If you happen to be in Chiyoda city in Tokyo and you’re hungry, then I have a nice little soba shop to suggest to you that is easily accessible from multiple train stations.
Soba in Japanese means buckwheat. It is usually connected with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour. In Japan, soba noodles are served either cold with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup with different garnishes and toppings such as tempura (deep fried seafood and vegetables), tofu, vegetables and meat.
The photos here were taken at a little soba shop on a corner near Bakurocho Station served by the JR Sobu Line. Places like this one usually don’t have either a name or places to sit. Why? They’re considered to be cheap fast food restaurants where people in a hurry can grab some food quickly before heading back to work. For that reason, these types of shops are usually situated near train stations.
This “little soba shop on the corner” also serves udon (a thick type of wheat floor noodle), curry, and a great variety of tempura that customers can choose from. The prices vary from ¥260-¥400 with the basic kakesoba udon noodle soup at ¥260 and ikaten soba (hot soba noodle soup with mixed vegetable tempura) at ¥400. The rest of the soba noodles on the menu cost around ¥350.
The owner, a polite man, doesn’t speak English at all but is very kind and patient with foreigners and kept answering all my questions concerning the different types of tempura with a smile on his face. He told me that his customers never stay for more than 10 minutes. They usually eat fast and then disappear.
As mentioned above, the “Little soba shop in the corner” can be accessed from Bakurocho Station served by the JR Sobu Line. It is also just a 6-minute walk from Asakushabashi Station on the JR Chūō-Sōbu Line, and the Asakusa Line. Last but not least, it is a 12-minute walk from Akihabara Station on the JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line, the Yamanote Line and the Chūō-Sōbu Line.
