Soba Takama

Family-run Soba Takama is known for many things, like its all-wooden panel facade and its string of Michelin accolades. But most of all, it's renowned for its traditional soba noodles. The menu is kept simple with only two types of soba using flour from Fukui Prefecture: the "mori,” made from hulled, natural buckwheat — or marunuki flour — and the “inaka.” The latter, which means "countryside," boasts a coarser texture as it's crafted with whole buckwheat flour called hikigurumi. True to tradition, the soba is served in a seiro, a woven basket used for steaming, and piled high like a mountain. The buckwheat noodles are cut thinner, almost somen-like, which departs from Osaka's love for udon. The dipping sauce, steeped with kombu kelp, adds a gentle umami flavor. After finishing the soba, diners are served soba water in a pot to pour into the leftover dipping sauce for a delightful closing soup. The restaurant's space is anchored by an impressive yakusugi cedar communal table that sits 10, making dining feel more like a supper at the host's home. For a side dish to share, try the dashimaki — a Japanese-style rolled omelet made with dashi that reflects Kansai's abiding respect for the ingredient. Soba Takama is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in 2024.