By Ryuji Takahashi Buckwheat Noodle Restaurant “Hegisoba Katsura” is located near the Shin-Nakano subway station on the Marunouchi Line along the Oume...

By Keiko FukudaWhen a good Japanese restaurant opens, the news spreads very quickly in the Japanese community. A friend of mine who lives in Orange County told me, “A nice restaurant just opened. It is called Soba Izakaya Minami”. After that, I had a chance to have lunch with another friend who live...

Text: Mayumi Schroede / Photos: Elli SekineIn the last few years, the development of Japanese restaurants in San Francisco has been very active. “Nabe” has two locations; one in the Sunset District by the Golden Gate Bridge, and the other, in the Marina District’s high-end shopping streets, both of ...

By Elli SekineIn June of this year, the very first long-awaited teuchi (handmade) soba specialty store has opened in Oakland, which is located across the bay from San Francisco. “Soba Ichi” is a full-fledged soba specialty restaurant where fresh soba noodles are handmade every day with their house-m...

By Aya OtaThere is a restaurant in a corner of the East Village, which is so quietly stands with no sign, and you might pass without noticing. Once you step in, a neatly set-up, and slightly intense, yet comfortable space spreads in front of you, and you forget the city noise outside. From the exter...