In Japan, soba or buckwheat noodles are considered lucky food, as the thin and long shape reminds us of longevity and good luck. With a year-end tradition of soba noodles “toshikoshi soba” (year-crossing soba), my family and I have never missed enjoying soba noodles in the late evening of New Year’s Eve to welcome a new year.

This year, besides the accustomed year-crossing soba, my family and I could enjoy the lucky noodle dish during New Year’s holidays on our drive around Okutama area near Yokota AB.

The scenic Okutama area is also known as home to superb sake breweries and soba buckwheat noodles, thanks to its high elevation and pure spring water, which is the perfect addition and an essential ingredient in the production of sake and soba. Drive along the area yourself and you will find many breweries and soba joints in old, wooden buildings along the route.

For a quick, delicious lunch, we stopped at Tamagawaya, a 100-year-old soba joint near JR Mitake Station.

We pushed through the blue noren curtains at the entrance into the restaurant with an impressive thatched-roof ceiling and tatami flooring with enough tables to accommodate about 30 diners. The décor inside created an old fashioned ambiance with daruma dolls and shikishi cards featuring the messages and autographs of famous people who have stopped to dine at Tamagawaya.

My daughter ordered Tamagawaya’s signature zaru soba (cold noodles) for 930 yen ($6), while my wife had kamojiru soba – cold soba noodles and hot duck broth for 1,420 yen ($9) and I had warm sansai (mountain vegetable) soba for 1,260 yen ($8). For 170 more yen, you can get a bigger serving of noodles.

According to the menu list, they make soba noodles several times a day by hand and use local spring water. The soba broth is made from only natural ingredients and select bonito flakes.

When we sampled our noodles, we saw the dark gray soba noodles had a great aroma and the sweet flavors tickled our taste buds. The cold soba noodles were served up in a bamboo basket, along with bowls of dipping broth, onion and wasabi. And my hot sansai mountain vegetable soba noodle was served in a large bowl.

My sansai soba came with local mountain vegetables like a variety of mushrooms, radishes and onions. The crisp texture of the veggies matched the thin, springy noodles perfectly.

My wife’s kamojiru soba came with a rich, oily duck meat broth, which made a wonderful contrast to sweet, fragrant noodles.

If you just want to enjoy Tamagaya’s quality soba noodles away from broth or additional food, just like my daughter ordered, zaru soba could be the best option.

To enjoy zaru soba perfectly, be sure to sample it in a traditional way. First, taste the noodles alone, then, add onion and wasabi and try the noodles again, next, try some more noodles, onion and wasabi, after dipping them into the broth. This process allows you to sample and experience the changes in mouthfeel and complementary flavors of the delicious local soba.    

Our tasty lunch at Tamagawaya was a great way to refresh and reenergize on the long drive while also a great way to keep the celebration of a new year with good health and happiness going!

Tamagawaya (soba noodles)

• Location: 360 Mitakehoncho, Ome City, Tokyo

• Hours: Tue. – Fri., 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sat., Sun. and holidays – 6 p.m. (closed Mondays)

• URL

• Tel: 0428-78-8345

Yokota Air Base

Japanese

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