Kyujitsuya

Every weekend, Kyujitsuya grinds buckwheat on an in-house stone mill to produce mori soba without binders, crafting juwari (pure buckwheat) noodles in two distinct styles: white and black. The white soba, made with Kitawase buckwheat from Horokanai, Hokkaido, has its outer husks removed, yielding a rustic bite and a clean, refreshing slurp. The black soba uses unhulled native buckwheat from Ono in Fukui Prefecture, ground whole into slender strands with a firmer texture and pronounced roasted-grain aroma. Paired with the sharp, invigorating kick of karami daikon (spicy grated radish), the noodles finish beautifully with rich sobayu poured from an earthen teapot.

Buckwheat takes another form here in the specialty galettes. Options include tandoori chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon, and spices before being steam-grilled, or a roll of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and sanchu lettuce. Diners can also graze on coarse-textured sobagaki (buckwheat mash) or braised soy-sauce pork beside table-sunken hearths, sipping warm Chikutarin junmai sake from Okayama or sweet potato shochu mixed with hot sobayu.

Handcrafted desserts round out the meal. Mineoka tofu combines fresh cream and milk set with arrowroot starch, served with house-made brown sugar syrup, while the cheesecake highlights three cheeses brightened with lemon. Diners linger over charcoal-roasted coffee balanced between bitterness and acidity, siphon-brewed coffee, or matcha whisked from Yanagisakuraen's Ayanomori in Kyoto.

Kyujitsuya occupies a peaceful space up a flight of stairs in a residential Takaido house, opening exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays. Payment is cash only, making it wise to prepare yen beforehand when visiting on a weekend stroll.