Sobadokoro Tamejiro 為治郎 @ Tokyo

In a recent trip to Kyoto, my CEO mentioned about this famous duck soba that his son tried. We didn’t have the time to try it there, but we managed to find its branch in Tokyo Station.

If you leave the ground ticket gate in the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station and walk further towards the Nihonbashi exit, you will find Sobadokoro Tamejiro 為治郎 along the aisle. This is a soba restaurant run by 本家八ッ橋西尾 Honke Nishio Yatsuhashi, a long-established store with more than 300 years of history in Yatsuhashi, Kyoto

Yatsuhashi 八ッ橋 is a wagashi sold mainly as a miyagegashi 土産菓子 (local souvenir sweets). It is one of the best known meibutsu 名物 of Kyoto. It is made from glutinous rice flour , sugar, and cinnamon. Baked, it is similar to senbei. The shape of the hard crackers resembles a Japanese harp or koto, or a bamboo stalk cut lengthways.

There is an ordering machine right outside the restaurant with photo, description and pricing. Customers are requested to place their order and make payment on the spot before proceeding to be seated in the restaurant, just like any ramen shops in Japan.

They are open early morning and offer soba, udon and ramen throughout the day. We were on our way to catch the Shinkansen to another city in the north, and the queue for the shop had not started to form. We quickly pay for our tickets and find our seats for a quick breakfast.

鴨せいろそば Chilled Soba with Duck Dipping sauce

This specialty of the shop is like a cross between zaru soba ざる蕎麦 and tsukemen つけ麺. Chilled soba with duck dipping sauce was indeed refreshing. The fat of the duck enriches the taste of the soup and it pairs very well with the chilled soba. Every order comes with a piece of Yatsuhashi.

鴨なんばうどん Duck Meat Udon

Kamo nanban 鴨南蛮 is a Japanese noodle dish made with soba or udon noodles in a hot dashi soup of duck and leeks. Duck in noodles is not a common ingredient, as it is a strong tasting poultry. The characteristic of Kyoto udon is the superb combination with the dashi だし(stock). The noodles are soft yet springy, and they go so well with the dashi. It is because the recipe is of a simple and traditional method where flour is kneaded with salt water and is matured well.

にしんそば Herring Soba

Nishin soba is a bowl of buckwheat noodles served with dried herring simmered in soy sauce, mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) and sugar. Back in the Edo period, the Pacific herring caught in abundance in Esachi-cho was transported to the main land of Japan after being gutted and dried for preservation. The sweet and tender herring atop of soba in a hot tsuyu broth is perfect for cold weather in early March. The bowl of nishin soba was cleansing and comforting.

The space is limited and narrow. Thus, it is not suitable for big family or more than 4 people in a group. Otherwise, you cannot sit together for the meal. Most people here will just eat and go as it is normal for commuters who want to have a quick meal before heading off to next destination.

Soba Dokoro Tamejiro そば処 為治郎
1-9-1 Tokyo Station, Ichibangai 1F, Marunouchi, Chiyoda 100-0005 Tokyo Prefecture
〒100-0005 東京都 千代田区丸の内 1-9-1 東京駅一番街1F
Tel : +81 (03) 32166717

Visited Mar 2025