It gets a bit cool in June in Japan since this month is when we start to have the rainy season. But however cool, the temperature is often around 20 degrees Celsius or more, and we need to have something cold as meals. When I went to the countryside the other day, I dropped by this Soba restaurant to have cold Soba or "Zaru Soba".
I think there are not so many Soba restaurants that belong to a chain. Rather, soba restaurants are often owned by a family and that's one of the reasons we see a good one in the countryside too.
When I got in I saw this sacred shelf called "Kamidana". People enshrine their local god there who is also enshrined in some shrines. You could go to a shrine to pray for your well-being, but this "Kamidana" is often a place where people could pray anytime at home. You can see two white bottles that include Japanese liquor "Sake". People often offer such a thing for the god.
This cat is called "Maneki Neko", or a "beckoning cat" that is said to bring more customers to your shop. You can see his left hand beckoning you. It originated in the 18th century in Japan, and farmers also have had it for their homes since a cat repels mice.
I ordered this "Zaru Soba" with Tempura. I hadn't been kept waiting for a long time before this was served. Maybe the chef had been already prepared to cook this in preparation for many customers that he has over the weekend.
We often have a fried prawn as Tempura, but what you can see is all wild vegetables. One of them was "Fuki no Tou", which is a part of the stalk of a Chrysanthemum flower. It tasted a bit bitter for me. And I had fried apple as well on the dish. My friends and I ordered the same dish and we enjoyed it a great deal.
I think I will have more "Zaru Soba" as we have hotter weather. You'd enjoy it with wasabi like you do with sushi.
