Misoka-an Kawamichiya

Misoka-an Kawamichiya. This restaurant, which is said to have been established around 1688 in the Edo period, is known to some soba connoisseurs as David Bowie and Steve Jobs went there before their deaths.

What kind of restaurant did such overseas celebrities frequent during their stay in Japan? And what kind of Soba noodles are served there? I had been marking this restaurant for a long time and was curious about it, so I had a chance to visit it one weekend after noon and paid a visit to KAWAMICHIYA. I was prepared to put a certain amount of pressure on my wallet since this restaurant is frequented by celebrities from abroad, but in fact, it was quite different…

A very quiet place in the center of Kyoto… this is what Misoka-an Kawamoya is like…

Misoka-an Kawamichiya is located a little south down Fuyacho Dori from Oike Dori. Along that street are three high-class, long-established inns, Tawaraya Ryokan, Hiiragiya Ryokan, and Sumiya Ryokan, known as Kyoto’s “Three top accomodations,” and the environment is conducive to celebrities wandering by and stopping by the restaurant.

The hideaway store, located a short distance inside after passing through the gate on that fuyacho-dori street, has an old-fashioned, unadorned, and simple atmosphere, rather than a sense of luxury. According to the information from the restaurant’s food log, there are a total of 70 seats in the long, narrow building that stretches backward like a so-called “eel bed.

I was shown to a tatami room on the left side of the entrance, and was surprised at how strangely relaxed I felt in this restaurant. It was so simple, so empty, and so quiet, even though I was right in the middle of Kyoto. In addition, the courtyard garden that can be seen from the seats is very elegant. It makes me feel that the time I spend here casually just relaxing is very precious. I have a feeling that perhaps such a space and such a time were loved by famous people from abroad….

How was the Kyoto specialty, Nishin-soba, at Misoka-an Kawamichiya, a long-established buckwheat noodle restaurant that has been in business for over 300 years?

This time, I ordered one of Kyoto’s specialties, Nishin-soba (price: 1,600 yen including tax). After about 10 minutes of waiting, the Nishin-Soba arrived in front of me…

It came in a slightly smaller bowl, so the volume of the dish seemed a bit small. However, the aroma of the dashi broth that emanated from the bowl was so strong that I almost fell in love with it just smelling it.

But if I do that, the soba will be stretched out in no time, so let’s have it right away… The soba is probably a little thicker than most soba. The surface is lightly rough, and you can feel a kind of texture when you lift it with chopsticks. At first, the noodles were cooked just enough to feel firm, but in the latter half, they absorbed the broth and changed to soft and glutinous texture…I guess it would be better to slurp up this soba as soon as it comes out because it seems to take a long time to grow.

The dashi broth, on the other hand, looks black in color, which may make some people a little surprised, but when you actually drink it, you will find that it tastes surprisingly light. The broth and aroma of the “Bonito” type of soup stock is very strong, and you can drink the soup stock alone in large gulps. Perhaps due to the rough surface of the buckwheat, the broth is absorbed while slurping the buckwheat, and the aroma of the shavings wafts from your mouth to your nose. After the soba passes down the throat, the aroma of the dashi broth comes to you in a reverse flow, and you can enjoy the high-quality dashi broth until the very end.

The Migaki Nishin, the other star of the nishin-soba dish, was so tender that it easily fell apart when I tried to lift it up with chopsticks. The taste was sweet soy sauce flavor, not at all salty, so you can eat it as it is. It was so tender that it melted and fell apart in the mouth, giving the impression that even a small child could eat it. It was much easier to eat than the kishin at Matsuba Honten, the originator of nishin soba, and I finished it in no time at all.

The Nishin-soba at Kawamichiya was a bit on the small side, but in retrospect, this was probably just the right amount. In retrospect, this amount of food was probably just right. If you fill up your stomach to the brim, you won’t have time to enjoy the aftertaste of the meal.

But still, I like the rustic atmosphere of the restaurant. If you like this atmosphere, you will want to come back again and again. Nearby is Honke Owariya, a long-established buckwheat noodle shop that has been in business for more than 550 years, surpassing Kawamichiya. It may be no exaggeration to say that this is one of the finest luxuries in Kyoto, where you can enjoy soba at a reasonable price in such a great atmosphere….

Other menu items at Misoka-an Kawamichiya (prices include tax)

• Zaru soba 950 yen
• Yamakake (mountain top): 1,300 yen
• Shippoku – soba with rice – 1,300 yen
• Kamo seiro (duck noodle) 1600 yen
• Anago soba 1700 yen
• Oyako-don (parent and child bowl) with kakesoba: 1,700 yen
• Tendon (tempura bowl) with kakesoba: 2100 yen
• Houkouro: 4,400 yen per person (order for 2 or 3 people, can be reserved in advance)

Kawamichiya Yoro is also open for business near Shogoin… To get to Misoka-an Kawamichiya, walk 3 minutes from the nearest station, Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line.

The long-established soba noodle shop in Kyoto, Misoka-an Kawamichiya, has a branch near Shogoin. Kawamichiya Yoro is another long-established buckwheat noodle restaurant established in 1908, where you can sip buckwheat noodles in an elegant atmosphere while enjoying a view of a magnificent Japanese garden.

Kawamichiya Yoro is also famous as a restaurant frequented by Shintaro Katsu, a famous actor of the Showa period, and has been visited by His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu in the past. These two prestigious soba restaurants in Kyoto, if you like soba, you have to try them at least once, don’t you?

Now, here are the details of the stores. Restaurant data is here…

It is an 8-minute walk from Karasuma-Oike Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway and Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.