Soba noodles are Tokyo’s original fast food, simple to cook and just as easy to eat. Even at their most basic, they are honest, filling and nutritious. At their best they have a remarkable delicacy and depth of flavor.
In times past, all soba was te-uchi, rolled out and cut by hand. These days most sobaya (soba shops) use factory-made noodles produced in industrial quantities. But connoisseurs — and there are many of them — travel far and wide to taste and compare the output of notable restaurants that follow the traditional ways.
They come in many different guises, some elegant or austere; others family-run and easy-going; yet others late-night izakaya-style taverns serving a wide range of side dishes and drinks to go with them. Whether you prefer your noodles cold — served on a bamboo tray with a separate dip (seiro soba) — or hot and in a nourishing broth (kake soba), there are few districts that do not boast at least one good sobaya. Here are five worth crossing town for.