Soba Osame

The recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2019, Soba Osame occupies the halls of an old, traditional-style kominka. Part the noren curtains, remove your shoes in the entryway, and step into a hidden world of Japanese culinary tradition. The restaurant takes pride in using indigenous soba (buckwheat) raised with traditional cultivation methods. The coarsely ground soba lends itself to the noodles’ unique appearance, like strips of raw, speckled clay, accompanied by a distinctive, chewy texture and earthy aroma. The stone-ground soba is nutrient-rich and expresses its terroir with each chewy bite. Expectedly, the soba on Osame’s menu isn’t what can be found in train stations or 24-hour noodle joints; each dish is full of story and flavor. Try the aged nissin soba, with its sweet-umami semi-dried fish, or the beautiful contrast of chilled noodles and warm tsuyu seiro (soba served in a traditional square basket). Complete the meal with regional small plates inspired by the old ways, like Fukui’s heshiko (pickled mackerel) and kamaboko (fishcake) from Wakayama, or house-fermented pickles and sides. Michelin Guide: 2019 - Bib Gourmand