Tamawarai

The owner-chef at this Omotesando restaurant can tell you the story of his noodles firsthand, from seed to soba. This is because he cultivates and harvests the buckwheat with his own two hands, before transforming it into Michelin-starred soba. It’s a painstaking process. Every sheaf is harvested by hand, and ground using manual techniques which were used in the villages of centuries past. His shop, located near the stylish Cat Street which runs up from Shibuya to Omotesando, goes largely unannounced from street level. You’ll be able to find it by the long line of hungry diners gathered on the bamboo-railed staircase. Be prepared to wait a while after you join their ranks. You will first make your way up the stairs, then be seated in a small waiting room at the top. This is not the fast food noodle soup you might be used to. You’ll be glad you made the effort though. The noodles here really are world class. You can have them hot or cold, with toppings including herring, natto, radish, tempura, and raw egg. A good range of small nibbles is also on offer too.