available at the moment. "No problem," I said.

I ordered a 鴨つけそば (kamotsuke soba) which is soba noodles with duck in a yummy broth. Maybe they do soba noodles differently in Tokyo. Or maybe I just haven't eaten soba in so long that I've forgotten how they're served.. but my broth came out first with a small dish of spring onions, FOLLOWED by the noodles separately. I usually get served noodles and onions and broth all in the one bowl, so I was a bit surprised when I stirred the duck broth and there were no noodles. THEN the guy brought them out.

These noodles were chunky and al dente and absolutely delicious. With a surprising piece of yuzu (Japanese citron) at the bottom of the tray of noodles.

As I was about to finish my noodles, the guy brought out a jug-like thing of unflavoured broth, which I had forgotten is what most soba places will serve you. Back in 2004, Madoka taught me that you pour the extra broth into your soup to make it less salty so that you can drink it all. ALL!

Yum yums overall, cute restaurant, friendly guy. I will be back!