I know I am, zaru you?

Recently I found myself hiking through the mountains in the rurals, when I happened across this udon and soba shop. Kind of a strange thing about Japan, but delicious places are often out in the middle of nowhere sitting all by themselves. I went inside to find a narrow hallway of a place already filled with families and a soccer team.

what could be simpler?

This area isn't known for soba - Japanese buckwheat noodles - as well as other areas, so it's somewhat rare to find. I ordered it zaru, which means it comes as is, cooled noodles on a big plate with a pot of tsuyu broth for dipping. Soba tsuyu is basically a thinned dashi with some soy, and then they often give you wasabi to mix in as you like. Yes, I happen to like a lot, thanks for asking.

I know some people are confused by a giant plate of noodles and only noodles. Isn't there supposed to be a sauce or a chicken breast on it or something? But I've come to appreciate the simplicity of it. If the noodles are made well, it's quit delicious. As a lunch, the simple carbohydrates keep slow-burning away until dinner when you're feeling pleasantly hungry again. And hey, if the amazingly culinary Italians like pasta with just a little olive oil on it (and they do), this doesn't seem so strange.

Thoth Coffee

Whenever I stumble across a humble little location serving up what it does the best it can do, it kind of just gets me right here. Thoth coffee is a small coffee brewery and coffee shop that offers original blends, antique coffee-ware, and light meals. The service is friendly and speedy, and the atmosphere is clean, natural chic.

basil and meat sauce doria

For lunch I went with the basil and meat sauce doria. Doria is a dish in Japan that is made by baking cooked rice with various ingredients and cheese - I know this may not sound very typical of Japanese cuisine, but it is a version of a food that they imported from France - it can be thought of as a sort of gratin made with rice.

It was served piping hot (actually too hot to eat) and speedily, in fact I was surprised at how quickly the meal arrived after my order. The flavors were ok without being spectacular, but the coffee more than made up for it.

there's a raccoon in my perfectly heated 55 C cappuccino

Along with the cappuccino I had ordered, I finished the meal with a slice of orange chiffon cake that had a dollop of cream on it - very light and airy but pleasant with the coffee. The cappuccinos at Thoth are served at exactly 55 degrees Celsius, which is the perfect temperature at which the aromas of the milk and the coffee beans can both be savored, as well as consequently being just the right drinking temperature on arrival.

On my way out, I couldn't help but pick up a bag of their dark roast blend, upon which they offered to grind the beans to a variety of specifications. And all-around wonderful experience. I went with grinds for drip-filter, by the way. Hats off to them!

If in the Kagawa area, Thoth Coffee can be found at -
769-0201 Kagawa-ken Ayauta-gun
Utazu-chō Hamaichibancho 3-8