Japanese soba shops: Noodles and fries just the beginning of new menu items

AROUND THE BLOCK

News with a Twist

Japanese station noodle stands looking to broaden appeal beyond middle-aged men

Introducing new special meals

(Note to readers: Since Around The Block staffers lived in Tokyo for several years, and visit Japan often, we publish occasional News with a Twist features from The Land of the Rising Sun)

Kyodo News reported today that noodle stands in and around Japanese train stations, traditionally the haunts of busy middle-aged male workers, are offering a range of new dishes to appeal more to women and young people.

Hankyu Hanshin Restaurants Co. began to serve noodles with French fries at its stand at Hankyu Juso Station in the city of Osaka in February last year. The ¥370 ($3.15) combo was noted on social networks and sold more than 3,000 meals in the month, about 10 times more than expected.

When it was pointed out the expected sales of 300 per month amounted to only about 10 meals per day, Hankyu Hanshin spokesperson, Sumiko Saito-Stein said, “Ah-so. Hai, we set our expectations fairly low because, after all, who expected that anyone would want to eat a meal of noodles AND French fries.” 

Saito-Stein went on to say “We took a cue from Western fast-food restaurants to attract women and young people by offering more health-conscious meals like noodles and fries.”

While at this point Hankyu Hanshin’s goals remain modest, competitor Nankei Soba is being much more aggressive, including the introduction of its latest new menu item, Tower Soba – noodles served with fried fish sticks rising like a tower out of the bowl — to commemorate the anniversary of the opening of Tsutenkaku Tower, a symbol of Osaka, in 1956.

Not to be outdone by Nankei, Hankyu Hanshin announced plans to offer its newest dish, Sky Tree Ramen, noodles topped with unagi (grilled eel), uni (sea urchin roe) and shiokara (salted and fermented fish guts) in a noodle tower rising ½ meter (1.6 feet) from the bowl in celebration of the tallest structure in Japan, the Tokyo Sky Tree.

In a far bolder move to broaden its appeal beyond middle-aged men and attracting women and young people, Fuji Soba, operator of 111 soba noodle restaurants in the Tokyo area is completely eliminating soba dishes from its menu, offering only cheeseburgers and fries. It will however, in a nod to tradition, maintain the name Fuji Soba and serve its burgers and fries in a large, broth-filled noodle bowl.