An almost camouflaged restaurant hidden in the backstreets of Osaka’s Nishinari ward, Gohanya Homare may be the best tempura soba in Japan.
For just 800 yen (less than 6 USD), you can enjoy a super generous helping of refreshing soba noodles and perfectly battered tempura at Gohanya Homare.
As a foreigner, it’s almost impossible to find this restaurant hidden in the backstreets of Osaka’s Nishinari ward, but a quick search on Google Maps should get you there without any fuss.
Home-Like Atmosphere
The atmosphere of this restaurant is truly an experience in and of itself. Each table sits exactly one person and the cashier and kitchen are completely out of sight.
A water cooler is accessible at the front and everyone’s eyes are directed at the television for their daily news digest. It really felt like a scene from an 80s movie!
There are no menus except for the papers stuck on the wall, all written in Japanese with the price in yen displayed at the bottom.
This is one restaurant where I would recommend making preparations before you go in, particularly if you’re not well-versed in Japanese.
Take a look at some photos on Google reviews and figure out the name of the dish you’re after, or learn how it’s spelled in Japanese so you can point to it at the restaurant.
Ice Cold Soba Noodles
I walked in and ordered directly from the staff, asking for a “tempura soba set”.
Fortunately, the friendly staff was able to speak a few key English words, asking me if I wanted “hot or cold” (I chose cold).
The idea of cold noodle soup may be odd to some, but on a hot summer’s day, it can be just what the doctor ordered!
I’ve had my fair share of soba noodles back in Australia and even a few times in Japan, but Gohanya Homare is the first place I’ve seen that served the noodles over ice.
This was a great way to keep the noodles cool and fresh, and when dipped in the cold broth, made for a super refreshing and delicious taste!
Tempura Prawn And Vegetables
Easily the best part of the entire experience was this plate of majestic tempura prawns and vegetables.
For those that don’t know, tempura is a Japanese term that refers to fish, shellfish, and vegetables battered and fried, often eaten with a dipping sauce or broth.
This particular plate of tempura not only included the usual suspects like prawn, sweet potato, and eggplant, but also items I’ve never seen in a tempura set, such as egg and green leaves.
Clearly, Gohanya Homare was a tempura restaurant that wasn’t afraid to batter and fry anything, an aspect of their business that I totally respect.
Last but certainly not least, the broth was made with savory sauces, a ton of spring onions and sesame seeds, and a side dish of wasabi which can be mixed into it for an even better flavor with a kick!
Classic Manga Collection
On the left-hand side are shelves with stacks upon stacks of classic “old school” Japanese manga.
Some of my all-time favorite series such as Rurouni Kenshin, Slam Dunk, and Ashita no Joe were on display.
I enjoyed flicking through some of these classics while waiting for my food to be served.
You could even read some of these comics while eating, but if you don’t trust yourself to not spill anything on the pages (like me), I’d advise against this.
All-in-all, the atmosphere, food, and service of Gohanya Homare are truly something special.
Kind-Hearted Staff
Special vibes take special people to make it happen, and that’s exactly the kind of people that were running this amazing noodle restaurant.
Not only did the staff welcome me with open arms despite my limited Japanese abilities, but they went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and happy.
Even though I’ve had soba noodles plenty of times in the past, the staff wanted to make sure I knew how to eat it so I get the best experience possible.
Using Google Translate, they explained to me that the broth was there for dipping in the noodles and tempura.
They also explained that the wasabi could be mixed in with the broth as preferred.
Despite knowing this already, I couldn’t help but express my gratitude to them for going the extra mile for me, so I simply thanked them instead of giving them the arrogant “I already know that.”
Upon paying for my meal at the register behind the curtains, the lady complimented my Japanese (albeit all I really said was “arigato“) and she handed me some take-home snacks as a “present.”
A wonderful experience to say the least!
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