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TOKYO | Kanda Matsuya is a Tokyo institution that’s been serving Edo style buckwheat soba to the city’s denizens since 1884. The current Taisho style building dates back to 1924, and is a fantastic example of the style that oozes character. When you walk inside you can feel the sense of history that permeates the restaurant. From the decor, to the attire of the staff and the way restaurant hums, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time.
Over 60 people sit on rattan covered stools, shoulder to shoulder, perched over small wooden tables. It’s not the most comfortable of restaurants, but you wouldn’t want it any other way. On the menu (there is an English menu), it’s a simple selection of soba dishes, plus a few sides like toasted nori seaweed, yakitori, and tempura. The noodles are te-uchi — freshly rolled and chopped by hand, and the best way to enjoy them is simply.
The two most popular types of soba on the menu are the mori (served cold, with a tsuyu dipping sauce) and the zaru (served cold, with nori). We opted for both and were suitably impressed. There’s a reason that nothing has changed here, and that reason is that things are perfect just the way they are. The noodles are mild and springy, with either the nori or dipping sauce providing just the extra bit of flavour that you need. Essential, timeless Tokyo dining.
Kanda Matsuya
1-13 Kanda Sudachō
Tokyo 101-0041
Japan
Telephone: 03 3251 1556
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 11:00am to 8:00pm
Sat – Sun: 11:00am to 7:00pm