Nagara, Akasaka ながら 赤坂

For some reason, I recently just had to have some duck soba. So with this in mind I Googled "duck soba" and out popped this little place in the back streets of Akasaka called Nagara. It's in a little dead end lane, not far from the Azuma supermarket right at the Aoyama cemetery end of Akasaka.

It's located on the basement floor or what appears to be a fairly recently built private residence. This gives the place a nice homely ambiance, and it's clear that the owner is quite a music buff with there having being some chilled out jazz playing through numerous speakers stategically arranged for maximum acoustic effect on the ceiling. Completing the musical theme, the table I sat at was jammed up next to a piano. There's a lot more than the 1,600 yen duck soba on the menu but that's all I had on my mind. The best way I could describe the meal is as elegant, comprising tender pieces of duck served in a broth with yuzu undertones that is not too oily and is subtle enough not to completely overpower the noodles. I'm in no way a connoisseur of soba, but they seemed pretty fresh and well made to me.

This simple yet elegant meal, served with humble efficiency in a homely yet stylish environment made for a very pleasant experience. I'd recommend Nagara as a good place to take people who are visiting Tokyo, as you'll definitely be able to show you're in the know to know of such a cute and out of the way establishment. Don't expect to feel too full after though as the portions are modest, and in order to read the menu you'll probably want to be able to read a little bit of Japanese, or go with someone who can.


http://www.akasaka-nagara.com/
Tel: 03-3583-7500