From Vietnamese noodles to Italian pasta, my love for noodles runs deep. I truly adore noodles in every form. Whether it’s a thin ramen with a slightly hard texture (the harder the better) or a thick Italian fusilli pasta, I’m down for a bite. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one with a fascination for noodles. While Japanese cuisine boasts several types of noodles e.g. ramen, udon, soba, somen. Ramen tends to steal the international spotlight. Like many of you, I have a pretty tight relationship with ramen too. On an icy cold night, there’s nothing I want to do more than wrap my hands around a bowl of piping hot ramen and sip on a rich broth. While this is a great way to wind down every so often, it’s not something you should do on a regular basis as ramen is packed with calories. For those of you that are on a quest for something healthier why not turn to soba? Made out of buckwheat, these noodles may be the perfect alternative you were looking for. Low in calories? Check. Gluten-free? Check. High in protein? Check. I told you soba’s pretty amazing. Here are 10 places in Tokyo that serve outstanding soba.

1.Kanda Yabusoba

Running its business since 1880, Kanda Yabusoba has been serving locals for a long time. In 2013, a fire tore down this long-running restaurant. Despite major setbacks, Kanda Yabusoba managed to re-run its store in 2014. Order their seiro style and you won’t regret it. With starting prices as cheap as ¥600, you won’t break the bank at this place.

Address: 2-10 Kanda Awajicyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81- 3-3251-0287
Website: http://www.yabusoba.net/

2. Tamawarai

Perhaps the most famous soba restaurant in Tokyo. Tamawarai is well worth the hype. Despite the fact that Tamawarai is located in Shibuya, it offers a calming atmosphere, providing customers a peace of mind in the bustling city. Tamawarai is known for serving some of the city’s best coarsely ground soba. Bear in mind that there is constantly a long queue at this place and portion sizes are on the smaller side. If you come here when you’re ravenous, you might not be able to appreciate the true value of the soba here.

Address: 5-23-3, Jinguumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81-3-5485-0025

3. Tsuchiya

Ranked as the best soba place in Tokyo by tabelog, a Japanese restaurant reviewing website, it’s no easy task to have a meal at Tsuchiya. Only accepting customers with reservations, you might want to make a reservation several months ahead. Yes, it’s that popular. Located in the quiet neighborhood of Higashimurayama, the traditional appearance of this restaurant is aesthetically pleasing to many. Tsuchiya pays great attention to every aspect of their restaurant, from customer service to soba, come here and everything is top-notch quality.

Address: 4-18-1 Noguchicho Higashimurayama Tokyo
Phone: +81-42-392-9457

4.Sobadokoro Minatoya

Without a sign outside the building, it may be difficult to find Minatoya. However, once you spot a long queue of people, you’ve most likely found the place. A safe choice here would be ordering the pork soba. A modern take on the old school standing soba joint, Minatoya is an all standing soba place with a contemporary chic vibe.

Address: 3-1-10 Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81- 3-5777-6921

5. Kanda Matsuya

On the outside, Kanda Matsuya looks like a house straight out of a traditional Japanese restaurant. Opening its doors for business since 1884, Kanda Matsuya has long been adored by locals. Sourcing its soba from different areas of Japan such as Ibaraki and Aomori. This popular joint is all about providing customers fine soba for a cheap price.
With superb soba and a lively atmosphere, people just can’t seem to get enough of this place.

Address: 1-13, Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Phone: +81- 3-3251-1556
Website: http://www.kanda-matsuya.jp/

6. Soba Bar & An

If you’ve been looking for a restaurant to impress your friends, you’re in luck. Soba Bar & An is an upscale restaurant with a modern, urban vibe. This chic joint is all about spicing things up, you can enjoy unique dishes such as hot soba with ramen toppings. Unlike most soba joints, Soba Bar & An has a pretty good alcohol lineup as well. Why not grab a sparkling wine with your soba?

Address: 1F Prudential Plaza, 2-13-10 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81-3-3500-5720
Website: http://www.sobabar.jp/

7. Kyourakutei

Do you often daydream of eating at Michelin starred restaurant? If so, your dreams will come true at Kyourakutei. While most Michelin starred restaurants charge big bucks, you can enjoy a more than a decent meal at Kyourakutei for a fraction of the price. Located in Kagurazaka, this joint specializes in hand-cut soba. The highlight of this restaurant is the ten zaru set which consists of their highly acclaimed soba and tempura.

Address: 3-6, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81-3-3269-3233
Website: http://www.kyourakutei.com/

8. Kyotei Daikokuya

Tucked away in the backstreets of Asakusa, many people claim Kyotei Daikokuya as one of the best soba joints in Tokyo. Kyotei Daikokuya is one of those restaurants that make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. With old wooden panels and tatami seats, there’s a nostalgic ambiance to this place. The owner of this restaurant has been working as a soba master for over 40 years. Having a meal at Kyotei Daikokuya is a true delight for any customer. Note that you’ll need a reservation to have a meal at this popular venue.

Address: 4-39-2, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81-3-3874-2986

9. Soba Sasuga

With a Michelin star under its belt, Soba Sasuga has become a renowned restaurant in the city. Soba sasuga specializes in serving juwari soba,100% buckwheat soba without using any fillers. Most chain restaurants use 30% buckwheat soba, highly regarded restaurants use 80% buckwheat soba, so the fact that Soba Sasuga uses 100% buckwheat soba means it is one promising restaurant. Located in Ginza, this elegant venue is a 5-minute walk from Higashi Ginza station. Even though it’s located in Ginza, their pricing is on the generous side. Their cheapest menu, zaru soba starts at the cheap price of ¥1000.

Address: 2F, Toni Bldg, 2-13-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81-3-3543-0404
Website: http://ginza-sasuga.jp/english/index.html

10. Honmura An

In 2007, chef Koichi Kobari closed the doors to his beloved restaurant in New York and reopened in Roppongi, Tokyo. With a contemporary flair to their decor, Honmura An is a stylish place to have lunch or dinner. Unlike many soba restaurants, this chic joint has a wide variety of soba options to choose from. It’s a great place to stop by, if you’re in the mood for trying out new types of soba, such as uni soba or yuba soba.

Address: 7-14-18 Roppongi, Minato-ku,Tokyo
Phone: +81-3-5772-6657
Website: http://www.honmuraantokyo.com/

Top Image @Takekazu Omi