Large‑shrimp tempura soba  (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)

One of Japan’s most cherished year-end practices is eating “toshikoshi soba” (year‑crossing soba) because the thin, long noodles symbolize longevity and good fortune.

Although New Year has passed, it is never a bad time to enjoy a steaming or chilly bowl of soba noodles. Sagami, a soba restaurant in Isehara City, their delicious noodles are made using spring water from the Tanzawa Mountain Range. Isehara is about a 30-minute drive from Camp Zama and NAF Atsugi area.

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)

When my family and I visited, we were seated at a low tatami table in the spacious, but cozy dining area.

From the menu, my wife ordered large‑shrimp tempura soba for 1,740 yen ($11), my daughter chose zaru soba for 1,100 yen, and I opted for a large portion of zaru soba for 1,340 yen.

When the meals arrived, my wife’s and daughter’s zaru soba were served in two‑tiered square bamboo baskets, along with a dipping broth with green onions and wasabi. My large portion came stacked in three tiers. We were overwhelmed by the generous servings.

A large portion of zaru soba (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)

We enjoyed our soba noodles in a traditional way – first tasting the noodles on their own, then with green onions and wasabi, and finally dipping them into the broth with the condiments. This method allows you to appreciate the quality of the noodles and the subtle changes in flavor and texture.

I saw the dark‑gray soba had a wonderful aroma, and the sweetness of the buckwheat deepened with every bite. It was far more delicious than I had expected.

According to the menu book, the restaurant uses buckwheat from Hokkaido Prefecture and mills it into powder everyday using a stone mill on site to prevent oxidation during storage. I agree with it saying that for delicious soba, the three essentials, freshly milled, freshly kneaded and freshly boiled noodles are indispensable.

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)

The dipping broth was perfectly balanced, not too sweet, salty, not too light and not bitter. The harmony of the flavors with every bite was excellent.

The fried tempura my wife ordered included jumbo prawns, thick‑cut shiitake mushrooms, okra, lotus root, and pumpkin. I bit to sample some and saw the batter was slightly thick but remained crisp and tasty. The crunchy vegetables paired nicely with the thin, springy noodles. Although it came with a dipping broth, ginger and grated daikon, the delicious dish did not require any additional condiments.

Sagami is a Nagoya‑based washoku restaurant chain with 163 shops. In addition to soba, it offers many other popular washoku dishes, such as sushi, unagi, and sukiyaki. Other guests were ordering misonikomi udon, a popular Nagoya soul food, but we’re saving that for our next visit.

Our delicious lunch at Sagami was wonderful and a reminder that soba is good to have no matter the time of year.

Washoku restaurant Sagami