Nakayama

Step past the noren at Nakayama and look up at the wall menus: classic noodle bowls sit alongside rice bowls, retro Western-style dishes, and fried rice. Tucked into a residential pocket of Higashishinkoiwa, this neighbourhood soba restaurant blends the familiar ease of a local noodle shop with the comforting versatility of an old-school diner.

For a hearty midday meal, the combination sets hit the spot, pairing a half katsudon, half tendon, or half oyakodon with a choice of mori or tanuki soba. Other combinations, such as curry rice served with soba and a mini menchi-katsu, offer a satisfying rhythm of grains and noodles in one go.

A la carte noodles range from modest bowls of mori, kake, and tempura soba to warming winter staples like miso nikomi udon, sukiyaki udon, and vegetable-rich kenchin udon. Beyond noodles, the kitchen turns out diner staples including omurice, chukadon, pork saute, and fried chicken, accommodating whatever mood or appetite you arrive with.

With both standard table seating and raised tatami spaces, the dining room carries a calm, unhurried atmosphere that welcomes solo diners without fuss. Payment is cash only, so it is best to have bills and coins ready before heading in.