Abura Soba’ Rises as a Savior Amid Soaring Ramen Prices

Shibuya: The best place to “refuel” in Shibuya!　Standard authentic oil noodle / Tokyo Abu Gumi Sohonten Shibuya Gumi

Let’s start with Shibuya. Tokyo Yugumi Sohonten Shibuya-gumi” is a part of the “Tokyo Yugumi Sohonten” chain, which has successfully expanded its chain in the central Tokyo area.

The restaurant is conveniently located just a 3-minute walk from Shibuya Station, and offers two types of soba noodles: “Aburasoba” and “Spicy Miso Aburasoba. The prices are the same for both the regular portion (160g) and the double portion (320g), making it popular with both those who want a quick bite and those who want to eat with gusto. The appeal of this dish is that you can “refuel” (eat oil soba at Abu Gumi) with the amount of oil soba you prefer, depending on your mood and conditions of the day.

Tokyo Aburigumi Sohonten” is based on a long-established noodle factory and boasts noodles with a rich wheat flavor and chewy texture. The noodles are topped with raayu (Chinese chili oil) and vinegar to taste, and the onion toppings add a different texture to the dish, giving it a simple yet profound flavor.

Other specialty restaurants in the Shibuya area include “Aburasoba Kasuga Tei Shibuya Branch,” with its irresistible flavor of simple soy sauce sauce, “Mazesoba Nanami,” with its creamy egg sauce, and “Spicy Miso Aburasoba Oni ni Kinbo Shibuya Branch,” with its spicy miso flavor.

In addition to the standard aburasoba, the “Japan Oil Party Shibuya General Headquarters,” which opened in Center Gai in 2010, offers unique dishes such as “Black Junk Aburasoba,” “Kama-tama Aburasoba,” and “Tarako Butter Kama-tama Aburasoba.

Ikebukuro] A new type of oil soba with soup added, complete with rice to follow! Yusoba Suzunoki

The next area of interest is Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is a popular area for aburasoba, especially among students and young people, and is lined with several famous restaurants.

Among them, the up-and-coming “Aburasoba Suzunoki,” which opened in 2010, is attracting particular attention. In addition to the mainstay “spicy mazesoba” (900 yen) and “shoyu” (800 yen), the unique “TAM <egg tart noodle>” (800 yen) and other reasonably priced dishes are popular among high school and college students.

The owner and president Ryu, who is often buzzed about on SNS, says, “Rent is expensive in Ikebukuro, but we were able to achieve a reasonable price by cutting down on the chashu. We have gained support for our free approach in keeping with the times,” he says.

The oil soba at Suzu no Ki is characterized by its “soup oil soba” style, in which chicken and pork broth is hidden under the noodles, and the chewy texture of the medium-thick noodles is perfectly intertwined with the broth. The chewy texture of the medium-thick noodle and the broth are perfect. To taste the bowl as a whole, stir the soup with chopsticks before eating. Please stir the bowl with chopsticks before eating. (President Ryu).

In addition to raayu and vinegar, you can enjoy changing the flavor with a variety of toppings such as garlic and mayonnaise, and finish off the meal with “omibi” (rice topping) (150 yen) to satisfy your appetite.

In Ikebukuro, there are also two branches of “Tokyo Aburagumi So-honten” (introduced in the Shibuya area) on the east and west sides, and “Aburasoba Kasuga Tei Ikebukuro” has its Ikebukuro head office and Higashi-Ikebukuro branch as well. Aburasoba Specialty Shop Aburakudo offers a normal aburasoba for only 650 yen, which includes rice and soup, making it a very cost-effective option. In a highly competitive area, the individuality of each restaurant shines through.