Nezu Kamachiku
根津 釜竹 · Nezu Kamachiku
- Ward
- Bunkyo
- Price
- ¥900~2,000
- Hours
- 11:30-14:30 (L.O.14:00) / 17:0
- Closed
- Mon, Sunday evenings
- Getting there
- 5 min walk from Nezu Stn
- Founded
- 2005
- The menu spells out the order
- For zaru udon you can choose thick or thin noodles
- The building is a converted Meiji-era stone warehouse
We do not republish copyrighted photographs. Use the links below to see the actual venue.
Obvious to locals, invisible to visitors
There is a simple reason guidebooks leave this out: to the people who live here it is too obvious to be worth explaining.
The menu spells out the order: first the broth alone, then spring onion, then tenkasu, then shichimi, and ginger last. Follow it and one bowl changes flavour four times. The tenkasu here is so un-greasy that some people eat it on its own.
For zaru udon you can choose thick or thin noodles. The thin ones are rolled out repeatedly after you order, so they take longer — and come out considerably springier.
The building is a converted Meiji-era stone warehouse, redesigned in 2005 by the architect Kengo Kuma. High ceilings, exposed beams, and a garden visible through glass.
They coin the term menzenshu — the drink you have before the noodles. The sake list rotates fortnightly so even regulars find something new, and there is a proper range of snacks to drink alongside.
What it is
Bunkyo is a ward of universities, slopes and quiet residential streets. It may open only for lunch, or close the moment ingredients run out. Supply outranks the posted hours here. First time? Order the top item. It is usually what the kitchen has been making longest. Arrive at opening and seating is no issue — though turnover is brisk, so lingering is hard. If you want photos, just ask first — permission is usually given readily. If you return, come at a different hour — the impression changes considerably.
What to order
Why locals keep coming
Most customers live within walking distance. Disappoint them once and they never return — which keeps the floor high. Prices have barely moved in a decade, meaning the shop has absorbed much of the rise in ingredient costs.