Dec. 16, 2022 UPDATE
Hanamomo
- 花もも -Traveler Friendly
No staff speak English, so make use of Sharing Kyoto and point to what you would like to order
Menu
Japanese
Languages spoken
Japanese
Story & Recommendation
Evolved Shinshu Soba with a view of the Kyoto Imperial Palace
There isn’t a soul who is familiar with the Kyoto food scene and unfamiliar with the soba restaurant Hanamomo. Brought up in Shinshu (the old name for modern day Nagano Prefecture), owner Momose honed their craft for many years before finally hanging their own noren shop curtain and opening Hanamomo in 2010.
Buckwheat, which is the primary ingredient in soba, comes into season in Autumn, and soba made using the newly harvested buckwheat is known as “Shin-soba” (Lit. New buckwheat). Hanamomo preserve Shin-soba harvested in the fields of Hokkaido, Ibaraki, and Nagano prefectures and mill it only when necessary.
Also, Hanamomo use a ratio of 20% wheat to 80% buckwheat, which gives their soba a chewy bounce.
Hanamomo also change the recipe and preparation method for their Tsuyu noodle dipping sauce and Dashi broth depending on how they are to be enjoyed and what they are to be enjoyed with.
In this way, Hanamomo painstakingly research everything, making sure that their ingredients shine and produce the best flavours possible.
Owner Momose also fills each dish at Hanamomo with the loving desire to have everyone try their family’s vegetables, which are sent all the way from Nagano Prefecture.
Every summer and winter, Hanamomo chose a different seasonal vegetable to take center stage in their soba dishes.
For example, in summer they offer “Sudachi Soba,” which is soba noodles covered in a good helping of sliced sudachi – a citrus which is similar to lime in that its juice and zest are often used in cooking.
They also offer the dish “Hiyagakemizore,” which features grated Daikon Japanese white radish and a drizzling of cold dashi broth.
For winter they offer “Negi Soba,” a bowl filled with the well-known Kyoto vegetable, Kujo-negi, literally leeks from 9th street.
With their array of seasonal dishes, Hanamomo is truly the perfect place to try all the flavors of the seasons.
As Hanamomo is a rather popular restaurant, you often have to wait quite a while if you come during the lunchtime rush; however, this shouldn’t deter you as this means they are the perfect place for grabbing a late lunch at after taking a stroll through the beautiful Kyoto Imperial Palace.
1Recommended
Zaru Soba
/ ￥800 (Inc. Tax) | Large (Approx. 1.5 servings) ￥1,150 (Inc. Tax)
This simple Zaru Soba is the best way to appreciate the unadulterated flavors of soba. First try the thin, chewy soba noodles on their own, as this will allow you to be able to enjoy the unfiltered aroma of the soba as you eat it.
Once you’ve fully appreciated the soba as is, dip the noodles in the owner’s special tsuyu dipping sauce.
Made with dark soy sauce, a rarity in the Kansai region, this tsuyu dipping sauce utilizes wine vinegar instead of the traditional rice wine in order to suppress any sweetness. In turn, this works to allow the natural sweetness of the soba to stand out even further.
As this tsuyu is on the slightly salty side, we recommend dipping the soba noodles in only about halfway, so you don’t take on too much and overpower the other flavors.
For an extra ￥600 (Inc. Tax), you can receive a second serving of soba (see Order Tips for more details).
2Recommended
Kamo Zaru Soba
/ ￥1,400 (Inc. Tax) | Large (Approx. 1.5 servings) ￥1,750 (Inc. Tax)
This Kamo Zaru Soba is made to be enjoyed by dipping the cold soba noodles resting on the bamboo basket into the duck meat and Japanese leek filled tsuyu dipping sauce.
The combination of the grilled leek and duck meat with the mixture of the special dashi broth and salty soy sauce based tsuyu is an absolute must try!
The Japanese leek almost melts in your mouth while the soba and duck meat play their supporting roles perfectly.
Temperature also plays a big part in this dish, as when you put the firm cold soba noodles and the warm tsuyu in your mouth you’ll taste the flavors as they transform and contort from the difference in temperature.
Same as the Zaru Soba mentioned above, this Kamo Zaru Soba uses a rich tsuyu, so in order to enjoy the natural flavors of the ingredients, make sure you don’t soak your noodles in the sauce for too long.
For an extra ￥600 (Inc. Tax), you can receive a second serving of soba (see Order Tips for more info).
3Let's Try!
Oroshi Soba
/ ￥900 (Inc. Tax) | Large (Approx. 1.5 servings) ￥1,250 (Inc. Tax)
This Oroshi Soba is a popular cold soba dish for the hot summer months.
This dish features a serving of cold zaru soba together with a side of freshly grated daikon Japanese white radish, which packs a nostril-clearing peppery punch.
First, pour the tsuyu dipping sauce from the tall sake bottle into the empty shorter container provided, then add your desired amount of grated daikon and Japanese leek, and mix.
Dip your soba noodles half way into the sauce and then quickly slurp them up.
You’ll instantly feel the sharp aroma of the grated daikon pierce through your sinuses, leaving a clear path in its wake.
This is definitely a dish for both soba-lovers and soba-virgins to try out.
For an extra ￥600 (Inc. Tax), you can receive a second serving of soba (see Order Tips for more info).
4Let's Try!
Kamo Nanban
/ ￥1,400 (Inc. Tax) | Large (Approx. 1.5 servings) ￥1,750 (Inc. Tax)
With its warm soup and mix of Japanese leek and duck meat, Kamo Nanban is a staple dish of cold Japanese winters.
The dashi soup stock uses a blend of kombu with three different varieties of bonito flakes. Its flavors are then rounded out with a mix of two kinds of light soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
With the refreshingly sweet dashi stock, umami from the duck meat fat, and delicious smells from the Yuzu and Japanese leek, this bowl of noodles fills you with a nearly indescribable world of feelings.
This Kamo Nanban is perfect for warming yourself up on a cold day.
How to Order
1. No staff speaks English. If possible, please use this article and point to what you want.
2. To be able to enjoy Hanamomo’s noodles as much as possible, go in with a clean slate, not expecting what you might have enjoyed elsewhere.
3. Hanamomo does not accept credit cards, so please bring cash.
It’s possible to pay separately if you are with others.
If you would like to pay separately, try saying “Shiharai betsubetsu de onegaishimasu.”
- Order Tips -
1. For big eaters, it’s possible to order seconds.
For the Zaru Soba, Kamo Zaru Soba, and Oroshi Soba, an additional ￥600 (Inc. Tax) will get you another serving of soba.
Additional tsuyu dipping sauce and condiments are possible for an extra ￥100 (Inc. Tax).
2. For an additional ￥150 (Inc. Tax) you can order buckwheat and Oage fried tofu mixed rice.
3. For those wanting to share with their children, Hanamomo will provide plastic bowls and utensils. To receive them, try saying, “Kodomo yo no osara kudasai.”
4. For soba dishes that come with the tall and short tsuyu containers, a serving of Soba-yu will be provided at the end.
Soba-yu is the water used to boil the soba and is thought to have nutritional value. Try pouring it into the remaining tsuyu and drinking it.
5. If Hanamomo is full and you are made to wait in line outside, please try not to wait in front of Hanamomo’s neighboring store.
