Slurping somen - a trip to Kyoto

Since the first time my husband took me to Miwa Jinja, we have always ducked into the same nyumen (new-men) restaurant for a quick bite to eat before heading back to wherever we came from. It is part of the journey. We hike all over the shrine and then eat a bowl of noodles. I remember going there one time and they were closed.  I was crushed.  It felt like my journey wasn't complete!  Luckily, they were open for business for us on this trip.

When gazing at the entrance to Miwa Jinja, there is a white and brown building behind you on the left.  It is the home of wonderful, superfine noodles. 

For over 40 years, Soumen Dokoro Morishou has served simple, yet very tasty food to its customers.  The restaurant is actually in the garden of a house.  The garden is covered, but it is still outside and what I would consider al fresco.  In the winter, they have a fire burning in a fire pit.  This is more for ambiance than heat, although you could easily sit closer to the fire if you desired to do so.  The hot tea and bowls of noodles is what really warms you up.

We always come for the nyumen - somen noodles in hot broth, topped with tempura bits, mitsuba (greens), and shimeji mushrooms.  We always order 2 bowls of nyumen and one set (5 pieces) of kakinoha zushi.  Our son said he wasn't very hungry, so we ordered the same amount as we usually do.  They brought us a small bowl for us to share our noodles with him.  He happily ate what we shared until he tried the kakinoha zushi.  Suddenly, that was the only thing he was interested in. 

Nara prefecture is the birthplace of somen (or soumen), so it makes sense for us to enjoy it there.  However, it is one of the most popular types of noodles in Japan, along with ramen, udon, and soba.  Somen is made from flour, salt and water.  After it has been kneaded, vegetable oil, flour, or rice flour is sprinkled over the dough.  It is then stretched into very fine strands and dried.  If somen is eaten in the summer, it is often served over ice cubes and dipped into broth.  The winter version is noodles floating in hot broth.  Since somen needs to be boiled for only one or two minutes, it is a very fast meal. 

Kakinoha zushi is sushi made with salted mackerel and wrapped in a persimmon leaf.  It is pressed into a rectangle shape and left to ferment for a few days.  It was invented in Nara prefecture, and is a regional specialty.  I personally love it, and try to eat it whenever I get the chance.  I've also enjoyed this sushi with salmon, but I definitely think the original is best.  Since the fish is salted and fermented, as well as individually wrapped, it is perfect for eating at a picnic.  Although most sushi is eaten with soy sauce, this sushi doesn't need it.  The persimmon leaf adds a distinctive flavor to the sushi that makes it even more special. 

I am so happy every time we are able to enjoy a meal at Soumen Dokoro Morishou.  It is one of those classic Japanese restaurants that doesn't have a big menu because they are really good at the couple things that they do.  They don't need to distract customers with a wide array of mediocrity.  They focus on what they are good at and it is delicious.