For most people, Shin-Osaka Station is a transit stop rather than a destination. That's understandable as there's not too much to stick around for. But if you're at a loss for food options, at least there's Atariya, a family-run soba restaurant that's a 10-minute walk from the station.
Like many good soba places, Atariya has a nice homely feeling to it. The austerity of the bare cement walls and chunky wooden tables and chairs is offset by shelves that display sake cups and cooking pots. There's a few tables and a long counter from where you can peek into the kitchen where chef and owner Yasuhito Doi is busy making, and tasting, stock.
When visiting for lunch it's worth it to try and beat the afternoon rush to secure one of the tenshin lunches — there are only 10 served each day, and it's first come, first served. As soba lunch sets go, it's varied, creative and at ¥1,800 it might the best value lunch set in Osaka.
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