Yusuian: Soba at Jindaiji

On the way to Jindaiji, we walked through some really serene tree-lined brick streets.  We passed by a lot of soba restaurants that all looked traditional and authentic, but not knowing the area, we opted for the restaurant with the longest line – Yasuian.  It was after the lunch rush on a rainy day so the wait was only about 10 minutes.

All of their soba is made at the restaurant.  If you’re lucky enough, you can watch them make soba while you wait in the kitchen next to the restaurant.  If not, you can still amuse yourself with their selection of homemade cookies and snacks.

Their interior is simple and a modern take on traditional decor.  Half of the restaurant is filled with tables, and the other half is tatami.  There is also outdoor seating if the weather is nice.

I love the pendant lighting and chandeliers in the restaurant.

I ordered the soba and tempura set – their most popular item on the menu.  It was perfectly cooked, and the tempura was light and crispy without too much oil.

For dessert, I had to try the soba yokan (pronounced: so-bah yo-kahn).  It’s mildly sweet adzuki bean filling covered with a gelatin made from soba water.  For a summer day, it was light, cool, refreshing.  It goes well with green tea, and if you get tired of the flavor, you can cleanse your palette with the pickle bits served on the side.

I’m not sure if Yusuian is the best restaurant in the area, but the food was solid.  There are definitely more atmospheric restaurants close by, but there weren’t any lines there!

Yusuian 湧水（ゆうすい）
東京都調布市深大寺元町5-9-1
0424-98-1323