Let's try the new menu item at "Soba-ya Oomori": a three-variety platter of 100% buckwheat soba noodles.

Nakajima'sSoba restaurant OomoriI heard that [Restaurant Name] will be offering a new menu from the latter half of November, so I was given a sneak peek while also taking photos for their website. The new menu is a "Three-Variety Assortment of 100% Buckwheat Soba" for 2,500 yen, featuring 100% buckwheat soba noodles in seiro, sarashina, and inaka styles. You can also order them individually for 1,200 yen, but the three-variety assortment for 2,500 yen is a great deal, allowing you to sample a little bit of each♪

"Extra Coarsely Ground Baked Rice (100% Buckwheat)" 1,200 yen

Mr. Omori challenged himself to grind the buckwheat so coarsely that he thought it couldn't be any coarser. But what exactly is a seiro? Originally, 100% buckwheat soba noodles were more prone to breaking than soba noodles made with wheat flour as a binder (soba made with 80/20 wheat flour). In the Edo period, instead of boiling the noodles as we do today, the main method of serving them was to steam them in a steamer basket (seiro) and serve them to customers that way. This is why it was called "seiro soba," and the name remains today as a remnant of that time. Perhaps this is the best way for even beginners to enjoy the color and aroma of buckwheat noodles in a balanced way♪

The coarse texture is evident in the mouthfeel. While the smoothness of the noodles as they go down is important, when you chew them to fully appreciate the flavor of 100% buckwheat noodles, the aroma of the buckwheat that spreads throughout your mouth is incredibly refreshing!

"Sarashina Soba (100% Buckwheat)" 1,200 yen

Because buckwheat is ground from the center outwards, the first flour produced is whiter and has a more refined aroma compared to the later flours. Sarashina soba is made using this first flour. It's commonly eaten in Tokyo and other areas, but you don't see it very often in Hamamatsu. Rather than focusing on the buckwheat flavor, please enjoy the beauty of its translucent white color and its smooth texture!

"Country-style soba noodles (100% buckwheat)" 1,200 yen

This soba is made from dark buckwheat flour that includes the buckwheat hulls. It has a very strong buckwheat aroma, and those who love it often become addicted to this type of soba, to the point where they only eat this kind. It's also delicious enjoyed with just salt, or with minimal dipping sauce.

"Three kinds of 100% buckwheat shochu" 2,500 yen

You can enjoy a little bit of all of the above 100% buckwheat soba noodles. Even though they're all 100% buckwheat, they're made using different milling methods, so try comparing the three different types and fully savor the flavor of soba. According to Mr. Omori, the best order to enjoy them is seiro, sarashina, and then inaka.