Soba is one of Japan’s most iconic traditional dishes. If you’re looking to enjoy authentic soba conveniently and at a reasonable price, tachigui soba (standing soba) restaurants are a great way to do so.
Located near Shinjuku Station, a bustling area packed with shoppers and tourists, “Shinshūya Shinjuku minamiguchi” (referred to hereafter as “Shinshuya”) is one such stand-and-eat soba spot. It’s a popular restaurant that’s busy from morning to night.
Ordering is easy. After entering the shop, head to the register at the back and tell the staff what you’d like. Don’t forget to pay upfront at this point.
Once you’ve paid, take a seat and wait for your food. It’ll be ready in just a few minutes.
When your dish is ready, the staff will call out the name of your order from the kitchen counter — just head over and pick it up.
Water is self-service. It’s free, but you need to get it yourself.
Soba noodles lose their texture the longer they sit after boiling. What sets Shinshuya apart is that even though it’s a budget-friendly standing soba shop, it offers authentic, high-quality soba.
The restaurant’s motto is “freshly made, freshly fried, freshly boiled” because they want customers to enjoy soba—and everything else they serve—at its absolute best.
Their signature soba noodles are made fresh in-store using a soba-making machine.
Shinshuya’s noodles have a pleasantly firm texture while being slightly chewy.
The restaurant uses carefully selected buckwheat and meticulously milled buckwheat flour from Nagano Prefecture.
After boiling the noodles and then chilling them in cold water, you’ve got authentic, delicious Japanese soba—ready to serve.
Shinshuya offers both standing counters and seated tables. Having chairs in standing soba shops is not uncommon these days.
So some might wonder, “What’s the difference between regular soba restaurants and standing soba shops?”
The key feature of standing soba shops is the incredibly fast service and ease of eating. Speed is what matters most.
Whether you actually stand to eat has become less relevant. In that sense, standing soba shops are one of Japan’s classic fast food options.
Taste the freshness? Shinshuya’s most popular dishes
The most popular menu item at Shinshuya is the “Toku-mori,” which is an extra-large serving of soba.
While the standard “Mori soba” contains 220 g (7.8 oz) of noodles, the Toku-mori has 500 g (17.6 oz)—more than double!
Its mountain-like presentation and volume are sure to stir your appetite. It also comes with two servings of dipping sauce, so you can enjoy it all the way to the last bite.
“徳もり,” Toku-mori 650 JPY (tax included)
If you’d like to savor the flavor of soba and dashi broth, it’s recommended to order hot soba.
In the Kanto region, soba topped with a pouch of fried tofu is called “kitsune soba.”
“きつねそば,” Kitsune Soba 490 JPY (tax included)
Shinshuya’s version features a large rectangular piece of house-made aburaage (deep-fried tofu) simmered in the same dashi used for the soba broth.
It’s thick, fluffy, and slightly sweet — bite into it and you’ll get a burst of flavorful broth.
Another hallmark of standing soba shops is the availability of soba-and-rice-bowl sets.
Rice bowl sets are also popular at Shinshuya.
“かつ丼セット,” Katsudon Set 920 JPY (tax included)
The “Katsudon Set” combines soba with the highly popular katsudon (rice bowl topped with breaded and fried pork cutlet). You can choose either hot soba or cold soba.
At Shinshuya, pork loin is used for the tonkatsu in katsudon, resulting in a very tender texture. This voluminous katsudon offers a truly satisfying bite.
Some might worry that even though they want to enjoy katsudon and soba, it may be a bit too much food for them. For those cases, smaller sized bowls are available, so don’t fret.
If you want to fully experience the “freshly fried” part of Shinshuya’s motto, be sure to order the tempura.
All the tempura dishes have a great crispy, crunchy batter texture when you bite into them, without being overly greasy!
Among these, the “5 Kinds of Tempura Platter” features popular tempura items including kakiage (mixed-ingredient tempura fritter), pumpkin, whiting, maitake mushrooms, and shrimp all in one dish.
“５種の天ぷら盛合せ,” 5 Kinds of Tempura Platter 760 JPY (tax included)
Kakiage is a popular dish at any standing soba shop. It’s one of the dishes where a shop’s individuality really shows through in the ingredients and frying method.
“かき揚げ,” Kakiage
Shinshuya’s kakiage consists of chrysanthemum greens, carrots, and scallions, distinguishably fried with a thinner batter.
While it’s great paired with soba, it’s also recommended to enjoy with a drink, such as draft beer on tap in the shop.
Power up in the morning with a soba breakfast set!
Located right next to the Busta Shinjuku bus terminal, Shinshuya opens early at 7:00 AM and attracts many tourists looking for a good breakfast.
A top pick for morning visitors is the “Morning Set.”
“モーニングセット,” Morning Set 520 JPY (tax included)
The Morning Set includes soba, rice, raw egg, tanuki—also called tenkasu (crispy tempura bits)—soba soup, and tempura bowl sauce.
It’s a set menu that allows you to enjoy not just soba but also egg over rice, providing a filling meal from the morning.
The classic way to enjoy egg over rice is using Shinshuya’s special tempura bowl sauce. However, it’s also recommended to put the raw egg and tanuki in the soba soup that comes with the set and eat it with rice.
Find your favorite way to enjoy it!
Return counter
After finishing everything, be sure to return your dishes to the return counter near the back.
No matter what you order, you’ll be surprised at the quality and freshness for the price at Shinshuya.
If you’re short on time but still want to eat something tasty, this is the perfect place for you!
Information
| Store name | 信州屋 新宿南口店 Shinshūya Shinjuku minamiguchi |
|---|---|
| Address | New Asahi Building 1F, 3-35-18 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
|
| Access |
Shinjuku Station（SJK） 3-minute walk from Shinjuku Station South Exit
|
| Phone number | 03-5312-7033 |
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Payment |
|
| Service charge/Table charge | None |
| Hours | 7:30-23:15 |
| Closed | January 1st |
| Seating | 30 seats 16 standing counter seats, 14 seated counter seats |
| Smoking | All seats are non-smoking |
| Official website | https://kumagaicorp.jp/brand/%E4%BF%A1%E5%B7%9E%E5%B1%8B/ |
| Other information |
|
※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of April 2025.
