Interview with Tomio Kusudo, Representative Director of Toraiya Honpo
Toraiya Honpo is committed to foods unique to Kurashiki City and Okayama Prefecture, including original kibi soba made with takakibi grown in Okayama Prefecture and local cuisine.
We spoke with Tomio Kusudo, Representative Director of TRY Co., Ltd., which operates Toraiya Honpo, about the circumstances behind the restaurant’s opening, its features and concept, the story behind the development of kibi soba, and his aspirations for the future.
Tourists are looking for things unique to the Kurashiki area
What led to the restaurant’s opening?
Kusudo (honorific omitted)
TRY Co., Ltd., which operates Toraiya Honpo, was originally in a completely different line of business from food service.
Eventually, the company also began operating restaurants, including udon shops. We decided to open an udon shop in the Bikan Historical Area as well, at a location three doors north of the current restaurant.
But Kurashiki is very close to Kagawa Prefecture, the home of Sanuki udon, and there are also a great many udon shops in Kurashiki itself.
I thought we wouldn’t be able to compete by simply serving udon.
Kurashiki is a tourist destination.
Many tourists come from all over Japan and overseas.
Many tourists, after all, want to eat foods unique to the place they’re visiting.
There’s no point in coming as a tourist if you eat something you can get near your own home.
That wouldn’t feel like Kurashiki.
After much trial and error, the original noodle “kibi soba” made with takakibi was born
How did your current signature dish, “kibi soba,” come about?
Kusudo
We had been thinking about various new menu items even before we moved.
At one point, I thought we might be able to use kibi (millet), since many people associate Okayama Prefecture with “kibidango” and the “Kingdom of Kibi.”
In the past, millet was grown and eaten in Okayama Prefecture.
I also wanted to make it into easy-to-eat noodles, so I began experimenting with a noodle dish made from millet.
But it didn’t go well at all.
At first, I used mochi-kibi (sticky millet), the first kind that comes to mind when you think of kibi.
After doing some research, I learned that there is another type of kibi, different from mochi-kibi, called takakibi (high millet, also known as sorghum).
Takakibi is highly nutritious, and I thought it would be better suited to making noodles.
Also, the old-style kibidango was made with takakibi.
Did making noodles from takakibi go well?
Kusudo
Making noodles from takakibi also involved a lot of trial and error.
It probably took about two years…
Takakibi is very difficult to bind into a solid mass.
Even if you press it together, it quickly falls apart and won’t hold the shape of noodles.
On the other hand, if you add too much wheat flour as a binder, the takakibi flavor disappears, defeating the purpose.
It was very difficult to get the balance between takakibi and wheat flour right.
When we finally finished it, it was so delicious and the noodles were so distinctive that I was delighted and thought, “This is it!”
Since they were unique noodles, neither soba nor udon, we named them “takakibi noodles,” meaning noodles made with takakibi.
We now call them “kibi soba” to make the name easier for customers to understand.
Although we call them “soba,” they contain no soba at all.
The appeal of kibi soba lies in its high nutritional value and distinctive texture and flavor that become addictive after one taste
What are the characteristics of kibi soba?
Kusudo
Since it’s made with takakibi, its high nutritional value is definitely one of its features!
It contains a good balance of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron, and is also rich in dietary fiber.
Takakibi is also known as “the hamburger of the fields.”
Another feature is the texture of the noodles.
Their chewy, springy texture is addictive.
They have a distinctive flavor unlike other noodles such as soba and udon, and customers have praised them, saying, “You can only eat this flavor here,” “I could get hooked,” and “They’re easy to eat.”
A commitment to local ingredients and cuisine beyond kibi soba
Where is the takakibi grown?
Kusudo
The takakibi is grown in Okayama Prefecture.
In fact, takakibi is grown in Okayama Prefecture, too.
The main growing areas are Tamano City, Takahashi City, and Niimi City.
We use takakibi from all three cities.
We’re also committed to local ingredients and regional cuisine beyond takakibi.
The dishes served with our “Kibi Set” include mamakari, octopus from Shimotsui, and Chiyagyu Beef.
We also offer a wide selection of local sake.
Many customers asked if they could buy some to take home because they enjoyed it, so we developed dried noodles made from kibi soba and sell them at the restaurant.
We’re also developing fresh noodles.
Our takakibi rice cakes, “takakibi mochi,” made with the same takakibi as kibi soba, are also popular.
We also recommend our “amazake jam,” made with sake lees from local sake!
One of our selling points is that customers can enjoy foods unique to Kurashiki and Okayama Prefecture when they visit us.
We hope that people visiting Kurashiki for sightseeing or business will enjoy flavors unique to the area.
The goal for the future is to build a following for Toraiya Honpo
What are your aspirations or things you’d like to try in the future?
Kusudo
One goal is to make local people happy and encourage them to visit us.
When COVID-19 spread, it made me realize anew that while tourists are important, local customers are important too.
I’d like to make this a restaurant that is loved by the local community as well.
Another goal is to build up a customer base, like a “family membership,” so that customers who come from far away will become repeat visitors.
Until now, we’ve had many one-time customers, so I’d like to build a larger following for the restaurant.
Even if people live far away and can’t easily visit us, I’m hoping we can send them our products so they can enjoy them at home.
From the Writer
Toraiya Honpo’s specialty, kibi soba, is something you can only taste at Toraiya Honpo.
Come and enjoy its distinctive flavor, found nowhere else in Japan.
Its high nutritional value is another appealing feature.
Also, try it with local ingredients such as mamakari, Chiyagyu Beef, and octopus from Shimotsui.
Toraiya Honpo data
| Name | Toraiya Honpo |
|---|---|
| Address | 6-21 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-427-0122 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (last order at 7:00 p.m.) |
| Closed | Monday Open if it falls on a public holiday; closed the following day |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 45 seats in total ・1st floor: 5 tables seating 4 people ・2nd floor: 5 tables seating 5 people |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilet |
| Families with children | Strollers permitted Children’s tableware available |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair access available (1st floor) |
| Website | Toraiya Honpo – Kurashiki Bikan Historical Area |
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