01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
At Hakuan, you can choose anything from half a serving of seiro soba to a generous three-serving portion. The menu describes it as handmade soba made with new-season flour from Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture, or domestic flour selected according to the season. It is praised for its firm texture and fragrance. One diner who ordered the tempura seiro reportedly enjoyed the prawn, squid and vegetable tempura as snacks with a drink, alternating between them and the soba. A plain seiro makes a meal of the noodles, while the special tempura seiro adds tempura; either can suit lunch or a meal with a little sake.
Another house specialty is fresh tuna shipped directly from Ishigaki Island. Hakuan says it buys the fish whole, making a range of cuts available, including fatty and lean tuna, scraped meat from the backbone and collar. They are served as sashimi, in rice bowls or grilled collar. One diner chose a fresh tuna bowl at lunch and had the miso soup changed to cold soba.
In the evening, food can be paired with regional sake. From 20, the restaurant says it operates its counter-only “Nihonshu BAR Yoru Hakuan”. The listed offerings include a “slightly tipsy set” of one glass of sake and three small dishes, as well as a five-item assortment of snacks that may include smoked food and sashimi. The choices lend themselves to a light drink on your own or a meal that ends with soba.
