改札出たら、2分でナカジマ : Nakajima Kaikan

On my irregular business trips to Nagano,
I can't pass by Nakajima Kaikan without stopping.
This time, I exited the Shinkansen ticket gate, turned right, and headed straight to Nakajima Kaikan.
I have nothing new to say about the taste, but as I lifted the heavy, thick porcelain bowl and slurped the broth,
I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me.
Even the slightly burnt green onions in the tempura have become a charming quirk.
After finishing my meal, it’s time to get back to work.
So, I’ll head to the office.

Whenever I visit Nagano, I always make it a point to stop by Nakajima Kaikan for their soba, but I never expected to come back again on my way home.
Well, I love it, so it’s totally fine by me.
The tempura, which started to fall apart as I was taking pictures, had a delightful aroma from the charred green onions.
Has the darkness of the broth increased since my last visit? The condition of the dipping sauce was excellent.
I enjoyed it by mixing in the soba, which had a nice crunch.
It was absolutely fantastic.
The customer next to me even ordered an extra serving of kake soba while eating his tsukimi soba.
I was a bit surprised by that, but I chose to ignore it.
As I kept an eye on the time for my shinkansen, more and more customers came in, and soon it was almost full.
You won’t find such a bustling standing soba shop anywhere else in Nagano.
I’m sure I’ll stop by again the next time I visit!

It's been about three years since my last visit.
I actually wanted to stop by first thing in the morning, but ended up coming just 15 minutes before my Shinkansen departure.
Oh no, they ran out of tempura… Normally, I would leave the restaurant if there’s no tempura, but since I came all this way, I decided to go for the Tsukimi Soba instead.
Oh, the broth seems milder this time. I remember it being stronger before.
Well, that might just be a coincidence. I was surprised by how crispy the soba noodles were.
Is it this way because it’s Tsukimi, or is it because it’s not a tempura soba? I’ll need to investigate further!

On a business trip, I made a visit to Nakajima Kaikan after quite a while.
I was relieved to see that they are still in operation.
The prices seem to be unchanged, so this time I’ll go for the Tempura Soba.
Inside the restaurant, there are acrylic dividers, a necessity in today’s times.
Oh, let’s enjoy this tempura before it gets soggy!

The dipping sauce is undeniably the dark soy sauce, which is on the richer side.
The aroma of the dashi wasn’t as noticeable as last time, but the flavor was still intensely rich.
The contrast with the tempura that can get soggy quickly is quite appealing.
Back in the day, the tempura used to hold up a little better.
Still, I enjoyed the nostalgic taste of the dark soy sauce soba.

When you visit Nagano Station, a bowl from Nakajima Kaikan is definitely a must-try. Truly delightful.

Anyway, it's a nostalgic name.
I was once very much taken care of here.
For me, it feels like a significant turning point in my dark soy sauce noodle journey.
I only have vague memories of it being very flavorful.
However, I was quite shocked when I learned that the restaurant had closed its business.
I thought to myself, 'Will I never be able to taste that flavor again?'
This feeling of loss, almost as if I've lost something precious, is undeniable.

Afterward, I tried to track down any continuation of the Nakajima Kaikan lineage, but I couldn't find any conclusive evidence, and that brings us to today.

But then, I came across the news that the beloved noodles from back in the day had made a grand comeback through a review from a certain someone.
Once I found out, my natural instinct was to try it, no matter what.
However, since the location isn’t the most convenient, I hadn’t had the chance until now.
Finally, my visit became a reality. Thank you, god of standing soba!

I apologize for the lengthy introduction, but the restaurant is located on the same floor just outside the ticket gates of Nagano Station.
The name proudly displayed is Nakajima Kaikan. The symbolic crab logo I was once familiar with is still intact.
Upon entering the now beautifully tidy interior, I chose tempura soba from a vending machine that wasn't there previously.
I seem to remember there being more options, but I always ended up ordering tempura or tempura with an egg.

The tempura soba arrived. The bowl seems compact compared to before.
Taking a sip of the broth, I wondered, 'Did it always smell this much of bonito?'
I recall it used to say 'We use dried bonito.'
The flavor of the dashi spreads in my mouth; it might be a bit different than I remember, but it’s definitely not bad.
Yes, it's quite umami-rich!
Next, the tempura. It was initially crispy, but from the moment it was served, it soaked up the broth gradually,
and by the time I was about to eat, it had already swollen to a nice plumpness.
This is exactly what I was looking for!
This soggy tempura brings back memories of the tempura from my childhood udon dishes.
And the combination of that tempura with the dark soy sauce broth is undoubtedly the foundation of my current dark soy sauce noodle consumption lifestyle.

The direction of the broth may have changed a bit compared to before, but honestly, who cares about the details!
What matters is that the Nakajima Kaikan soba, which symbolizes a significant epoch for me, has joyfully returned.

Even though I know it's not good for my health, I finish the broth completely.
It's as if I'm filling in the blank spaces of my life created by losing Nakajima Kaikan.
And without a second thought, I said 'Thank you for the meal' and walked out of the restaurant.

Honestly, I wanted to ask the staff a lot of things.
But I held back and left the place feeling a little regretful.

Anyway, welcome back!