Hamamatsu's Nakajima offers the finest soba noodles, using buckwheat flour selected from all over Japan, with the type of flour used changing weekly.Soba Restaurant OomoriSo, once again this year, I plan to have "New Year's Eve soba" as a way to wrap up the year.
On New Year's Eve, the restaurant opens earlier than usual, at 10:30 AM, and closes once the soba noodles are sold out. This year, I got off to a late start, so I arrived after noon and had to wait in line for about an hour. Despite the cold of the past few days, it was a warm New Year's Eve, so waiting outside wasn't a problem. Because I arrived late, the limited 30 servings of tempura were sold out, so I just ordered soba noodles.
This restaurant is run by the current owner, Masato Omori, who meticulously prepares freshly made soba noodles using hand-ground flour, and his wife, Saeko, who carefully fries the tempura. In recent years, Mr. Omori, now 76 years old, had begun to consider retirement, which prompted his daughter to take over and help out. The family continues to work together to keep the business running.
The custom of eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve for good luck began in the Edo period and has become an established part of Japanese culture, known as "Toshikoshi Soba" (New Year's Eve soba). There are various theories about the meaning behind eating Toshikoshi Soba, but let's introduce five of the most plausible ones.
1. Exorcism
The most famous explanation for eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve is that they break more easily than other types of noodles, symbolizing the wish to "cut off the misfortunes and hardships of the past year and not carry them over to the next." From this, it is said that the soba noodles came to be known as "relationship-cutting soba," signifying the desire to sever ties with bad things and welcome the new year with a fresh start.
2. Prayer for longevity
Because soba noodles are thin and long, eating them on New Year's Eve is said to symbolize a wish for longevity and good health. The custom of giving soba noodles as a gift when moving also carries this meaning.
3. Prayer for good health
The story goes that buckwheat, the raw material for soba noodles, is eaten as a symbol of good health because it quickly recovers even after being subjected to heavy rain and wind, as long as it is exposed to sunlight in the following sunny weather.
4. Increased financial luck
In the past, goldsmiths would form buckwheat flour into balls, attach gold or silver powder to them, and then dissolve the flour in water to collect the gold or silver powder. Buckwheat flour was also used when rolling out gold leaf, which is said to be how the idea arose that buckwheat is a lucky food that brings good fortune and wealth.
5. Improved luck
In the old Kamakura period, at Jotenji Temple in Hakata, they would serve soba rice cakes called "Yonoshi Soba" (world-reforming soba) to the poor as a way to celebrate the New Year.
It is said that those who ate the "world-reforming soba" experienced good fortune from the following year, and from then on, soba came to be considered a lucky charm, which led to the custom of eating soba on New Year's Eve.
On this particular day, I was lucky enough to get my favorite counter seat, and I was able to enjoy watching the kitchen while eagerly awaiting my soba noodles.
"Steamed soba noodles" 900 yen
Today's soba flour is exclusively "new buckwheat from Ono, Fukui Prefecture" for our seiro soba. Enjoy the aroma and sweetness unique to new buckwheat from Ono, Fukui Prefecture in our seiro soba.
These soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour ground using an electric stone mill and a 2:8 ratio, resulting in a smooth texture that goes down easily. To begin with, we recommend adding a little salt from the table to enjoy the aroma. Afterwards, you can enjoy them with the soba dipping sauce.
"Warm Tororo" 1,200 yen
In the cold winter months, I always enjoy this "warm grated yam" dish, served in a warm broth with a round, moon-shaped mound of grated yam. The gentle flavor of the broth and the smooth texture of the freshly grated yam make the soba noodles even smoother, and as I slurp them down, my chilled body warms up, and I feel a comforting sense of relief.
I finished my meal with a sip of the thick, viscous soba broth that had been swirled around many times, warming me to the core. The restaurant had been incredibly busy this year, but it seemed the whole family had worked together to keep it open. Since it was close to closing time, I was able to chat with Mr. and Ms. Omori, who looked very well, and enjoy some delicious New Year's Eve soba, making it a truly satisfying New Year's Eve. We are also grateful that we will be able to safely ring in the new year of 2024. We look forward to your continued patronage next year.
Soba restaurant Oomori
Address: 1-31-1 Nakajima, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
TEL: 053-463-2879
Opening hours: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM (or until the soba noodles run out)
Closed on: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, the first Saturday of the month, and Sundays.
(Please check the calendar on the official website or Instagram.)
New Year's holiday: January 1st to January 8th, 2025
Parking: Available in front of the store
http://www12.plala.or.jp/sobaya/
