Alongside the Metoba River, which flows through central Matsumoto, stands a traditional soba shop housed in a beautiful, kura-style storehouse. Besides the locals, many people visit this shop from all around the country.
All furniture in the restaurant is made in Matsumoto’s traditional folk style. While maintaining its traditional aspects, the furniture also has a modern flavor. The shop pays much attention to the details of its interior. You will find signatures at the entrance and in the restrooms, which are hand carved by the owner.
Metoba Soba is also particular about the quality of its ingredients. The buckwheat flour for the soba noodles is made from soba grains grown by the restaurant’s contracted farmers. The buckwheat are then freshly hand-ground in a small stone mill at the restaurant each day. The soba-tsuyu (dipping sauce) is made from a combination of stocks: fish stock (from katsuo/skip-jack tuna), kelp (kombu) stock, and shiitake mushroom stock. As their dipping sauce has less salt and sugar than ordinary soba dipping sauce, it helps to enhance your appreciation of the natural scent and sweetness of the soba noodles.
The hot food is served in specially made Wajima lacquerware dishes. The tempura soba has a lid deliberately placed on top so that you can enjoy a refreshing burst of yuzu citrus aroma when you remove it. Sobayu (the water used for boiling soba noodles) and pickles are served with some of the soba. The owner recommends you add a teaspoonful of salt to the sobayu and enjoy it like soup.
