Popular in Japan since the 8th century, soba noodles are firmly recognized as a national dish. Preparing soba is an art in itself, and people train for years to master it. There are many long-established soba restaurants in Fukuoka, but one of the most outstanding is Sangamori, which features an open kitchen, so you can watch as your noodles are prepared. Despite its stylish interior, it’s quite reasonably-priced, with plain seiro soba starting from just ¥600. Their firm, thin noodles are made using 80% buckwheat flour from Hokkaido and 20% wheat flour, while the Kanto-style dipping sauce includes dark soy sauce for a hint of saltiness. Such delicious soba noodles are the mainstay of the lunch menu here, but the dinner menu is lead by an array of tasty teppanyaki dishes, expertly prepared right in front of you. The manager, who trained at both a soba restaurant and a popular teppanyaki restaurant in Tokyo, recommends enjoying some teppanyaki and a few drinks first, before finishing the meal with some noodles. There’s no better way to enjoy two of Japan’s most popular dishes!
Sangamori-soba
12F IMS, 1-7-11 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-721-0892
Open: Weekdays 11:00 ~ 24:00, Sun. & Hol. 11:00 ~ 23:00
Closed: Sun., Hol.
Menu: [Soba] Cold soba ¥600, Hot soba ¥600, Cold soba with duck ¥800 etc.; [Teppanyaki] Rolled omelet ¥600, Fried vegetables ¥200 each, Garlic tuna steak ¥1500, Dark meat chicken ¥700, Thickly cut pork belly ¥700, 100g sirloin steak (Imari beef) ¥2,900 etc.
Originally published in Fukuoka Now magazine (fn158, Feb. 2012)
