6 Soba Restaurants in Tokyo Honored by World Top Gourmands

1. Sasuga ☆ [Ginza]

"Juuwari soba" refers to soba that's made of 100% buckwheat flour with no fillers. Juuwari soba has a wonderful soba fragrance, and they're thin noodles that go down great. They mostly sell zaru soba (soba served in a bamboo basket that's dipped into sauce), but the chilled hiyakake soba with its delicate broth is also popular. They also have a liquor menu that includes sake and wine that goes well with both main dishes and soba, so you can enjoy a mature evening out.

HP: ginza-sasuga.jp/english/index.html

Address: Higashini Building 2F, 2-13-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo  (Google Map)

2. Tamawarai ☆ [Omotesando/Aoyama]

The owner cultivates the buckwheat himself, so this restaurant is highly favored thanks to the tangible passion in the food. The flour is ground in-shop, so the soba has an extremely powerful taste. As a side dish, try the shrimp pickled in Saikyou miso and grilled. The restaurant's facade is very subtle and hard to find inside a residential area.

HP: r.gnavi.co.jp/b9mxvmh80000/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 5-23-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

3. Okina ☆ [Ebisu]

The soba here is made with care by a chef that studied at a famous restaurant. The soba comes at a great timing at the end of the course, freshly made, and with a perfect texture. The simple interior contrasts with the liberal use of high-quality ingredients. Make sure to order the white truffle soba in advance when you make reservations.

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13001923/ (Japanese Only)

Address: Five Annex B1F, 1-3-10 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo  (Google Map)

4. Hosokawa ☆ [Ryogoku]

The noodles made from 100% soba have a great texture but are also incredibly delicious. If you get seconds, you'll get noodles made from an area different from your previous batch, so that's a lovely point of consideration. The plump, thick eel tempura goes great with sake, so it's highly recommended.

HP: www.edosoba-hosokawa.jp/oshinagaki.html (Japanese Only)

Address: 1-6-5 Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

5. Yamori☆ [Tsukishima]

It's a small shop, but people are taken in by the well-done work and the owner's personality. The sobazukushi course, in which every dish from appetizer to dessert uses soba, is recommended. You can try soba from different places around the country as well as enjoy dishes that are a little out of the ordinary.

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1313/A131302/13176466/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 3-9-7 Tsukishima, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

6. Soushian ☆ [Nezu]

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It's a restaurant where photography isn't allowed, but it's still very popular thanks to the comfortable service offered by the proprietress and the fragrant soba meals. Reservations are necessary, and the menu is mostly courses offering soba dishes, including morisoba (chilled soba served with a dipping sauce). The stewed dishes made with superfine soba noodles and the soft buckwheat dumpling are two items you must try.

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131106/13178315/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 2-28-8 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)