When I was planning my trip to Japan, I knew the one thing I had to do was find an amazing soba spot. Not familiar with soba? They are a buckwheat noddle having both hot and cold preparations.  There is a special art in making soba noddle’s and there are few places that offer “pure” soba. 

Authentic soba noodles are made by hand and don’t have additional ingredients. While researching, Ginza Soba Sasuga came up as the best place to have soba in Tokyo. Ginza Soba Sasuga has a Michelin Star and is a small restaurant hidden in an alley. 

They really pride themselves on making authentic soba noodles and for you to have the full experience. They limit the amount of guest they serve due to everything being handmade. You will also get a card that shows proper soba eating etiquette. The best way to enjoy the full soba experience is to have the set menu. 

The first dishes served were three types of appetizers. We had shrimp tempura, an egg cake and a medley of seafood that included a whole squid. I won’t lie eating a squid whole that was cold is not the most appetizing thing in the world to me. The egg cake and shrimp tempura however were really good! 

Next, we had cold soba which was so delicious, one of the best dishes I have ever had. To properly eat your soba, you dunk the noodles in a sauce and then slurp them up. Slurping is not rude in Japan, it’s actually ruder to not slurp your dish! 

Our next dish being a plate of hot soba which we dip in the same sauce. I prefer the hot soba but both the cold and hot were delicious! 

My favorite was the soba dessert which was soba that was in a honey syrup mixture. Then with the leftover soba water they brewed a tea which was delicious! 

Soba is a must try dish when you are in Japan and having an authentic soba experience is key! If you find yourself in Tokyo, make sure to reserve a table for the best soba noodles, you will not be disappointed!