Nagai Shokudo

**Go early or go late, not at noon.** The 12:00–1:00 PM window is when the queue reaches outside. Arriving between 9:00 and 10:30 AM means walking straight in, and the broth has already been simmering since before opening. The Saturday 3:00 PM close catches people out — do not plan a late Saturday lunch here. **What to order.** The motsuni teishoku is the whole point: a bowl of offal in miso broth, rice, and pickles. Rice portions are generous by default and the staff will ask about size — 'futsu' (regular) is already large. The broth carries a real chilli hit that builds rather than announces itself. **It is genuinely a driver's stop.** There is no tourist infrastructure, no English menu, and no reason to linger. Eat, pay at the counter, free the seat. That briskness is not rudeness; it is the format. **Take some home.** Vacuum-packed Motsukko is sold at the counter and keeps well enough to travel. If you are heading onward to a ryokan with a kitchen or back to an apartment in Tokyo, this is the souvenir locals actually buy. **Pair it with the drive.** The shop sits on the road up toward Numata and the Mikuni pass, so it slots naturally into a car trip toward Minakami or Kawaba rather than a dedicated visit from Shibukawa.