HOW TO ENJOY
Our recommended ways to enjoy Sara-soba at Nagisa-an
1, Taste Soba with several flavors
The broth of Soba noodle
The first broth is made from the best water, and the soup stock has been continuously added to since the establishment of the restaurant. Take a sip without adding anything and taste for yourself. The “top soup” used as the dipping sauce for Sara-soba is based on the Kaeshi, a broth that has been continuously added since the establishment of the restaurant. It is as thick, deep, and full-bodied as the gorgeous condiments used in the dish. Take a sip before adding condiments and enjoy the taste.
Taste Soba made from local buckwheat
Homemade Soba noodles are made mainly from buckwheat flour produced in Shiga Prefecture, which is also known as the highest quality buckwheat flour. Please eat Soba noodles without any dipping sauce first, and then eat the first plate with salt. The harvest of Shiga-grown buckwheat is not large, and it is a rare and high-end product. Although it is expensive and difficult to obtain a stable supply, as a Shiga Sara-soba restaurant, we would like to use Shiga-grown buckwheat flour.
2, Enjoy Soba with different styles
Enjoy "flavor changes" with a variety of condiments
Because of the abundance of condiments, you can enjoy changing the flavor by adding salt in the first dish, green onion in the second dish, wasabi in the third, yam in the fourth, chicken eggs in the fifth dish, and so on. If you find a condiment you like, use it next time.
Enjoy "extra" Soba noodles
In Izushi, there is a saying, “When a plate is piled up to the height of chopsticks, it is enough for one person”. Another feature of Sara-Soba is that you can add more Soba if you want. Please enjoy Soba to your heart’s content. Additional condiments and soup stock can also be added. (Additional Soba, condiments, and soup stock are available for an additional charge.)
Enjoy " Demon Extermination"
We consider buckwheat noodles to be a kind of demon, and eating Soba noodles is considered to be a way of exterminating demons. Soba is believed to be good for the body and was regarded as a food to break off bad karma, as is the custom of eating Soba on New Year’s Eve.
Let’s eat Soba for good luck and good health!
3, Reminisce about the culture and Soba
Thinking about the circulation of water
Shiga is land-based on water, as the word “Land of Omi” comes from the word “freshwater country. Water is the source of all things, and for us, water is vital. We believe that when you drink the soup stock of soba noodles, think about the circulation of water and appreciate the blessings of water, you will feel Shiga even more deeply, and the taste of soba noodles will be more deeply appreciated.
Thinking about "the flow of time”
Like the constant flow of water, time continues to flow. Lake Biwa has formed about 4 million years ago. The activities of people began around Lake Biwa amidst the flow of time. The culture of the Heian aristocracy as described in the Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, the religious culture of Mount Hiei, the Azuchi-Momoyama culture of Oda and Toyotomi, the culture of the Omi merchants, and so on.
We hope you will open your mind to the history and culture of Shiga while viewing the Otsu paintings.
Thinking back to the "Land of Omi”
Omi, the land of battles. During the Warring States Period, warlords heading for Kyoto passed through the Omi Plain, here. Many battles were fought in various places.
What did they think, what did they think, how did they fight, and how did they die? We hope you will enjoy our Soba noodles while thinking about the powerful men of the Warring States period in Omi, beyond the time.
