Standing soba restaurants, known as tachigui soba in Japan, are a uniquely Japanese fast food concept, serving one of Japan’s representative dishes – Japanese soba noodles – quickly and efficiently.
“Sobadokoro Kameya” (referred to hereafter as “Kameya”) is one of the capital’s quintessential popular soba restaurants. The Okachimachi branch, located near Ueno’s Ameyoko shopping street in Taito-ku (Taito Ward), is particularly convenient for tourists to visit during sightseeing.
Recently, it’s become common for “standing” soba shops to actually provide seating. At this location, there are no standing areas at all – only table seating with chairs and counter seats.
Once seated, simply call out to the kitchen staff behind the counter to place your order. The menu features about fifteen different dishes, all available with either soba or udon noodles. The most affordable option, “Kake Soba” (hot soba in simple broth), costs just 350 yen (tax included) – a remarkably reasonable price.
Popular dishes include tempura and shrimp tempura soba
Payment is made upfront when ordering, and only cash is accepted. Water is available free of charge from self-service dispensers. After finishing your meal, the custom is to return your dishes to the upper shelf of the counter.
Because of its popularity with international visitors, Kameya provides an English menu featuring its most frequently ordered dishes. Tourists can use this as a handy reference when selecting their meal.
The restaurant also offers additional tempura toppings and side dishes like onigiri (rice balls) and gomoku inari sushi (fried tofu pouch sushi). These make excellent additions to your noodle dish.
Uncompromised flavor: the secret to Kameya’s lasting popularity
The reason Kameya maintains its status as a popular standing soba restaurant is the surprising quality of its food, which far exceeds expectations for its affordable price point.
Unlike many tachigui soba shops that use pre-boiled factory-made noodles, Kameya stands out by using freshly boiled noodles made in-house.
They use the same high-quality soba flour found in famous soba restaurants, and even their wheat flour binder is a proprietary long-aged variety. The restaurant continuously refines its flour storage methods and noodle-making techniques in pursuit of the perfect flavor!
Kameya’s commitment to serving freshly boiled soba results in noodles with a pleasantly firm texture that’s unexpected in a standing soba shop!
That firm bite and rich flavor have won over many soba lovers.
Kameya’s most popular menu series is the “Tama Soba” line, featuring onsen tamago (soft-boiled egg). Among these, the most popular with international diners is “Ebi-Tama Soba.”
“えび玉そば,” Ebi-Tama Soba 610 JPY (tax included)
This visually impressive dish features a large shrimp tempura placed in the center.
The broth is made from a blend of aged bonito flakes, mackerel flakes, and other fish flakes. It pairs perfectly with the firm, chewy soba noodles and the plump, crispy shrimp tempura. For an even richer depth of flavor, mix in the onsen tamago, with its half-cooked yolk and soft, silky egg white that adds a creamy texture to the dish as well.
Don’t forget to try Kameya’s tempura as well!
Another reason for Kameya’s popularity is the quality of its tempura, particularly the kakiage (mixed-ingredient tempura fritter).
For those wanting to experience this delicious kakiage, “Ten-Tama Soba” comes highly recommended.
“天玉そば,” Ten-Tama Soba 530 JPY (tax included)
This dish, featuring a large kakiage and an onsen tamago, has many fans and is constantly being ordered.
The kakiage, made with onions, carrots, and chrysanthemum greens, is sure to impress with its generous size!
The kakiage is an impressive 3–4 cm (roughly 1.18–1.57 inches) thick. However, it remains deliciously crispy, further testament to the restaurant’s quality.
You can savor the kakiage in various ways – eating it first to appreciate its crispness, or dipping it in the broth to enjoy with the noodles. Try it out and enjoy it however you like!
The Ten-Tama Soba offers a level of satisfaction that belies its reasonable 530 JPY price tag, explaining why many customers have been regulars for years.
If you want to enjoy the firm, well-defined texture of the soba noodles, the cold soba menu is highly recommended.
“冷やし天玉そば, Hiyashi Ten-Tama Soba 550 JPY (tax included)
The “Hiyashi Ten-Tama Soba” features chilled, slightly rich broth topped with soba noodles, wakame seaweed, an onsen tamago, and crispy kakiage tempura cut into four pieces.
You can really savor the contrast between the smooth yet firm soba and the crunchy texture of the kakiage.
One of the best things about taishū soba (casual soba) shops is their affordability and quick service. At Kameya, however, you’ll find flavors that go beyond the usual casual dining quality.
With over 50 years of history, this traditional taste is one you won’t want to miss.
Information
| Store name | そば処 かめや 御徒町店 Sobadokoro Kameya Okachimachi |
|---|---|
| Address | Okachimachi Center Building 1F, 3-41-4 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo
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| Access |
Okachimachi Station Short walk from Exit 1
Okachimachi Station 6-minute walk from Okachimachi Station South Exit
Ueno-okachimachi Station 6-minute walk from Exit A8
Ueno Station（UEN） 9-minute walk from Exit 3
|
| Phone number | 03-3833-1380 |
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Payment |
|
| Service charge/Table charge | None |
| Hours | Mon- Fri. 6:30-21:30 Sat. & nat’l holidays 6:30-20:00（last order 22:00） |
| Closed | Sunday |
| Seating | 14 seats 10 counter seats, 4 table seats |
| Smoking | All seats are non-smoking |
| Official website | None |
| Other information |
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※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of April 2025.
