Hidden Shitamachi soba restaurant!

From Nishi-ojima, walk towards Sumiyoshi for about ten minutes.

Look carefully, and you will find an intriguing little restaurant named “Ginnan”, standing in a quiet alley.

I observe curiously as a customer goes through the entrance. Oh, here comes another!

Something is telling me I need to investigate this place.

All right then, here I go!

At this point, I’m pretty sure it’s a restaurant or a café of some sort, but I have no clue what to expect!

I go in, and notice right away the high ceiling. I like the chic and modern style!

Looks like it’s a popular place for the ladies!

The first floor is all tables.
The second floor has a tatami area that can contain about ten people.
It seems like a pretty small restaurant.

I am taken to a table and the waiter brings me some tea.

I take a look at the charming menu and finally get it. It’s a soba restaurant!

Their recommendation is the summer special, chilled noodles with tomato and okra!
The staff tells me this dish has made it in to many magazines.
I look around and notice the person next to me is having this.

The soba is served in a beautiful glass bowl. Looks really good!

However, I want to try something that nobody else is having. Typical me…

I made up my mind on the Ten-don and Zarusoba set!

After ten minutes of waiting…

Look how beautiful it is. It’s as if I came to a fancy restaurant!

The thin soba is hand made.

Let’s start with the soba.

What is this delicate taste!
I’m hooked on the flavorful dipping sauce and thin but firm noodles.

This soba is very special.

I regret not discovering this place before…

The negi, fresh wasabi and spicy daikon radish bring out the flavor of the soba!

Next is, the ten-don.

The tempura include shrimp, paprika, lotus root, shiitake mushroom, carrot, baby corn etc. I love the way they used the colors. The rice is nice and moist with sweet and salty sauce.

The vegetable tempura makes a nice crispy sound as I bite into one.
From taste, sound to appearance, enjoy the ten-don with all five senses!
A moment of pure pleasure!

The pickles include pink color Chinese yam and cucumbers. It’s beautifully assorted!

It tastes just like the tsukemono pickles I’ve had in Kyoto in the past.

I saw the ladies next to me looking over.
“Maybe I should’ve ordered what she’s having!”
I heard on of them say.

But the ten-don is only one of the many delicious looking dishes on the menu. I definitely need to come back to try all the other ones!

As I’m enjoying every bit of the meal, my bowl is empty in no time!

The staff notices and brings the sobayu, water that the noodles were boiled in, to mix with the remaining mentsuyu tempura sauce.

I take a sip. It’s unusually syrupy!

It kind of reminds me of the chicken soup you’re served at the end of the meal at a yakitori restaurant.

A rich sobayu, not quite like what you regularly get. I like it!
I very much enjoyed the distinct soba flavor in the sobayu.

Finally, I end my lunch with a dessert.

White sesame fromage.

Oh my goodness.
Delicious!!!!!
I’m having trouble containing my excitement!!

The flavorful sesame and smooth texture make a great combination.

This fromage alone is enough to get customers to come again. What a wonderful dessert.

I’m so lucky I randomly found this little restaurant.

I’m most definitely coming back! ^^

writer：Tanna♡