Commitment of Handmade soba, Fukusuke

Tonami in Toyama has a scattering of homes surrounded by trees. The scenic town resembles traditional farms and bring a touch of nostalgy. The modern Japanese style building that houses Fukusuke, the traditional handmade stone ground soba restaurant, fits in well with its surroundings.
The refurbished traditional Japanese home offers a warm comfortable setting with its high ceilings. Visitors enjoy a moment of tranquility observing the traditional craftwork and Japanese garden.

“What makes Fukusuke special is that our soba is made from seeds that are local to Toyama and we use superior quality well water and natural ingredients for the broth.”

Using soba flour that is freshly ground the day before, the soba is prepared according to the season and the characteristic of the soba grains. Special attention to the details is what results in the delicious soba filled with the owner’s dedication and commitment.

Flavor of Soba changes depending on how it is ground

　There are two styles of soba available, thinly cut cold style and wholegrain traditional style. The thinly cut soba has a texture and aroma that goes down smoothly. The broth for the cold and hot styles are prepared separately, and are a perfect match. The gentle sweetness spreads throughout your mouth with each bite.
The wholegrain soba is ground with the skin, in the traditional method, leaving just the right texture and pleasant scent. It is delicious with the broth, but a sprinkle of salt is also enjoyable.

While there are many varieties, the most popular in the summer is the cold soba with citrus and “junsai”. The cold soba features slices of “sudachi” citrus and the cool “junsai” is a favorite among the locals who look forward to it each year. We highly recommend this refreshing dish that is visually pleasing and delicious.

“tamagoyaki” in Soba restaurant

　Fukusuke is popular not only for its soba, but the other Japanese dishes prepared by Mr. Nishimura. The traditional style “tamagoyaki” uses top quality broth and premium eggs from a local brand chicken and is served steaming hot. The soba tea pudding has a sophisticated appeal with a sprinkling of gold foil and is quite smooth.

“I try to use local ingredients as much as possible and incorporate only the very best ingredients from around the country in hopes of elevating traditional soba and Japanese cuisine.”
Each dish is symbolic of the passion and warmth that Mr. Nishimura has. We highly recommend a visit when in Toyama.

Tonami in Toyama has a scattering of homes surrounded by trees. The scenic town resembles traditional farms and bring a touch of nostalgy. The modern Japanese style building that houses Fukusuke, the traditional handmade stone ground soba restaurant, fits in well with its surroundings. The refurbished traditional Japanese home offers a warm comfortable setting with its high ceilings. Visitors enjoy a moment of tranquility observing the traditional craftwork and Japanese garden. “What makes Fukusuke special is that our soba is made from seeds that are local to Toyama and we use superior quality well water and natural ingredients for the broth.” Using soba flour that is freshly ground the day before, the soba is prepared according to the season and the characteristic of the soba grains. Special attention to the details is what results in the delicious soba filled with the owner’s dedication and commitment.

There are two styles of soba available, thinly cut cold style and wholegrain traditional style. The thinly cut soba has a texture and aroma that goes down smoothly. The broth for the cold and hot styles are prepared separately, and are a perfect match. The gentle sweetness spreads throughout your mouth with each bite. The wholegrain soba is ground with the skin, in the traditional method, leaving just the right texture and pleasant scent. It is delicious with the broth, but a sprinkle of salt is also enjoyable. While there are many varieties, the most popular in the summer is the cold soba with citrus and “junsai”. The cold soba features slices of “sudachi” citrus and the cool “junsai” is a favorite among the locals who look forward to it each year. We highly recommend this refreshing dish that is visually pleasing and delicious.

Fukusuke is popular not only for its soba, but the other Japanese dishes prepared by Mr. Nishimura. The traditional style “tamagoyaki” uses top quality broth and premium eggs from a local brand chicken and is served steaming hot. The soba tea pudding has a sophisticated appeal with a sprinkling of gold foil and is quite smooth. “I try to use local ingredients as much as possible and incorporate only the very best ingredients from around the country in hopes of elevating traditional soba and Japanese cuisine.” Each dish is symbolic of the passion and warmth that Mr. Nishimura has. We highly recommend a visit when in Toyama.

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A soba shop standing quietly in soba country

Located in Suwa-shi, Nagano Prefecture, Kajin An is a ”soba” shop serving handmade ”soba”. ”Soba” is a must-eat food in Nagano, so we headed to this hole-in-the-wall ”soba” shop. ”Sake” for aperitif was ”junmaiginjo Mikotsuru” brewed at Hishitomo Jozo, the only ”sake” cellar of the area. The ”sake” was named after the founder of the cellar saw a dream of a crane, ”tsuru”, resting gracefully at Suwa Lake. ”Sharp and refreshing taste” says Nakata. The delicious taste stimulates the palate.

Enjoying colorful tri-colored soba

The savory ”tri-colored soba” consists of three different types of soba – ”sarashina”, ”seiro”, and ”inaka”(countryside. The owner of the restaurant explained, ””Sarashina soba” is made from buckwheat ground twice after removing the outer shell (first grinding), making the ”soba” look white. ”Seiro soba” uses buckwheat ground together with the epidermis (second grinding), giving it aroma and a sweet flavor. ”Inaka soba” uses buckwheat ground with the remains of the second grinding, and is the most flavorful of the three.” We thoroughly enjoyed the taste of fresh ”soba” and the different aroma each has.

The post Flavorful handmade Shinshu Soba “Kajin An” first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Appreciating old Japanese-style houses

An old Japanese-style house standing on the street close to Hase Temple. You may miss it as you enjoy strolling in the countryside. ”Ichinyoan” is a ”soba” shop using an old renovated Japanese-style house that was built 150 years ago. The interior is modern and simply designed, which is another appealing feature of the shop.
The ”soba” buckwheat is milled inhouse and thus has strong fragrance. The ”soba” noodles are cut very lean and narrow, making it easy to slurp down. ”Soba” can be enjoyed once in your mouth and then when it slides down your throat.
Another popular dish that is served is the ”shojinzen”. Fresh vegetables are elaborately prepared, a treat for the eyes as well as for the palate. There are customers that pay a visit just for this ”shojinzen”. It is advised to make a booking in advance.
Inside, besides seats on the tatami mats, there are table seats, but the seats on the porch are highly recommended. Enjoy the view of the garden while you enjoy your meal with a sip of ”sake”. Get a little drunk and then your senses will wake up, stimulated by the aroma of the ”soba”. What a treat!

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