An Exquisite Lunch Crafted by a Kameido Soba Artisan
Published: September 30, 2026
※For this update, we revisited the restaurant to highlight new initiatives and changes since our previous article.
※Prices are subject to change from those in effect at the time of the interview. Please contact the store directly for the latest information.
“Edo soba” is, as its name suggests, a style of thin, pale, handmade soba that originated during the Edo period.
We visited Juwari Soba Nishida, a restaurant in Kameido specializing in Edo soba.
The restaurant is located just a short distance from Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
The restaurant stays busy with a steady stream of customers during business hours, so these photos of the interior were taken before opening. The calm, modern Japanese atmosphere also makes it a pleasant place to enjoy drinks in the evening.
Not only can you choose between cold and hot soba, you can even choose the type of noodles!
You can choose from Edo soba, inaka soba, or flat soba. On this visit, we chose Edo soba, one of the restaurant’s signature offerings.
The Edo soba here uses a ratio of 10 parts buckwheat flour to 1 part wheat flour as a binder, making it very close to 100% buckwheat soba. This requires considerable skill to prepare.
Dip the noodles lightly into the soba dipping sauce,
then slurp them up and enjoy the distinctive firmness of Edo soba!
The dipping sauce is made with a distinctive dashi based mainly on bonito, with iriko (dried sardines) and mackerel added. A special kaeshi seasoning made from a blend of dark soy sauce and white soy sauce gives it a balanced flavor that enhances the soba without making the sauce overly dark.
The tempura rice bowl includes shrimp, several kinds of vegetables, and then…
a tempura egg!!!
The soft-cooked yolk is wonderfully runny, pairing perfectly with the batter soaked in savory sauce. It is so good that we would order the dish again just for this!
To finish, we enjoyed sobayu (the hot water used to cook the soba), served in a charming Nambu cast-iron pot. It was an exceptionally satisfying lunch!
The Soba Artisan Is a Former Sushi Chef
Every morning, owner Hiroshi Nishida grinds buckwheat flour at the restaurant and makes the soba by hand.
“In the seven years since I opened this restaurant, my skills have improved and I’ve learned to make better soba,” says Nishida. In fact, he was previously a sushi chef and is also a professional when it comes to handling fish.
The fish is super fresh.
The Kotomise staff could not help but admire Nishida’s skill as he expertly prepared the fish.
Will it be served as sashimi?
We were curious, but we will have to find out next time!
Perhaps in the evening, together with sake or wine recommended by Nishida…
※Information is based on July 2026. Prices, operating hours, and other details may change. Please verify with the store directly.
※All amounts mentioned in the article are inclusive of taxes.
