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Koshoku's Best (?) Soba Shop

長野県では「どこのおそば屋さんが一番美味しいか」と聞くのに、かなり勇気が必要です。けんかになってしまうからです。その中で、千曲市の旧更埴側の知り合いにお勧めの場所を聞いたら、屋代駅前の「泉庵」を紹介してくれました。亀清の若女将と行ってみました。私達もお客様に聞かれたら紹介する事に当たって、まずは自分達で食べてみないとですね。

結果は？まあ、お蕎麦に対してどんなにうるさくても、泉庵さんで満足できると思いました。味と食感は良し、お店の雰囲気も良し（テレビを消してくれたらなお良し）。量は次回に大盛りにすると思いました。（長野のおそば屋さんの中で、大盛りを注文するのはかなり危険ですが、泉庵さんはそうでもない。）

旧更埴地区は他のおそば屋さんもありますのでまた研究（？）したいと思います。取り敢えずは近辺にいったら（森のあんずの里の花の時期とか）、おそば屋さんを探していたら泉庵がお勧めです。

In Nagano Prefecture, it requires quite a bit of courage to ask people where the best soba restaurant is. Such an inquiry can lead to a fight, as people here are passionate about their soba.

Having said that, the other day I gathered my courage and asked a local in Chikuma City's old Koshoku (the non- Togura and Kamiyamada half) where the best soba shop was. After much hemming and hawwing, my 'source' introduced Izumi-an in front of Yashiro Station.

Mari and I went to check it out. We have to be able to recommend restaurants to our guests. To do so, we of course need to verify them first. We were both pleasantly pleased with Izumi-an's noodles, both the taste and texture. And the shop's traditional ambience was simple and nice (could have done without the TV on, though). With some soba shops, you take your life in your hands if you order the 'O-Mori' super-size. At Izumi-an, that is not a problem. Their portions are more down-to-earth. Next time, I'll order the O-Mori.

So if you are in the Koshoku area and are looking for a soba shop, we can heartily recommend Izumi-an.

The evidence

Secretive "Tayori"

この間、長野市に行った時に仲間とお昼に権堂でレストランを探していました。細い横道で、ビルとビルの間に面白い通路があって、奥に良さそうなお店があった。

一緒にいった人が、「あっ、ここは美味しい料亭だったが、残念ながらなくなっちゃった」と。がっかり！

今度、次のビルとビルの間に、また面白い通路があって、また奥に更に良さそうなお店がありました。そして入口に小さな看板が立てていました：「昼定食　８００円」。

仲間が「へえ、ここは知らない…」　じゃ、チャレンジ！

とのように、多よ里と言う隠れお店と出会いました。パンフもないしＨＰもないし、知っている人は知っている；知らない人は知らない様な存在。

純和風な作りで畳の部屋で床の間の生け花、横の雪見障子から外の坪庭が見れて、思い切り「ジャパン」って感じ。日本人の目から見ればどう受けるか分かりませんが、私の青い目が大喜び。

権堂「多よ里」
Tel (026)232-4757
昼定食　８００円
夜は懐石コース（４０００円～）、すっぽんコース（７０００円）、夏は鱧コースも、冬はふぐコースも。

The other day I was in Nagano City's Gondo District with some buddies looking for a place for lunch. We wandered down a side street and, in between 2 buildings was a narrow little passage leading to what looked like an interesting restaurant.

"Ah, that 'ryoutei' used to be really good, but they closed", lamented one of friends.

A bit further down, in between the next 2 buildings was another passage leading to another, even more interesting little restaurant. This one had a small sign out front: "Lunch Set: 800 yen".

"Hmm, I've never been here," said the friend who seems to know just about every other restaurant around Gondo. So we decided to check it out.

That's how we stumbled across "Tayori". No brochures, no website. People who know, know. People who don't, don't. That type of secretive place.

The restaurant is built in very traditional Japanese style. The tatami room where we ate had a beautiful ikebana setting in the tokonoma alcove, and a view of the tsubo-niwa pocket garden through the yuki-mi glass pane in the the shoji doors next to us. I don't know how Japanese people perceive such a setting, but to my blue eyes, this is one of those quintessential Japanese experiences.

Gondo "Tayori"
Tel (026)232-4757
Lunch Set: 800 yen
Dinner Kaiseki Meals from 4000 yen, Turtle stew course 7,000 yen, with 'hamo' (pike eel) and 'fugu' (puffer fish) courses offered in summer and winter respectively.