#851

Fast and Convenient Food in Japan

Standing Soba Noodle Stall Shops

The "stand and eat" style tachigui soba restaurants are designed for the thousands of Japanese businessmen who do not even have time to sit and eat their meals. Everything is fast at a tachigui soba place. In my opinion, the speed of a meal at a tachigui soba restaurant dwarfs the "fastness" of a fastfood chain like MacDonald's.

The tachigui soba experience first begins with the ticket machine, just like at a ramen place. You purchase the ticket for the soba or udon you want. This reduced the amount of time it would take to order your food and pay at a register. You hand the ticket to the cook over the counter. The cook may sometimes ask whether you want your noodles cold or warm. The food will take maximum 2 minutes. During peak hours, the noodles are usually cooking, even before you order, and so preparing your meal is only mixing your noodles with the right sauce. They will hand you your meal and you should take it to one of the "tachigui" counters. Although people around you will definitely be in a hurry, I recommend you add Negi (onions) and Shichimi (spicy powder) to your noodles. They will enhance the taste. Once you are ready, start slurping! Its what people do here and is considered even mannerly. Slurping is how you eat noodles Japanese style! Plus, if you don't slurp, you won't get enough of the sauce with your noodles and your bite won't be perfect.

Water is usually self service. Once you are finished, take your bowls to the return counter. You're then ready to go.

The good thing about tachigui soba places is that since everybody around you is in a hurry and there are no seats, it prevents you from slacking off at a restaurant. At a regular restaurant, you feel to comfortable and relaxed to return to work. Tachigui soba will be done in no time and you will feel obligated to return to work. That is probably one of the appeals of tachigui places to Japanese businessmen.

GenS image

GenS

Japan

GenS's other advice

Nagashi-Somen, Delicious Noodles in Japan images

Nagashi-Somen, Delicious Noodles in Japan

One of the best things I like about Japan is that the 4-season weather system is clearly reflected in the culture. In fall, you enjoy the changing colors and the sanma. Winter is for oranges in a war…

Best Soba in the Middle of Nowhere, Japan images

Best Soba in the Middle of Nowhere, Japan

Just last week I had the best soba in my life in the middle of nowhere, a five minute walk from Nakagami station on the Ome line. I was on a business trip on the way to a meeting at the Akishima city…

Best Izakaya in Yokohama, Japan images

Best Izakaya in Yokohama, Japan

By far my favourite izakaya is a place in Yokohama called Camp Yokohama. As its name may suggest, this particular izakaya is camping themed. Which of course means, MEAT! GOOD MEAT! CHEAP MEAAAAT!…

World's Most Comfortable Economy-class Seats on Skymark Airlines images

World's Most Comfortable Economy-class Seats on Skymark Airlines

When I boarded my Skymark airline flight last weekend for a short trip down to Fukuoka, I was shocked by how large the economy seats were. Initially I miss took the economy seats to be business class…

Cheapest Places for Karaoke in Japan images

Cheapest Places for Karaoke in Japan

Karatetsu is my go-to karaoke place. The reasons are clear. 1. Cheap2. Carries one of the most number of songs, which is perfect for someone like me who enjoys singing songs in English.The pr…

Best Way to Enjoy the FIFA World Cup in Japan images

Best Way to Enjoy the FIFA World Cup in Japan

Are you a soccer fanatic, bummed out that you won't be in Brazil to witness the excitement of the 2014 FIFA World Cup? Don't worry, even if you're here in Japan, on the opposite side of the globe, th…

You might also like

What to do at a Japanese Funeral | Funeral Etiquette images

What to do at a Japanese Funeral | Funeral Etiquette

Attending a Japanese funeral can be stressful, even shocking, if you don't know what to do. The more you know beforehand the better, as you'll be able to comfort and support mutual friends and their …

Former Deep Japan Writer image

Former Deep Japan Writer

Don't Wear Black in Japan images

Don't Wear Black in Japan

In Japan, the color white is attributed to happiness and good times. Death is a time of mourning and so people must dress in the color of depression, black. Men usually wear a black suit with a black…

GenS image

GenS

Yurei, Yokai and Obake: Japan's Very Busy Ghost Scene images

Yurei, Yokai and Obake: Japan's Very Busy Ghost Scene

Ghosts and spirits hold a place in the folklore of many cultures around the world. In the western world, Halloween, observed on October 31st, is a time for scary, spooky tales, while Latin America…

jdlawrence image

jdlawrence

Enjoy bath, Japanese style images

Enjoy bath, Japanese style

Enjoy taking bath with Babu(Bub), a popular Japanese bath tablet to Relax after Exploring Japan on Foot.All travelers know how sight seeing can be exhausting. Especially walking around on foo…

mimichan image

mimichan

Know your Receipts in Japan! images

Know your Receipts in Japan!

Are you in Japan on business and working with a Japanese firm? Will you be taking your clients out for a meal?Recently I have been doing some consulting work for one of Japan’s eminent Chinese cuis…

5@example.com image

5@example.com

5 Traditional Japanese Villages to Explore images

5 Traditional Japanese Villages to Explore

The rural area of Japan is quite worth an exploration. Many villages in Japan have typical Japanese styles. Although they are quite far away from big cities, you can enjoy enchanting natural views an…

Alexlovetravel image

Alexlovetravel