Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan｜SOBA 随神

Very good soba with excellent, kind service. What makes this place special is that they have traditional style items like their Seiro Tempura set - which is world class - but they also have interesting, modern "foodie" style things like their vegetarian curry soba, which features a cilantro tempura garnish. Also, the master is a very friendly guy who always genuinely appreciates his customers. I eat here as often as I can.

Well-prepared soba noodles. Tempura is also especially recommended. When I go to a restaurant for the first time, I always choose the standard mori soba, but this time I had a friend with me, so I decided to add tempura as well. The batter here is not too thick or boring. The quantity is also sufficient. Even though it's tempura, it feels refreshing. I tried dipping the soba noodles to 100%, but the flavor of the soba didn't come out strong, but rather had a nice flavor. Maybe it has to do with the thinness of the noodles. Personally, I felt that 80% was fine, but it varies from person to person. The soup is sweet and thick. The tempura is also quite salty, so it's best to use it sparingly.

The tempura was delicious. The store staff also greets you in a cheerful manner! However, the entrance door is a one-way mirror, so it takes courage to enter. Since the store was quite busy, it would be better to make the inside of the store visible from the outside in order to attract more customers.