Although there are other soba shops by the same name in other parts of Tokyo, to visit the original, you'll want to make the trek to Ogikubo, just at the outskirts of the city. Once you step into the simple interior, you can see what sets it apart from the many others: on one side of the restaurant through a large window you can watch your soba being hand rolled and cut, and on the other side the store opens up to a view of a garden and shrine in the back. Honmura-An has continued as a family-owned and operated business since 1924 and continues to grind their own buckwheat flour from scratch using the same method passed on through many generations.

The specialty here is the buckwheat soba noodle served with your choice of dipping sauces along with soba with duck and soba with grated Japanese yam. The best way to describe the taste is clean and elegant and with a Japanese garden as your dining backdrop, it is decidedly a more refined experience so adjust the volume of your slurp accordingly.  

Pro tip:

Given that Honmura-an is a bit of a trek, pair with a visit to the Owl Café which is on the same train line and escape from the chaos of the city for the day. Or if you can’t make it out of the city, visit the Roppongi location opened by the chef’s brother in law.