
Now you can enjoy your main dish and dessert together in one meal.
Japan’s Hankyu Soba Wakana restaurant chain had noodle enthusiasts in a frenzy last year with their release of a steaming hot soba dish topped with french fries. This year, they’re pushing traditional culinary boundaries yet again with a brand new dish that guarantees to keep customers cool in summer thanks to a huge cone-shaped topping made from shaved ice. With the noodles hidden underneath the frozen mound, the dish looks identical to Japan’s well-loved kakigori shaved ice dessert; only this time it’s served with a side of fried tempura vegetables and instead of a sweet colourful syrup, the serving is finished with a salty noodle sauce.
Not only does the kakigori noodle meal look amazing, there’s also an element of theatre for diners to enjoy, with the icy mound slowly dissipating as the sauce is poured over it, gradually revealing the noodles hidden beneath. The icy cold broth makes this a whole new noodle experience, and is said to taste and feel amazing when combined with the hot tempura side dish. Customers can choose between soba or udon noodles, with each serving costing just 500 yen (US$4.96) each or 700 yen for a meal with four types of tempura. If you’d like to taste the shaved ice noodles, they’ll be on the menu at the chain’s Juso Station and Nishinomiya Kitaguchi stores for a limited time from 9 July – 31 August.
Store Information
Hankyu Soba Wakana Juso Branch/阪急そば若菜 十三店
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Yodogawa-ku, Jusohigashi 2-12-1, Hankyu Juso Station
大阪府 大阪市淀川区 十三東 2丁目12-1 阪急十三駅構内
Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. (last order: 9:30 p.m.)
Website (Japanese)
Hankyu Soba Wakana Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Branch/阪急そば若菜 西宮北口店
Address: Hyogo-ken, Nishinomiya, Takamatsucho 6-20, Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station, Takarazuka-bound Keishin Line Platform
阪急西宮北口駅宝塚行き今津線ホーム
Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. (last order: 10:30 p.m.)
Website (Japanese)
Source, Images: PR Times


How to make a shaved ice dessert out of instant noodles
Japanese restaurant serves up noodles in stunning ice cube bowls
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Can a downtown Tokyo super sento bathhouse beat a hotel for a one-night stay?
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else
Why is Yoshinoya called Yoshinoya?
Cup Noodle instant ramen adds disturbingly named new topping: “almost squid!”
Subway Japan purchased by Japanese izakaya pub company with penchant for organic farming
Big, drunk and furry—Everything you need to know about tanuki (plus a song about their balls!)
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Tokyo’s best museum for foreign travelers finally reopens after being closed for four years
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Picturesque Tokyo park plays host to millions of flowers and soap bubbles this spring
Tokyo subway and almost all Tokyo train lines now accepting credit card tap payments
Totoro and Calcifer become little light-up lanterns for Ghibli-style excursions or at-home decor
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says