Is a single serving of soba noodles really 24 bowls? It turns out to be tiny bowls that you can finish in one bite.

Text & Photos /Right-top 45-degree-angle girl

On this trip to Tohoku, the tiny soba noodle bowls were the meal right-top was most looking forward to of all!! As a kid watching competitive eating shows, I once saw competitive eaters tackling tiny soba bowls — the winner supposedly ate over a hundred bowls. And there would be a waiter pouring the soba into a big bowl for the eater. If you didn’t cover the bowl in time after finishing one portion, more noodles would just keep pouring in — it was basically a race between you and the waiter to see who could eat or pour faster. Super fun~

After wrapping up the stunning autumn foliage visit at Chuson-ji Temple, we returned to our location right in front of Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture. Maebashō, the bamboo shoot teahouse, is just to the right in front as you exit the station — super easy to find. Aside from this Maebashō, there’s another nearby 【Bashō-kan】 that’s also famous for its tiny soba bowls, but the two shops are completely unrelated and operate independently.

The shop sells super cute little monks (little Buddhist novices), which instantly brighten your mood.

The menu is pretty simple — there’s a tiny soba special set (comes with an extra plate of tempura), a tiny soba set meal, and regular soba noodles to choose from. Dear readers, if it were you, which dish would you go for?

Hungry or not, right-top went for the tiny soba set meal (1850 yen... wow, the table's full~ This is the tiny soba noodles I’ve been dreaming about~~~

First, let’s look at the side dishes — each one is small but very refined. On the left, the tuna sashimi with grated yam is fresh and silky smooth. Next, right-top’s favorite is the white bowl with daikon radish and mushrooms — it’s refreshing and crisp. The three small plates on top — seaweed, green onions, and dried bonito flakes — are toppings to mix into the dipping sauce for the noodles.

The little basket contains four types of homemade pickles. Right-top was a bit surprised by the shredded carrot with wasabi, but the wasabi isn’t overly spicy — it’s freshly ground, and surprisingly goes well with the carrots. Overall, the sides have very light and simple flavors.

Now, let’s check out the tiny soba noodles~ Actually, this is a portion for three people.

A single serving of soba noodles comes with 24 tiny bowls — each one you can finish in one bite.

It seems the waiters only pour the noodles in special cases. Right-top served herself this time. Pouring one-bite portions of noodles into the sauce with toppings, to be honest, it doesn’t taste any different from regular soba noodles, haha~

The soba noodles are smooth and very refreshing, but they’re just generally tasty. After starting to eat, I realized that pouring bowl after bowl was actually quite a hassle — it felt like they’d never end!! Later on, I started pouring two bowls at a time. After finishing all 24 bowls, I was super full — it probably amounted to 1.5–2 times the amount of a regular soba serving. Can only say I’m glad I played too long at Chuson-ji Temple that day and didn’t eat until 3:30 in the afternoon — perfect timing~

The sight of an empty bowl. Thanks for the hard work, washing-up lady!!

【Maebashō Teahouse】
http://www.wankosoba.com/
Iwate, Nishiiwai District, Hirugaya Town, Hirugaya Izumiya 82
0191-46-5555
Business hours: 10:00–18:00. Irregular holidays. Reservations required for evening meals.
Directions: Exit Hirugaya JR Station and walk about 1 minute to the right front.

Right-top 45-degree-angle girl’s Japanese flavor food travel diary
Just love going to Japan