You can say Suzuichi is the one of the most famous stand-in soba shop in Yokohama. Located in the small ally just outside the Sotetsu Line JOINUS building, there is always a line of customers waiting. Once you see the customers standing outside the shop in the ally eating their soba, you will remember the sight forever.
■Soba: Packed boiled noodle made by one of the major manufactures. Has fluffy feel. The thickness of the noodles varies.
■Soup: Has nice dashi(※2). Kaeshi(※3)is little strong with nice crispy fragrance of soy-sauce. Has little sourness and little sweetness.
■Kakiage: Thick batter. You can say the batter is the main ingredient.
Soft noodle with little salty soup. An orthodox taste which is loved by many old-timers. The soup especially remains in your memory. There is nothing particularly stand out but has great balance as a stand-in soba. There is a craving for soba like these.
Soba is served just after you order. The Suzuichi style is just grabbing the bowl and wooden chopstick and walk outside to eat. Even there is a space inside the shop, I would like to have my soba outside. Eating your soba outside the shop makes the Suzuichi feel real.
Once outside, you need to find the best place to eat. Right to the shop, there was a customer sitting on the ground and enjoying the soba. You probably say that spot is a VIP spot where you can watch the entrance of the train station and police station while eating your soba. It is a great spot but sitting on the ground has little high bar.
My favorite spot to eat is this fence just next to the red post box. You can sit on the fence and have your soba without bothering the pedestrians. There was a customer already. Maybe it is his favorite spot too.
Between the Suzuichi fans, there are two important unspoken rules. One is always have your soba outside even there is a space inside the shop. The second is always face the shop while eating. Most of customers will eat like in the picture. The reason is probably even you are having your soba across the street, facing the shop and the owner makes your spot feel part of the soba shop.
The shop is located just across the train station, so there is a lot of people. On weekends, it is so crowded that it is hard to just walk through. Even in that crowded situation, the customers hold on to their soba and enjoy while standing against the stream of pedestrians. You must forgive these soba lovers since they just want to enjoy the soba.
■DATA
Address: Kanagawa-ken Yokohama-shi Nishi-ku Minamisaiwai 1-11-1
Access: 1min walk from HR Tokaido/Sotetsu line Yokohama Station
Always Open
Grade: A Three-Star Sobaya
(※1)Deep-fried battered mixture of seafood, meat, and vegetables
(※2)Seafood broth mainly made with Katsuobushi (Bonito flakes)
Katsuobushi is dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna
(※3)Soy-sauce based soup stock