At Kyoto Ogawa Yakusho, we are offering a menu featuring ‘Handa Somen’, a traditional ingredient from Tokushima Prefecture, which we highly recommend you try on 7 July, ‘Somen Day’.
Handa Somen is a type of hand-stretched somen noodle that has been produced for many years in the Handa area of Tsurugi Town, Mima District, Tokushima Prefecture. It is thicker than standard somen and is characterised by its firm texture and satisfying mouthfeel.
It has been passed down through the generations as a traditional flavour rooted in a specific region of Tokushima.
At Kyoto Ogawa Yakusho, you can enjoy this Handa Somen in three different ways: at the café on the ground floor, at the restaurant on the first floor, and from the shop.
The ground-floor café is serving ‘Handa Somen with a hint of sudachi’ as a summer-only special.
With the refreshing scent of sudachi—so characteristic of Tokushima—and the unique chewy texture and smooth mouthfeel of Handa somen, this dish is perfect for the hot summer months.
The restaurant on the second floor serves Handa somen noodles to round off the set menu.
On the luxury course, you can savour ‘Karasumi Somen’, a dish combining Handa somen with karasumi.
The rich umami of the karasumi is perfectly complemented by the thickness and springiness of the Handa somen, creating a dish where the aroma and depth of flavour unfold with every bite.
Furthermore, true to its heritage as a 100-year-old herbal medicine company, Kyoto Ogawa Yakusho adds depth to the flavour by incorporating several types of herbal ingredients.
More than just a novelty, this dish—where the saltiness of karasumi, the firm bite of Handa somen and the subtle aroma of the herbal ingredients intertwine—is a ‘final course unique to Kyoto Ogawa Shoyaku that can only be savoured here’.
By deliberately choosing thick Handa somen rather than thin somen, the umami of the karasumi clings to the noodles, creating a flavour that leaves you feeling thoroughly satisfied right to the very end.
Although served as the final course of a meal, it is such a luxurious summer speciality that you’ll find yourself wanting to visit the restaurant just for this dish.
Retail sales of Handa Somen
To mark ‘Somen Day’ on 7 July, Kyoto Ogawa Yakusho is offering ways to enjoy ‘Handa Somen’—a traditional ingredient from Tokushima—by ‘eating, buying and taking home’.
