Nishin Soba: Kyoto's Warm Noodle Dish for Winter

Nishin soba is a winter dish from Kyoto that combines fish ("nishin" or herring) with the traditional noodle dish "soba." Although Kyoto, especially the current city area, isn't near the sea, herring has long been enjoyed as a preserved food in winter. Today, many restaurants serve it year-round, making it one of Kyoto's representative dishes.

I spent my graduate school days in Kyoto, but I actually didn't know about nishin soba until then. When I heard it was a popular local food in Kyoto, I decided to try it at "Matsuba," the most famous shop in Gion-Shijo.

I was amazed by the exquisite combination of the herring's sweetness and saltiness mixed with the soba broth. I couldn't help but think, "I wish I had known about this sooner!"

In this article, I'll introduce you to this dish in detail, including some great nishin soba restaurants that I still visit every time I go to Kyoto. I hope you'll get a chance to taste the charm of nishin soba, a quintessential winter flavor of Kyoto.

What is Nishin Soba?

Nishin soba is a local dish that has been loved as a winter tradition in Kyoto for many years. It's a dish where grilled or simmered herring is placed on top of soba noodles, and it's known as a winter staple menu item in Kyoto's long-established soba shops and traditional restaurants.

By the way, "soba" is a traditional Japanese dish that uses thin noodles made from buckwheat flour.

Interestingly, Hokkaido also has nishin soba, but while Hokkaido uses a strong soy sauce for the broth, Kyoto's version uses a lighter soy sauce and is characterized by a stronger saltiness.

When I first tasted nishin soba, I was surprised by its unique flavor. The saltiness of the herring perfectly matched the gentle taste of the soba broth, giving me a new taste experience I'd never had before.

I realized that Kyoto's delicate seasoning really brings out the charm of nishin soba.

The Origin of Nishin Soba

The history of nishin soba is old, with herring being valued as a preserved food as far back as 400 years ago in the Edo period. Even in Kyoto, a landlocked city, herring was a popular ingredient. In Kyoto's winters, which were poor in fish, herring became established as a valuable source of protein.

Initially, various dishes using herring were created, not just limited to soba, but gradually the style of placing herring on soba became common. I feel that nishin soba is packed with the history of Kyoto's food culture.

How to Eat Nishin Soba

Nishin soba is basically served as grilled herring on top of soba noodles in warm broth. Some shops add condiments like green onions.

My recommended way to eat it is to first break up the herring meat from the soba, add condiments, and eat it together with the soba. The umami of the herring and the flavor of the condiments spread in your mouth, harmonizing beautifully with the soba broth.

Since each shop has different seasonings for the broth and methods of cooking the herring, it's fun to try nishin soba at various shops and compare them.

Best Season for Nishin Soba

The best time to enjoy nishin soba is typically from mid-November to late February, with December and January being the peak season. The colder it is when you eat it, the more the flavor of the herring increases. Nishin soba can be said to be one of the representative winter flavors of Kyoto.

However, many shops require reservations during the New Year holiday season. This is because there's a Japanese tradition of eating soba during this time.

I once decided to eat nishin soba during the New Year and found that all the famous shops were fully booked. I ended up struggling to find a shop that didn't require reservations.

But outside the New Year season, you can enjoy nishin soba without needing to make reservations.

Famous Nishin Soba Restaurants in Kyoto

There are many famous nishin soba restaurants in Kyoto. Long-established soba shops and traditional restaurants offer nishin soba as a winter staple menu item.

Here, I'll introduce three recommended shops that I've actually visited. I'll also introduce shops where you can enjoy nishin soba even outside winter, so please give them a try!

Matsuba

Source: Tabelog by KUISINBOU Samurai

Matsuba is a famous nishin soba restaurant with over 150 years of history. Its unique feature is that nishin soba, typically a winter menu item, is available year-round. At about 2,000 yen per person, it's a bit pricey, but you can taste the best nishin soba here.

The main shop is a 1-minute walk from Keihan Gion-Shijo Station and about 5 minutes from Kawaramachi Station. There's also a branch inside the Shinkansen ticket gate at Kyoto Station, which is convenient to visit during sightseeing breaks.

The nishin soba I ate at Matsuba had an elegant broth and plump grilled herring that left a strong impression. As it was also the first place where I tried nishin soba, it's a place where you can fully enjoy the taste of Kyoto.

<Store Information>
Address: 192 Kawabatacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0075
Closed: Wednesdays  
Phone: 075-561-1451
Hours: 10:30 AM–8:30 PM
Website: http://www.sobamatsuba.co.jp/

Yagura

Source: Tabelog by yama-log

Yagura is a nishin soba restaurant with over 100 years of history, located near Matsuba. The appeal is that you can casually try nishin soba at a more reasonable price of about 1,500 yen compared to Matsuba.

You can order it year-round, and there are also nishin soba menus that change with the seasons.

I visited in winter, but the warm atmosphere of the interior, which made me want to come back in other seasons too, left an impression. It's a shop where you can enjoy the elegant taste of the city at an affordable price.

<Store Information>
Address: 211 Nakanocho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0075
Closed: Irregular
Phone: 075-561-1035 
Hours: 11:30 AM–8:30 PM
Website: http://www.yagura-net.com/

Hisago

Source: Tabelog by Hisago

Hisago is a soba and udon shop in the Gion-Shijo area that serves both nishin soba and nishin udon. Udon is characterized by thicker noodles than soba.

With good access from tourist areas, it's recommended as a place where you can easily taste nishin soba. However, they don't serve nishin soba during summer, so if you want to eat it for sure, visit in winter.

I visited here in December, and the flavor of the herring was superb. The broth had an elegant yet firm taste that warmed my chilled body.

I felt it was a perfect place for a short break after getting tired from sightseeing.

<Store Information>
Address: 484 Shimokawaracho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0825
Closed: Mondays, Fridays
Phone: 050-5485-8128
Hours: 11:30 AM–4 PM 
Website: https://kyotohisago.gorp.jp/

I've introduced nishin soba, a representative winter flavor of Kyoto, in detail.

The charm of nishin soba lies in its exquisite taste. The harmony created by the saltiness of the herring and the soba broth is an unforgettable deliciousness once you taste it.

Also, enjoying the different broth seasonings and herring cooking methods at each shop is part of the real pleasure of nishin soba.

When you come to Kyoto, please use this article as a reference to find your favorite nishin soba, from long-established famous shops to casual ones!