Want the noodles without the noise? This is the perfect place for you to try wanko soba

This wanko soba restaurant in Iwate Prefecture serves up soba without a side of self-consciousness.

Our Japanese-language reporter Saya Togashi recently traveled to Iwate Prefecture in the northern Tohoku region of Japan. When in Iwate, anyone simply must try the local specialty of wanko soba–small bowls of buckwheat noodles that are typically served in rapid succession by an enthusiastic and shouting server. This style of eating soba often makes the news during eating contests in regional strongholds like the towns of Morioka or Hanamaki, where participants routinely down hundreds and hundreds of bowls to be proclaimed the winner.

However, for a self-professed “shy and socially awkward” person like Saya, having the server’s full attention as she finishes bowl after bowl of noodles sounds like it would add unnecessary pressure to what should be a fun eating experience. That’s why a restaurant like Bashokan (芭蕉館) in the city of Hiraizumi piqued her interest as the perfect place to enjoy the thrill of the challenge without the added stress because she could order a set number of bowls ahead of time and then eat them at her own pace.

▼ The entrance to Bashokan

Bashokan is located very close to the UNESCO World Heritage Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi, including the famous golden Chusonji Temple. It also has a spacious parking lot, which makes it ideal for large traveling groups to dine at as well.

The standard menu item of note is the “assorted wanko soba” (盛り出し式わんこそば) for 2,200 yen (US$14). A slightly more expensive option, the “assorted wanko soba special” (盛り出し式わんこそば特) adds on tempura and dessert for 2,700 yen. These selections are different from those at a typical all-you-can-eat wanko soba restaurant because they come with a fixed amount of 12 bowls over two trays for a total set of 24 bowls of soba. Diners who still find themselves hungry can request a third tray of 12 bowls for free, and any additional trays  after that cost only 400 yen. Regardless, everything about it still struck Saya as a great deal.

She ordered the regular option and before long her table was covered with vermillion lacquerware dishes. Some of them were showing their age, but that aspect only intensified her excitement that she was the latest in a long line of wanko soba diners. The particular style in Hiraizumi is to use traditional Hidehira lacquerware bowls with gold leaf accents.

Surveying the spread, several of the dishes contained various condiments for eating together with the soba, including sansai (edible wild plants), tsukemono (pickled vegetables), wasabi, beni-shoga (red pickled ginger)…

…tororo (grated yam), which adds a different texture to the noodles,…

…abura-age (deep-fried tofu slices), grated daikon…

…and finally, standard toppings like sliced green onions and nori. Having all of these different condiments would definitely make it easier for Saya to add a spice of variety to the soba, ensuring she wouldn’t get bored of the same thing bite after bite.

All right–now it was time to dig in. Each of the little bowls of soba was tiny–enough so that she could eat it all in one mouthful if she really wanted.

She began transferring the noodles to a larger dining bowl and adding toppings as she liked. Since there wasn’t a server keeping an eagle eye on her to replenish her servings, she could happily eat in peace at her own pace.

She quickly found that the soba noodles were delicious on their own, lacking a strong odor and with a subtly refined flavor. They were different than the soba she’d had in other parts of Tohoku, such as the chewy and more strongly flavored ones in Yamagata Prefecture.

The soba tsuyu (dipping broth) was also mellow with just the right amount of salt. She poured it in little by little along with the noodles.

Saya was having a lot of fun trying out different combinations of condiments with the noodles. In particular, she was pleasantly surprised by how much she liked the beni-shoga on top of the soba. It added a sharp burst of acidic flavor to the mix along with a crunchy texture.

Additionally, the abura-age was a match made in heaven. Saya was used to eating them with bowls of hot soba broth, but she realized just how well they also went with this version.

As expected, the standard toppings of tororo and grated daikon were perfect complements. She added the nori strips little by little as well, and they retained their flavor nicely without becoming soggy from a hot broth.

In the end, Saya was extremely satisfied with her 24 bowls of wanko soba. It was a pleasant feeling of fullness, unlike the sensation of eating large portions of other kinds of greasy, less healthy foods.

Saya encourages anyone who wants to try wanko soba without the fast-paced pressure of the standard experience to visit Bashokan at some point. While you’re at it, you might as well check out the –flying–culinary treasures that Iwate has to offer as well.

Restaurant information
Bashokan / 芭蕉館
Address: Iwate-ken, Nishiiwai-gun, Hiraizumi-cho, Hiraizumi Suzusawa 3-1
岩手県西磐井郡平泉町平泉字鈴沢 3-1
Open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (or until soba runs out)
Closed Thursdays
Website

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