Kyouyuuan (Tochigi)

A particularly high value is placed on the Tokyo style chewiness, texture, and the feeling as you swallow the food at Kyouyuuan that offers soba noodles with a sophisticated flavor. This restaurant is situated on the grounds of Ashikagaorihime Shrine halfway up Mt. Orihime that overlooks the beautiful scenery of the historic city of Ashikaga. The owner Tadaaki Nemoto is a soba noodle artisan known for being a master of soba noodles that are only made from high quality buckwheat flour. There are many fans who come from far away to eat Kyouyuuan's soba noodles.

One of their popular menu items is their "changing seasons soba noodles" that allow you to get a sense of the seasons in Japan. The changing seasons soba noodles that change color due to the seasonal ingredients worked into the white high quality buckwheat flour are also beautifully artistic in appearance. The moment it is served, you can tell just by looking at it how delicious it is. And the mentsuyu sauce further enhances the flavor of the soba noodles to the highest degree. The elegant aroma and flavor from the dashi stock brings out the sweetness from the high quality buckwheat flour and the umami flavor from the seasonal ingredients. This is an excellent dish that allows you to sense the high skills of the soba noodle artisan and the careful handiwork that went into making it once you take a bite of these.

In addition to the changing seasons soba noodles, you should also try their high quality, pure, chilled soup garnished with Japanese yams. They developed an original rolling pin to stretch superfine soba noodles out to 1mm in thickness that is served in a chilled soup of bonito stock. This has become their specialty menu item with a flavor that cannot easily be found anywhere else.

After they close, they also hold a class for making Tokyo style soba noodles, and many of the participants come from far away due to being attracted by the flavor of Kyouyuuan's soba noodles. Additionally, at the "Sarashinanosato Soba Festival," there are presentations that talk about the charms of high quality soba noodles in an effort to familiarize people with these soba noodles.

Kyouyuuan is halfway up the mountainside at Ashikagaorihime Shrine that overlooks Ashikaga's neighborhoods. Be sure to try freshly made soba noodles with a Tokyo style slippery texture along with the picturesque scenery.