Vol.39 SLURPING UP SOBA DURING THE DAYS OF SUMMER

Welcome to TOKYO BEAT- a special series by your Tokyo Tourism Representative (New York Office) that aims to provide you with story ideas and inspiration. For Tokyo cuisine that dates back to the Edo Period, sushi and tempura have unmistakably made their impact across the world. But locally, soba sits among the most appreciated; this unassuming buckwheat noodle, while famous for being healthy, has matured into a refined craft that can surprise the most discerning palate. And when served cold, it’s especially emblematic of summertime dishes that beat the heat. The following are some of the finest soba specialists, from longstanding shops to 100% handmade to new luxury destinations.

Bastions of Tradition

It feels like a milestone when a New York City restaurant survives a couple of decades, but in Tokyo, the number of restaurants that preserve genuine Edo-era soba cookery is staggering.Kanda Yabu Sobahas been in business since 1880, and even though it succumbed to a fire in 2013, the restaurant was reborn in 2014 with all its longstanding dishes intact. Located in the same historical downtown Edo neighborhood, the equally long-lived Kanda Matsuya (est. 1884) is a local lunchtime favorite whose beguilingly old space – unchanged for generations and hopefully never gets a makeover – gets packed to the brim. Off-hours make it easier to indulge in their authentic hand-made noodles and a selection of dishes that complement them perfectly. Some sarashina-style soba restaurants, recognizable for serving a more delicate, sweeter white colored soba that uses only the white germ of the buckwheat grain, can trace their lineage up to 230 years – including Azabu Nagasaka Sarashina Honten and Nagasaka-Sarashina Nunoya Tahee.Perhaps the most well-known of this style isSarashina Horii Azabu-juban, which was highlighted on the late Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations. Other popular centuries-old soba-ya include Toranomon Osaka-YaSunaba (est. 1875), whose current building and registered tangible property hasn’t changed since 1923, and the stately Muromachi Sunaba (est. 1869). While the Sunaba name has its origins in Osaka, it is today best known as an Edo period staple – serving fragrant strands of soba that are cooked to perfection.

Stylistic Trailblazers

Some newer restaurants have taken tradition to the next level, especially when it comes to embracing the use of 100% buckwheat soba (the majority of soba is a combination known as ni-hachi, a 2:8 ratio of wheat flour to buckwheat) that is more difficult to turn into a noodle but achieves a deeper aroma and earthier flavor. Edosoba Hosokawa even mills its soba in-house, just so it can get it as close to its vision as possible, resulting in dishes that have a high level of refinement. From the cold soba to the tempura, it’s all just so good, the restaurant has even earned a Michelin star. Another Michelin starred soba restaurant, Soba Sasuga, is a relative newcomer that has also risen to prominence for its unadulterated, house-milled noodles, and special side dishes that are their own works of art. It’s no wonder it has won over even the most judicious soba eaters so quickly. Narutomi Soba in particular is a favorite of Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizō XI, with its bouncy, buckwheat-forward artisanal noodles and perfectly cooked tempura. Diners already familiar with soba and looking for an entirely new experience should consider the multi-course, seasonal Kaiseki restaurant Gi. Here, unexpected seasonal ingredients ranging from Italian truffle to foie gras join the party, but like all proper soba places, it’s the noodle that is undoubtedly the star.

For more information on discovering the best soba in Tokyo, contact press@tokyo-nyc.com or call 917-200-4887. For general information on traveling in Tokyo, head toTokyoTokyo.jpandGotokyo.org/en/

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