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The Ultimate Guide to Soba, One of Japan's First Fast Foods

Update-Date: Jun 9, 2025

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Categories: Soba

The Ultimate Guide to Soba, One of Japan's First Fast Foods

If you're looking for a quick and easy meal in Japan, have soba (buckwheat noodles), one of Japan's first "fast foods." Here are some tips on how and where to eat this noodle dish with that all Japanese are familiar.

What Is Soba?

You can't leave soba off any discussion about Japanese food culture. Soba refers to thin noodles made from a dough of water and buckwheat flour, milled from buckwheat seeds. Once boiled and drained to firm them up, they can be consumed with a cold tsuyu (sauce) and condiments, or in a hot soup. They're quick and easy to eat, so they're considered to be one of the first fast foods of Japan.

- Nagano Prefecture, the Soba Mecca
You can have soba anywhere in Japan, but Nagano Prefecture is particularly famous as the soba mecca of Japan. Since long ago, it has been flourishing thanks to buckwheat cultivation, and most areas of this prefecture have their own unique version of soba. Nagano's Togakushi soba is among Japan's top 3 soba varieties, together with Shimane Prefecture's Izumo soba and Iwate Prefecture's Wanko soba.

- Soba Tastes Different in Kanto and Kansai?!
Kanto and Kansai use different types of dashi (broth): dashi with deep color and flavor that's based off katsuobushi (dried tuna flakes) is the most common in Kanto, while in Kansai, the flavor is given by kombu (kelp), resulting in more light and clear broth. Try them both to compare them and pick your favorite!

Types of Soba

There are countless varieties of soba that vary regarding ingredients and eating styles. Here is a list of the most common types you can find on the menu of a soba restaurant.
- Kake Soba
This kind of soba is simply served with just hot dashi. Sometimes you may add tenkasu (tempura bits), scallions, or other condiments.
- Zaru Soba
You eat this type of soba cold with tsuyu (dipping sauce), and the noodles are served on a zaru (bamboo basket). Most restaurants top this dish with shredded nori (seaweed). The name changes according to the ingredients and what tableware it's served in, so you will sometimes see this called "Mori soba" or "Seiro soba."
- Tanuki Soba
Usually, this dish consists of kake soba topped with tenkasu. However, you'll find different ingredients being used depending on the region: in Osaka, the word "tanuki" refers to a sweet boiled abura-age (thinly sliced and fried tofu), while in Kyoto, the noodles are topped with shredded abura-age and dressed with ankake (a thick starchy sauce).

- Tempura Soba
As simple as it sounds, this type of soba refers to kake soba topped with tempura. Usually, it's shrimp tempura.

- Kakiage Soba
Kake soba (simple soba with hot dashi) with kakiage (tempura fritter made by mixing batter with finely-cut seafood and vegetables) on top is called Kakiage Soba.

- Tororo Soba
Tororo is grated yam, and it's used to enrich the tsuyu you dip this variety of cold soba into. A different version consists of kake soba topped with grated yam or soaked in a tororo-based dashi (also called "Yamakake soba"). Sometimes, this soba comes topped with egg yolk or a raw quail egg.

- Okame Soba
On kake soba, you'll get kamaboko (fish paste cake), nori, greens, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients arranged in the shape of an okame mask (used in Kagura, a ritual dance dedicated to the Shinto deities).

- Kamo Nanban Soba
Here, kake soba is topped with scallions and duck (kamo) meat boiled in tsuyu. This dish is also called by the abbreviation "Kamonan."

How to Eat Zaru Soba

If you order zaru soba, you'll be served soba and tsuyu separately, so it may be bit confusing for first-timers. However, there's no need to worry if you read this explanation on how to properly eat this dish! The instructions include several tips on how to best relish the flavor of soba, like adding condiments in the middle of the meal and not dipping too much of the noodles into the tsuyu.

1. Don't add condiments when taking the first bite
Zaru soba usually come with condiments, but in the beginning, simply dipping the noodles in tsuyu will allow you to taste their original flavor.

2. Be careful not to use too much tsuyu!
Pick a bite-sized amount of soba with your chopsticks and dip only the lower half of the noodles in the tsuyu. When dipped in tsuyu, the noodles will stretch out and break apart in no time, so once you put them in your mouth, suck in all the noodles instead of biting them off. If you want, you can hold the cup of tsuyu under your chin while doing so.

3. Try to add condiments
Now that you've experienced the authentic flavor of soba, find out how the noodles taste with condiments like scallions or wasabi. You can add them to the tsuyu, but the ideal way to enjoy the combination of flavors is to top them on the noodles.

４. Drink the soba soup
Depending on the restaurant, when you're finished eating your noodles, you may be served "soba-yu". This is the broth that the noodles were boiled in, and it's full of precious nutrients. You may either drink it as is, or mix it with the remaining tsuyu.

- If it's served with tempura on the side...
When you order zaru soba with tempura, you can dip tempura in the tsuyu as well. Alternatively, some restaurants provide a special tsuyu for tempura or salt as extra seasoning.

Are There Rules on Eating Soba?

There are no strict rules about eating soba, but as a matter of principle, you shouldn't stay too long in a soba restaurant. Eat your noodles before they grow soggy and leave when you're done.
Also, they taste better if you suck them all in instead of cutting them off with your teeth. Don't worry if you make a slurpy sound - it's totally acceptable. Slurping allows the aroma of the soba to move from your throat to your nostrils, making the noodles taste even more delicious.

How to Enjoy Soba Restaurants

Many soba restaurants also serve a-la-carte-dishes that go very well with sake, so you can order some together with a cup of sake before you eat your soba.
For example, sobagaki is a dough made from buckwheat flour and hot water that you eat by dipping it into soy sauce or tsuyu. It allows you to genuinely enjoy the flavor and aroma of buckwheat. Other classics are ita-wasa, which is thinly-sliced kamaboko dressed with wasabi and soy sauce; tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) made with the same dashi or tsuyu for the soba; grilled duck, tempura, and so on.

Unmissable Soba Spots You Have to Try at Least Once

1. Soak in the Downtown Atmosphere of Kanda Matsuya (Awajicho)

9. Soak in the Downtown Atmosphere of Kanda Matsuya (Awajicho)

Founded in 1884, this is a lively and well-established restaurant located in Kanda, one of the most atmospheric downtown areas of Tokyo. In its interiors that show vestiges of when it was first built, you'll be offered incredibly smooth hand-pulled soba made from stone-milled buckwheat flour. They have a working space in the back of the restaurant with a glass window from which you can get a peek of the staff pulling the noodles. The most highly recommended menu item is the [Mori or Kake], which is prepared with a different amount of moisture according to the time of the day and the weather. The wooden bowl the dough is kneaded in gives the noodles an exceptional elasticity. Make sure you also try appetizers like [Sobagaki] or yakitori served with a sweet tsuyu-based sauce.

Kanda Matsuya

Open: [Weekdays] 11:00 am - 8:00 pm (L.O. 7:45 pm)
[Saturday, National Holidays] 11:00 am - 7:00 pm (L.O. 6:45 pm)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Address: 1-13, Kanda Suda-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Map
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2. The 150-Year-Old Soba Restaurant "Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada" (Asakusabashi)

7. The 150-Year-Old Soba Restaurant "Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada" (Asakusabashi)

Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada was established in Asakusabashi, Tokyo, in 1854. They use a homemade flour to make their juwari soba (soba made with 100% buckwheat flour). If you need a recommendation, try the [Seiro Soba], the restaurant's signature dish ever since its opening. You'll love the texture and smoothness of their soba, together with their secret tsuyu. Another popular one is the [Anago Ten Seiro], which includes eel tempura with a crispy batter and fluffy meat. There are also several snacks like the fragrant [Asada Miso Sugiita-yaki]. Made by grilling a combination of seasonal potherbs, buckwheat seeds, and special miso, it matches divinely with alcoholic drinks!

Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada

Open: [Weekdays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, Dinner 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)
[Saturday] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, Dinner 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:00 pm)
Closed: Sunday, National Holidays
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPY
Address: 2-29-11, Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo Map
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3. Suijin-En(Chohu)

Suijin-En is a special place where you can feel nature, even though it is in Tokyo. The restaurant boasts Japanese cuisine that makes the most of the bounty of the four seasons and offers dishes that bring out the best ingredients. Especially recommended is the "Soba noodles" served at the end of the course, which are handmade in the restaurant every day. The savory taste is loved by many people. The appearance of the restaurant is also attractive. The pure Japanese-style garden extends out before you, allowing you to enjoy the Japanese atmosphere to the fullest.

Suijin-En

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Day Before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 7:30 pm), [Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays] 11:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 7:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 10,000 JPY / [Lunch] 5,000 JPY
Access: From the north exit of Keio Chofu Station, take the Keio Bus bound for Kichijoji Station or the bus bound for Mitaka Station. It takes 3 minutes to walk from the "Jindaiji Entrance" bus stop.
Address: 5-10-3, Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu-shi, Tokyo Map
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4. Totokemuritakadanobabaten

Located a five-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station in Tokyo, Totokemuri Takadanobaba offers seasonal robatayaki and seafood dishes. Their "Salt-Grilled Nodoguro" (rosy seabass) is a luxurious dish of fatty nodoguro grilled over a robata grill. Other robatayaki dishes include silver cod, golden-eyed snapper, beef, and vegetables. Their "Unigiri" (sea urchin balls) are a popular dish, consisting of fragrantly grilled rice balls topped with sea urchin in their homemade sea urchin soy sauce.

The restaurant, located on the first basement floor, offers a relaxed and stylish space where you can enjoy a meal. A variety of seating options are available, including tables, counter seats, sunken kotatsu tables, and private rooms. They regularly stock around 30 types of sake, carefully selected from all over Japan, to complement their cuisine. Course meals here also include an all-you-can-drink option.

Totokemuritakadanobabaten

Open: [Weekday] Dinner 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 10:30 pm)[Sunday,Saturday] Dinner 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 10:30 pm)
Closed: [Information about business hours during the New Year holidays] We will be closed on December 31st, January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and will be open for shorter hours on January 5th.
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 5,000 JPY
Access:
Address: Union Building B1F, 1-6-16 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Map

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5. Rikimarurobatayakitanukichaya

Located a three-minute walk from Namba Station in Osaka, Rikimaru Robatayaki Tanukichaya is a casual restaurant serving dishes made with fresh ingredients. Their signature dish is "Butter-Grilled Live Scallops," a slow-cooked dish made with fresh scallops delivered daily from Hokkaido and Miyagi Prefecture. Their ""Salt-Grilled Wild Large Shrimp"" is a hearty dish of whole shrimp over 20 centimeters long grilled with only salt.

The restaurant is marked by a large tanuki figurine. The Japanese-inspired interior offers a variety of private rooms for different groups. This includes table seating, sunken kotatsu tables, and even rooms with an irori hearth. Popular counter seating is located on both the first and second floors, where you can enjoy your meal while watching the ingredients being prepared right before your eyes.

Rikimarurobatayakitanukichaya

Open: 4:00 pm - 11:15 pm (last order 10:45 pm)
Closed: [Notice of closure] We will be closed on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 and Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY
Access:
Address: Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Chuo Ward, Sennichimae 2-6-9 Map

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6. Rikimarurobatayakiyambe

Located a one-minute walk from Tennoji Station in Osaka, Rikimaru Robatayaki Amibei offers a variety of reasonably priced a la carte dishes, including robatayaki. Here, you can dine on fresh ingredients, grilled to perfection. The recommended dish is the "Assorted Kushiyaki Platter," which can be ordered in sets of six. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of grilled fish and vegetables.

The spacious restaurant features two counter seats surrounding the robata grill. These seats offer premium seating, allowing you to enjoy watching the ingredients being grilled while you wait for your food. Tatami-floored seating is available for small groups. A private room is ideal for groups or families who want to dine in privacy.

Rikimarurobatayakiyambe

Open: 4:00 pm - 11:15 pm (last order 10:45 pm)
Closed: 12/31.1/1
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY
Access:
Address: Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Tennoji Ward, Horikoshi-cho 16-9 Mainichi Silver Building 1F Map

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7. Kita no kaisen aburi NOAH'S ARK

Located a one-minute walk from Nakajima Koen Station in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Noah's Ark, a northern seafood grill restaurant, is a restaurant where you can enjoy fresh Hokkaido seafood, freshly harvested vegetables, and carefully selected meats. A popular menu item is the "Grain Lamb Steak Jingisukan," made with fresh lamb grilled over a charcoal hearth. Other recommended dishes include the ""Dried Kinki Beach Fish,"" a whole grilled fish, and the rich "Grilled Crab Roe."

The restaurant is located in a detached house on the banks of the Kamokamagawa River. The interior has a sophisticated atmosphere, with murals inspired by Greek mythology. Each table has a charcoal hearth, and one staff member is dedicated to each table to grill their food. With specialized staff grilling, you can enjoy each ingredient at its most delicious without missing the timing.

Kita no kaisen aburi NOAH'S ARK

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 9:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 7,000 JPY
Access:
Address: Sapporo, Hokkaido Map

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8. Mahoroba Irori Okinawa Branch

Located a 3-minute walk from Omoromachi Station in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Mahoroba Irori Okinawa is a restaurant that serves seasonal ingredients sourced from all over the country, grilled over an open hearth. The"Kombujime Seasonal Seafood" is a dish made by wrapping seasonal seafood in kelp and steaming it over charcoal. The restaurant offers a variety of courses, including the "Japanese Delicious Food Course" and the "Okinawa Delicious Food Course."

The interior of the restaurant has a calming Japanese feel. The vibrant blue wallpaper evokes the sky and sea of Okinawa. Seating options include counter seats, fully private rooms with sunken kotatsu tables, and box seats that can be lowered to create semi-private rooms. This restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy a party-like atmosphere while sitting around the hearth attached to the table.

Mahoroba Irori Okinawa Branch

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Sunday, National Holidays, Day Before National Holidays] Lunch 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm (L.O. 1:30 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm (L.O. 11:00 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 15,000 JPY / [Lunch] 6,000 JPY
Access: 122m from Yui Rail Omoromachi Station, 3-minute walk
Address: 1-2-14, Makabi, Naha-shi, Okinawa Map

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9. Robata Ginza Main Branch

"Located a three-minute walk from Ginza Station in Tokyo, Robata (Rojado) Ginza Main Branch primarily serves dishes made with spiny lobster, a traditional Japanese ingredient. Their specialty, the Irori-yaki Ise Lobster, is a premium Ise lobster grilled over an open hearth, with exquisitely seasoned salt and finished with a charcoal aroma. Their course menu also offers a variety of flavors, including Japanese Black Beef, premium pork, and creative dishes, in addition to Ise lobster.

The Japanese-inspired interior features 17 counter seats arranged around the hearth. From any seat, you can enjoy the aroma of the charcoal grill and the skill of the chefs up close. They also offer a wide selection of sake, wine, and whiskey carefully selected from all over Japan, which go perfectly with Ise lobster dishes. Many rare brands are included, allowing for enjoyable pairings.

Robata Ginza Main Branch

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 10:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 15,000 JPY
Access:
Address: Ginza Idei Building 201, 6-4-17 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Map

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10. Handmade Soba Makino

Located in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Teuchi Soba Makino is a soba restaurant with a homey atmosphere that is loved by locals. This restaurant serves soba noodles made with home-made flour from buckwheat seeds imported from famous soba producing areas in Japan.

The menu features dishes made with seasonal ingredients. Recommended dishes include the hearty "Tempura Platter" and the "Seasonal Omakase Set," which includes everything from appetizers to dessert. The restaurant offers counter seating with views out the window, as well as table seating. The table seating is separated by partitions, making it ideal for groups and families. Here, you can relax and dine in a private space.

Handmade Soba Makino

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Dinner 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm / Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Closed: Wednesday, Closed on New Year's holidays and Obon holidays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,250 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPY
Access: 10 minutes walk from Yagoto Nisseki Station on Nagoya Municipal Subway
Address: 1F, Hills OKD, 41 Yamazato-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Map

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Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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