Shimada, Monzennakacho (しまだ)

For some reason I had it in my head that this was a good and recommended soba place. I’m pretty sure this was because of the hand-made aspect – they have a room in the front window where they make the soba, and even when I was there Jiji was up there rollin’ and foldin’. The interior is appropriately dark and worn to make you think you’re in Shitanmachi, and inside are various Fukagawa / Shitamachi-themed items. [Today’s aside: the definition of Fukagawa on the poster was HUGE. From Monnaka up to Ryogoku, extending as far east as Oojima, and south to Toyosu and Tatsumi.]

Well, here you go. I cropped and color-enhanced this picture to make it look as good as possible, and it still looks boring even for soba. What do you look for in a soba? Personally I look for a dark color, and maybe some graininess – these characteristics indicate higher soba content to me (as opposed to wheat flour), and I like both that flavor and texture. I don’t think 100% sobako is a good thing, but 70 or 80% works for me. (うるさいね!) This soba looks very very wheaty, and tastes like it too. The plate at left was part of a kamo seiro (Y1155, pretty cheap for kamo seiro ne?), and the duck was decent. The soup was probably the best part of the meal; I drank it all, and the whole pot of sobayu.

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
03-3630-6565

One Reply to “Shimada, Monzennakacho (しまだ)”

  1. Jon,

    Nice new look … I like wider. What’s the template?

    Terry

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