Nakanoya Soba Restaurant, Shiozawa

Nakanoya in Shiozawa is a required stop for soba purists as this restaurant prides itself on the quality of its noodles. As you walk into the restaurant you pass a slowly revolving stone mill that is the secret to their delicious soba. Keeping the flour cool ensures none of the natural aroma escapes. A quick grind causes heat, which is where some of the aroma and flavor can escape. With your newly acquired soba making knowledge filed away, sit back and wait for you serving of tasty cold-ground soba.

It is not a large restaurant, with just a handful of tables and a couple of tatami areas, yet it always seems to be busy. Quality not quantity is the order of the day at Nakanoya. It is in prime position situated as it is on the side of Route 17, though half of the restaurant, where most of the tables are located, backs out onto the Uono River with views overlooking the mountains that line the valley. A lovely setting for a slow lunch or relaxing dinner.

Soba and udon dominate the menu, appearing in various forms either hot or cold, and you are not going to go far wrong ordering one of these. In the kitchen you can see stacks of the wooden serving platters that come to the table with the cold noodles on them. Each one is branded with the Nakanoya kanji and they look as if they have been in service for decades.

We went for a couple of safe options - udon curry and tempura soba. Both were generous portions and delicious. The tempura was a mixed selection of vegetables, mushrooms and prawn; perfectly deep fried and all artfully arranged next to a pile of freshly made soba. The noodles, as promised were very good, though a rather overgenerous dollop of wasabi in the dipping sauce (entirely my fault) meant that the subtlety of the cold-ground flavor may have been lost on me this visit. A dish of homemade pickled vegetables was a simple, delicious accompaniment.

Nakanoya is a popular destination in the area for soba aficionados and while we were taking our time over lunch, admiring the riverside views there was a constant stream of customers coming and going. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the noodles at Nakanoya certainly live up to their reputation. If you can't make it to the Shiozawa restaurant, they also have one on the East Side of Echigo Yuzawa Station.