This outstanding soba restaurant is easily one of the most affordable Michelin-rated meals in Osaka, with a serving of buckwheat noodles costing as little as ¥1,100. The downside is that Takama is only open for about three hours over lunch. And oh, there’s always a queue. The tiny restaurant can only seat 12 diners, eight across a communal table and four around a smaller one.
But good things come to those who wait. Takama offers two types of noodles: mori is the regular style of soba made from hulled buckwheat flour (known as marunuki) while the inaka soba uses whole buckwheat flour, hull and all. The latter looks rough and rustic, but it’s revelatory in its firmer bite and nuttiness – definitely a winner in our books. You can enjoy the soba as is with a dipping sauce or have it served with either an assortment of tempura (¥2,600) or a hot duck broth for dipping (¥2,000).
You’d be remiss to skip the small but well-curated list of side dishes. The delightful dashimaki-tamago (rolled omelette) and the moreish yaki-miso (grilled miso with leek and buckwheat seeds) make for a good snack while waiting for your noodles. But the true standout is the umami-rich tofu no misozuke (tofu pickled in miso for six months). Something of an acquired taste, it’s got a salty pungency and ganache-like texture that are reminiscent of good cheese.