Kanda Yabu Soba

In trying to come up with a succinct way to describe my time in Tokyo in the past several days, the only (non)word that comes to mind is noodle-centric.

I am planning on doing a Tokyo roundup post, but I felt Kanda Yabu Soba deserved a separate post just because I had such a great experience there. Established in 1880, the excellent artisan soba here makes this quaint little soba shop one of the most famous in Tokyo - a favorite among the locals and foreign visitors. For soba fiends, Kanda Yabu Soba is an institution. I hopped into a cab and all I had to do to get myself there was telling the driver I wanted to go to Kanda Yabu Soba. He nodded and took off. No elaborate directions needed.

It was early Sunday afternoon when I joined the throng of hungry people outside the restaurant (which looks like a very nice and cozy Japanese-style house). People patiently waited in the hot sun for a good half hour before slowly making their way to the lobby where they had to wait some more (but at least the lounge has air-conditioning and offers a roof over your head).

Once you reach the lounge, things move quite fast. The smaller your party, the more quickly you get seated, it seems. I have to admit, my heart was pounding quite audibly when I peeked into the dining area from the lounge and saw people slurping hand-made soba. Before you pass judgment on my gluttony, you have to first understand how many years I had waited for this moment.

By the time, I was seated, I was ravenously hungry. A meal of Soba Toro (fresh artisan soba dipped in grated yam and cold tsuyu) seemed great, so I went for it. Both hot or cold tsuyu broths are offered, but since when it comes to soba, my feet are firmly planted in the cold broth territory, I opted for cold. Besides, it just seemed so perfect for such a warm and humid day in Tokyo.

The simplest of soba costs 700¥ (about US$7). More elaborate dishes cost anywhere between 1,000¥ to 2,000¥. If you're very hungry, order two servings. It may look like a lot of noodles in the picture, but the bamboo box in which the soba is served is very shallow. We're talking a cup of noodles, loosely packed. Every little bit satisfies, though.

Non-noodle items on the menu include a variety of small side dishes in the same price range as the noodle dishes. When I say small, I mean small. The three thin slices of duck breast in the top photograph are all you get. I also ordered a side of steamed fish cakes which came with finely grated fresh wasabi -- a rare treat. The fish cakes vaguely reminded me of the time when I, out of curiosity, took a bite of an eraser in preschool. The duck breast, on the other hand, was exquisite.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience. The soba was as great as you could possibly hope soba would be. The cold broth was delicious and perfectly seasoned. Even if you're new to soba, you can tell that the difference between the broths you find at Kanda Yabu Soba and those you might find elsewhere is vast.