New on Ruijin Yi Lu is Tokyo Ichimi, a standing soba noodle shop serving soulful bowls of noodles with tempura toppings — a rare gem in Shanghai’s dining scene.
Tachigui Dining Culture
Tokyo Ichimi is a tachigui soba shop. Tachigui literally translates to “eating while standing,” a fast dining concept deeply ingrained in Japan’s urban culture. Rooted in the fast-paced life of urban Japan, especially in bustling cities like Tokyo and Osaka, these standing eateries offer a quick yet high-quality meal option for those on the go. Offerings are usually affordable too.
You don’t see many of these in Shanghai!
Tokyo Ichimi
The shop’s setup is unapologetically spartan: counters on both sides against the wall and two wide tables. I did spot a few folded stools tucked away in a corner, perhaps for those unaccustomed to the notion of standing through a meal.
This modest eatery is helmed by Yokoyama Yukihiko, a chef with roots in Tokyo and Nagano, the latter region famous for its buckwheat noodles. Chef Yukihiko is no stranger to Shanghai, and has been plying his trade here for over 14 years. In addition to the soba shop, he also cooks at a yakitori restaurant.
Soba Noodles at Tokyo Ichimi
At Tokyo Ichimi, the focus is clear: excellent soba, done right, and really affordable at ¥29 a bowl.
The star of the show here is the broth, a golden-hued elixir made from dashi, a fundamental Japanese broth made with kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes. Meticulous cooking and straining gives it a clean, crystalline appearance and robust flavor.
Light yet packed with umami, it’s the kind of broth that whispers rather than shouts, letting its depth of flavor take hold with every sip.
As any soba aficionado will tell you, the broth is the soul of the dish, and Tokyo Ichimi’s broth is, quite frankly, soulful.
There are two noodle options: thin soba, made with buckwheat, and thick, chewy udon. Both are excellent, so to each their own. To accompany your noodles, Tokyo Ichimi has a variety of tempura as toppings, priced from ¥5 to ¥18.
The tempura lineup includes classics like shrimp (¥9) and squid (¥18) as well as veggie-forward options like shungiku (¥5, crown daisy, 春菊), a herbal leafy green with a hint of bitterness that goes well with the broth.
Other accompaniments include golden-brown croquettes (¥8), hefty potato patties with bits of meat, and inari sushi (¥10/two), sweet tofu pouches filled with seasoned rice. For additional texture, they also have tempura flakes (¥3) and gooey Chinese mountain yam paste (¥5, 山药). There’s also aburaage (¥8), the same seasoned tofu used for inari, for an extra dose of savory-sweet indulgence.
The soft-boiled egg (¥8) is a requisite add-on, in my opinion.
In winter, the noodles are served steaming in a warm broth, but they’ll shift to cold noodles come summer. A few seasonal dishes and bites make an appearance, too, adding a bit of variety to this otherwise straightforward menu.
It’s simple and profoundly satisfying.
Tokyo Ichimi (立食荞麦•东京一味)
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