Chayakado

The place is smaller than expected; if you’re going for the nagashi somen, they only have about 14 seats at a time for it, and they seat people in batches. After you’re seated it’s a pretty quick dining experience though. I initially thought they’d require diners to use separate chopsticks to take the noodles from the bamboo raft and to eat, but I saw people use the same pair of chopsticks so I followed suit. So it’s definitely not recommended for those who are extremely conscious of contamination. The food itself tasted pretty average. It’s mostly just the experience that makes it unique, and even then it would probably just be a one time thing as it is somewhat impractical.

Visited on 25th March, hoping to try the famous Nagashi Somen, only to find out it hadn’t started yet. Unfortunately, there was no information on the website, and we learned it only runs from April to October — a bit disappointing for those planning a trip around it. The restaurant is run by two elderly locals, adding a charming, homely vibe. However, they only speak Japanese, so we relied on Google Translate to navigate the menu — a bit of a challenge but manageable. Eventually ordered soba and donburi. The food was decent but unremarkable — a simple, comforting meal but not something I’d go out of my way for. Would I return? Maybe for the Nagashi Somen, but otherwise, it’s an average spot with a cozy atmosphere.

Chayakado does flowing nagashi somen, I ordered the dipping sauce with tempura set for ¥2,200. It was my first time trying nagashi somen, so it was an interesting experience, but the bamboo “runway” for the somen is really short, like a few meters, so it felt a bit strange since I expected something more like the long bamboo shoots you see in videos set in nature. This setup is in a small backyard with seating for about 10 people (5 on each side), so it doesn’t have that wow factor, and the whole vibe is more manmade than natural. The food itself was just okay, the dipping sauce was a bit diluted compared to the richer, well-balanced cold soba tsuyu dipping sauces I’ve had elsewhere. Overall, it felt overpriced for what you get, and I was a bit disappointed since I traveled quite a bit just for this. But it was still a unique experience to try once.

I've had Nagashi Somen on my bucket list for this Japan trip of mine. The dish seems to be more common in the south but luckily we found this place. The owner had really good service and has created a really good vibe in the back yard of the restaurant. The somen was really good but the dipping sauce was not that rich. 5/5 would recommend.

THE WORST JAPAN SERVICE . First, Only a very short tube for the noodles. THEN, Terrible service in Japan. The staff moved food tray and changed our seat for other guest coming in without any request. And it happened 4 times! For the food, very normal and the tempura is poor. I should believe the score in tabelog, it has only 3.18 score on it. POORRRRRRRRRR!

I finally got to experience the fun of Nagashi Somen, and it was unforgettable! For ¥2600, I had a set with dipping sauce, grated yam, tempura, and extra soup. Arriving early meant I had the entire place to myself, and there’s no time limit for eating. The handmade somen flows down a bamboo channel with water, and you catch and eat it. The auntie owner thoughtfully observes when you're ready for more noodles. It's an endless serving until you signal to stop. The dipping sauce was hearty and savoury but diluted over time due to the water from the noodles. Despite this, it remained enjoyable. The tempura was excellent—light, crispy, and not greasy—featuring three vegetables, a shrimp, and a fish piece. It added a delightful crunch to the meal. This unique somen experience is seasonal, available only from April to October. Reservations are not accepted, and it’s cash only. Don’t miss it if you're in the area!

It is more the fun than the food. There are only maybe 14 places on the noodle slide, so depending on your arrival (last accept of guest is at 4 pm!!!) you will first fall in line, hopefully inside the Aircon room. Then you will get a waiting table (after 25 minutes in our case) where you can order drinks. After something more than 30 Minutes (depending on the current situation), your place outside on the noodle slide is prepared and you change your place for the last time. This is now the main meaning: catch cold noodles out of a bamboo slide, dipp it into your ordered sauce and ... eat! You will eat for something like 15 to 20 minutes until you are full. No time limit. The sauce and the noodles are good, no Tourist Trapp. Cold and not overwhelming. But good. Fun is about 1000 to 1.300 yen per head not included the bottled or drafted (!!) beer. Walk is from the Kita station for about 13 minutes, no bus I think. I expected more, but it was a nice visit and we don't like to miss it.

We didn't get to try the nagashi somen as it’s only available from April to October. However, we arrived in December and the other food items were also very nice. Very quiet and nice atmosphere.