After exploring various places within Nara Park, it was time for lunch. There are several restaurants inside Nara Park, and especially if you head south from Todai-ji’s southern gate, you’ll find a cluster of restaurants and general stores. Despite browsing through different places, I couldn’t find the exact menu I was looking for.
Even though it was late September, the daytime temperatures were still around 28-30 degrees Celsius, making it quite a hot day. Due to the heat, my appetite wasn’t at its peak, and I was considering having something refreshing like cold soba.
“Nara, Nara Park Udon Restaurant, Tokyo-an Honten”
At the intersection in front of Todai-ji, where various restaurants are concentrated, I discovered a restaurant called “Tokyo-an Honten.” It offered diverse menus, including udon and soba, and the prices seemed reasonable. Since it was a bit past the usual lunchtime, I didn’t have to wait in line, allowing me to enter and have my meal promptly.
Because of the hot weather affecting my appetite, I decided to go for something simple and ordered cold soba. Although I had expected chilled soba, it was served warm, which was a bit surprising.
“A Place Where You Could Enjoy a Bowl of Warm Soba”
While I had initially anticipated cold soba, the unexpected warm serving turned out to be fine. In fact, having warm food felt healthier than consuming something cold in such hot weather. The meal was satisfying, considering I didn’t have much appetite due to the heat. The weather was scorching outside, and I kept hydrating myself by drinking water before and after the meal. Whenever it seemed like water might spill from my cup, the person waiting at the adjacent table kindly passed a water bottle, which was fortunate.
Thanks to this, I could quickly finish a simple lunch at Nara Park and ensure adequate hydration.
“Nara, Nara Park Udon Restaurant, Tokyo-an Honten”
- Address: 23-3 Kasuganocho, Nara, 630-8212, Japan
- Phone: +81742222960
- Website: Tokyo-an Honten
- Business Hours: 11:00 – 16:00