Soba Noodles

There is a curious way to eating soba, also known as buckwheat noodles. Soba is served either chilled with dipping sauce or in hot broth – chicken or fish broth. If you’re used to ramen and other kinds of noodle soup, you might find it weird to be eating cold noodles, but it is a must-try.

What makes soba unique is that the noodles actually impart flavor to the broth. As a cold dish, the buckwheat flavor complements the dip, which is usually of a sesame base.

There are several ways of soba preparation as there are several ways to enjoy it too – quick and slurpy or ceremoniously but still slurpy.

Here are the best places to have soba noodles in Tokyo.

• KANDA MATSUYA | Chiyoda
  For soba that locals describe as “legendary”
  What to order: Curry soba, Goma soba, Tempura soba
  Price range: 1,000 to 3,000 Yen ($9.01 to $27.02)
  When: 11:00 – 20:00 Mon – Fri; 11:00 – 19:00 Sats and PHs; Closed on Suns
  Where: 1-13 Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo
• HONMURA AN | Roponggi
  For soba worth traveling half the globe for
  What to order: Uni soba, Grilled fu, Avocado salad
  Price range: 800 to 2,000 Yen ($7.21 to $18.01)
  When: 12:00 – 15:00; 17:30 – 22:00 Daily except Mondays
  Where: 7-14-18 Roponggi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
• YUSUI | Chofu-shi
  For homemade soba
  What to order: Tempura soba, Nine-fold soba, Tempura
  Price range: 600 to 2,000 Yen ($5.40 to $18.01)
  When: 10:30 – 17:00 Daily except Thursdays
  Where: 5-9-1 Jindaijimoto Cho, Chofu, Tokyo