We had done some research ahead of time and knew that Kawara Soba was one of Yamaguchi Prefectures’ local specialty foods. We looked up a couple of restaurants and decided to go with a restaurant called Takase. They had a number of shops in the area. We decided to choose this one as it was open and the closest to our intended path. We were grateful to have found Takase as many of the smaller restaurants were closed on New Years Eve.
What makes Kawara Soba so unique is the preparation and ingredients. The special green tea soba is presented on a sizzling roof tile with strips of beef, egg, and a variety of other vegetables. The origins of the roof tile date back to the Satsuma Rebellion of the 1880’s. Soldiers in Yamaguchi would cook whatever they managed to forage on roof tiles. The dish evolved over time, but the roof tile has maintained its symbolic importance.
The restaurant was located on the second floor of the waterfront Kaikyo Plaza Shopping Mall. The entrance of the restaurant had a nice display of what the food looked like. The interior of the building had a bit of a retro feel to it. The restaurant very comforting with its warm lighting and medium-dark wood furniture and flooring.
Kawara Soba Menu
The restaurant had a special New Years Menu that had been reduced to only their most popular items. We ordered Kawara Soba for two people and an order of their Unameshi (Freshwater Eel Rice). Interestingly, the Kawara Soba was sold by the person. A large group next to us got multiple orders of the soba and it came out on a huge roof tile.
Kawara Soba Food Review
Our food came out a short time later. The presentation of the Kawara Soba on the sizzling roof tile was quite the spectacle. We were also given instructions on how to eat each of the dishes.
The Kawara Soba was easily split into two separate portions. We put a small portion of the ingredients into a small bowl of savory soup broth. The Kawara Soba was delicious. The heat from the roof tile had made parts of the soba nice and crispy. The combination of the crispy soba, thinly cut beef, and egg in the flavorful broth was fantastic.
Our Unameshi (Freshwater Eel Rice) was equally as delicious. We put a small portion of it into a bowl and garnished it with seaweed strips, green onion, and some pickled vegetables. We then poured some soup stock over it and dug in. The eel was super fluffy and well marinated. The soup stock helped mute the flavor a bit and the pickled vegetables added a nice tangy flavor.
The restaurant was located in a waterfront shopping mall. There were a number of cool historic brick buildings that had been wonderfully preserved. We’d like to check them out when in the future when we have more free time.
Final Thoughts
The Kawara Soba and Unameshi from Kawara Soba Takase were amazing. The food was unique, delicious, and filling. If your in Yamaguchi Prefecture or Kitakyushu city we recommend giving it a try.
More to Come…