Around the Tokyo Skytree Observatory and its vicinity, you can find various restaurants and shops, reminiscent of the diverse offerings around Seoul’s Namsan Tower and Lotte World Tower. After enjoying the Tokyo night view from the Skytree Observatory, we decided to head back to the ground, and right next to the entrance where you can ascend to the Skytree Observatory, we discovered a building called “Solamachi.”
- Tokyo Skytree Observatory: Tokyo, Japan’s Tallest Building. ‘Skytree’
“Soramachi (Solamachi) Dining Area near Tokyo Skytree Observatory”
Located to the east of the Skytree Observatory, Soramachi is a building housing various restaurants and small shops. As it was time for dinner, we deliberated on where to dine and ended up choosing a “Japanese-style Udon restaurant” with a distinctly Japanese atmosphere.
“Udon Honjin Yamadaya House (うどん本陣山田家 東京ソラマチ店) at Soramachi”
Leading our way through Soramachi’s dining area, we settled on a restaurant called “Honjin Yamadaya House.” The overall ambiance of the establishment exuded a traditional Japanese feel, from the entrance to the interior, making it an impressive place.
“A Variety of Udon Offered at the Restaurant”
As an udon specialty restaurant, they naturally offered a variety of udon dishes. Among the choices, I opted for the “Kamabukake” udon, a seemingly basic menu item that turned out to be a special type of udon to be mixed before eating. Although I usually prefer spicy noodles, on this occasion, I wanted a warm udon with broth. Unfortunately, this menu choice turned out to be another misstep in my selection.
“Another Menu Mishap: Motsu Nikomi (もつ煮込み)”
My British friend, who was traveling with me, decided to order an additional item aside from the basic udon. Without knowing what it was, he chose the “Motsu Nikomi” menu. From the pictures, it looked like a stew, and that was the reason for our order. Later, when writing this, I realized that “Motsu (もつ)” refers to animal innards, and “Nikomi (煮込み)” means a dish simmered or boiled. So, “Motsu Nikomi” was essentially a simmered animal innards stew.
While the dish was hot and tasted okay when served, as it cooled down, the distinctive unpleasant smell of the innards became more pronounced, making it challenging to enjoy the dish. Whether this was the intended taste and aroma of Japanese innard dishes or if it was a result of the restaurant not preparing the food properly was unclear. Nevertheless, after experiencing a failed attempt at a chicken gizzard dish in a Japanese-style Chinese restaurant called “Gin Fukugen” on the first day and now another ordering mishap, it was both amusing and perplexing.
Despite these culinary mishaps, the consecutive failures in food choices made this Tokyo trip more memorable. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected experiences that leave a lasting impression during travels. Although there were regrets in food selections, the trip became a tale to be recounted and remembered for a long time.
“Japan Tokyo, Skytree, Udon Restaurant Honjin Yamadaya House (うどん本陣山田家 東京ソラマチ店)”
- Address: 1 Chome−1−2 Tokyo Skytree Town, Soramachi, Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0045, Japan
- Phone Number: +81 3-5809-7023
- Website: Yamadaya House
- Operating Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM