I made a reservation for 6 people at the renowned soba restaurant, Kyorakutei, which has received one Michelin star and is known for its stone mill-ground, hand-cut soba noodles. I called a month in advance to reserve. I was delighted to find "kozuyu" on the menu, a dish my mother, who is from Aizu in Fukushima Prefecture, used to make for us every New Year's. The kozuyu at the restaurant was delicious, with ingredients like wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, small pieces of wheat gluten, konjac noodles, and carrots in a soy-based broth with scallops. We also enjoyed their specialty dish, horse sashimi. The soba noodles are made using whole buckwheat from Aizuyanagawa-cho in Fukushima, ground in-house using a stone mill. The aroma and texture of the soba were excellent. The cost was around 6,000 yen per person for dinner. Highly recommended!

I finally visited Sogakudo, a well-known soba restaurant that I had been wanting to visit for a long time. Since its opening in 1998, it has been operating in Kagurazaka since 2005. The restaurant has received one Michelin star annually from 2010 to 2014, and has been featured in the Bib Gourmand guide from 2015 to 2023. The name "Sogakutei" comes from the idea of enjoying soba in a pleasant building. The buckwheat used in the stone mill inside the restaurant is sourced directly from farms in Aizu-Yanaizu-cho, Fukushima Prefecture. Today, I decided to focus on the noodles instead of the usual tempura and soba set. I tried the famous "meotomori" (soba and udon) and "mugimeoto" (hiyamugi and soba), and ended up choosing the "mugimeoto" which includes buckwheat noodles. The soba had a rich dipping sauce, while the hiyamugi had a slightly sweet and gentle broth. The flavors of the soba were deep and comforting, and the hiyamugi melted in the mouth, both were delicious. The soba broth was also excellent. Next, I tried the popular curry dish, which was extremely spicy and seemed to be about 4-5 times spicier than Ethiopian curry. It was a Nanban-style curry with leeks and simmered pork, and it was a unique and delicious blend that perfectly complemented the soba. Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience.

I ordered a combination of two types of soba noodles and a single serving of shrimp tempura. When I asked if I could switch the lunch tempura for the shrimp tempura, the staff kindly made the change for me. Thanks to the considerate gesture of the staff, the delicious shrimp tempura tasted even better. The crispy shrimp head was especially delicious! There was a line of about 10 people before the restaurant opened, but we were seated quickly.

I visited on Saturday afternoon. There was a line, so I wrote my name in the register and wandered around the neighborhood to pass the time before entering. I was planning to get a two-type soba set, but it was hot outside, so I went for the limited summer menu until September, which was tomato-flavored. The appearance was different than expected, and I was wondering how to eat it! I tried eating just the soba first, then tried it with the tomato sauce on top, and even tried it with the tomato sauce mixed with the soba broth... The soba had a good texture and flavor, very delicious. The tomato sauce had basil as a nice accent, but it was quite spicy. It was fun to try different ways of eating it, but maybe enjoying the deliciousness of the soba in the two-type set would have been better. I was sitting at the counter and could see various vegetables lined up for tempura, and the lotus root looked delicious, so I added it as a side dish. When asked if I wanted it thinly sliced or thickly sliced, I requested it thickly sliced, and then I was asked which size of lotus root I wanted, and I chose the larger one. The lotus root that came out was quite large (thick slices cut into quarters) and looked very delicious (I was so tempted that I forgot to take a picture). I dipped it in fine salt. The crispy batter and meaty lotus root were so delicious ♥ It was quite satisfying due to its thickness and size, but it was so tasty that I finished it in no time. And then the bill... It was delicious and satisfying, but the soba was 1400 yen, and the lotus root was 2000 yen. I gave in to my desires and got carried away with the lotus root (lol)

I came alone on a weekday for lunch, as I usually do. Even when it's busy, there's sometimes room at the counter for a solo diner to slip in, so I always come here alone. Today, despite multiple people waiting outside, there was a vacant seat at the counter and I was seated promptly. I ordered the tempura lunch set with small dried fish tempura and vegetable tempura, along with zaru soba since I'm not a big drinker. The restaurant seemed to have many customers enjoying alcohol with delicious-looking appetizers even though it was daytime, making me envious. I don't really understand the traditions, but I do love soba noodles. The atmosphere of the restaurant, the menu that lifts your spirits just by looking at it, and the ability to freely assemble creative and tasty snacks - I think these are the charms of a soba restaurant.

Taste: Delicious Portion: Average Memorable Dish: Female flounder tempura Menu: Average Atmosphere: Average Value for money: Average Crowdedness: Average Service: Average Likelihood to revisit: If there is an opportunity - The female flounder tempura has two pieces of female flounder, shishito pepper, eggplant, and maitake mushroom tempura. The batter is crispy, the ingredients are plump, and you can taste the flavors well. - The noodles are thin, high in water content, smooth, and have a good texture. The broth has a subtle umami taste with a slightly spicy and rich flavor, delicious. - The country-style soba noodles are thin, high in water content, smooth, and have a good texture. The scent of the soba is subtly pleasant.

If you try to enter without a reservation, it's going to be quite a hassle... There are always people waiting outside the restaurant, and even inside, there are more people waiting... Reservations are only accepted for dinner. However, the soba noodles are undeniably delicious. The side dishes are also tasty. Tempura, such as conger eel, shrimp, and seasonal vegetables, are delicious. They have a variety of drinks like sake, wine, beer, and highball, but they also offer sake-based liqueurs like yogurt, yuzu, and plum. I always end up eating dishes like simmered beef tendon and sashimi, so be careful not to overeat! The soba noodles are served in generous portions.

It's been a while since I visited Kyorakutei. I took a 12-minute train ride to Kagurazaka (Iidabashi) for a midsummer lunch. This place is known for its tempura, with a specialty being the Soba with Ayu Tempura priced at 2,500 yen and Horse Meat Sashimi at 1,280 yen. The soba has a beautiful appearance and a refreshing taste, but I can't help but feel that the tempura is really delicious. It has that authentic tempura taste without being overly fancy. I'd like to try the tempura at Kyorakutei as well. When I went on a weekday at 1 pm, there was a slight wait. It might be better to go around 1:30 to avoid lines. They accept cash only.

Visited on Saturday, August 5th for lunch. Currently, they are taking measures against heatstroke, so around 10:30, there was a paper to write your name on, and you fill it out and come back later. If you go around 10:50, you might make it for the first round of seating. Since it's not far from home, I just wrote my name and went back. I was third in line at 10:30. Returned at 11:30, by then about 30 groups had written their names. Had the large serving of "tenzaru soba." The tempura here is incredibly good!!! The tempura had a light and crispy batter, bringing out the flavor of the ingredients!!! My companion had the "anzu" (eel) tenzaru soba, which might have been the better choice for the first visit. The soba noodles are made from a mix of 20% wheat flour and 80% buckwheat flour. Personally, I found this to be average. You could also try adding tempura to the two-color soba. At some point, we realized this place is not only a soba restaurant but also a drinking spot, so we ordered additional items like draft beer and mapo tofu. These were also delicious. A perfect spot for daytime drinking! Will come back for the two-color soba next time!!

I visited around 1 pm in the scorching heat. Luckily, there were a few seats available. It's tough to wait outside in this heat. I ordered the Megochi tempura soba set. The Megochi had a crispy coating and tender flesh, very delicious. The soba noodles had a good texture, and paired well with the slightly rich dipping sauce. I got the large serving, so my stomach was satisfied. Thank you for the meal. Oh, and the soba broth is delicious too.

I arrived at the restaurant casually around 4:30 pm on a Saturday. I queued up alone. Since I was there already, I decided to wait in line, and soon a line started forming. It seems to be quite popular. If you don't line up about 20 minutes before opening, you might not get in on the first round. Both the soba noodles and side dishes were delicious. I also bought some dried soba noodles as a souvenir. It seems that the fresh noodles only last for one day, so I chose the dried noodles.

On this day, I was released from work around 5:30 PM in Iidabashi! Without any reservations, I happily pondered tonight's dinner...(^ ^) Bistro crossed my mind, but I was in the mood for something completely "Japanese" since I've been having a lot of French cuisine. As a result... I ended up at "Sorakutei" once again. After all, their delicious food is always a safe bet. [Appetizers] - Warabi fern salad - Senhoushi oysters - Chilled eggplant [Tempura] - Ayu sweetfish - Mannouji bell pepper - Corn - Conger eel - Asparagus - Anago eel [Soba] - Mugime-oto Today, I had a very intriguing experience and even though I was at the familiar counter seat, it felt like a fresh dining opportunity (^ ^) I always thought Sorakutei's tempura was delicious, but tonight it tasted even better. And the crucial "Mugime-oto" soba. The soba had a sweet taste and the cold noodles were chewy and refreshing... It's a menu item available all year round, but when you have it, you can truly feel the taste of summer! Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Even though there was a waitlist of 14 people, the wait time was only about 10 minutes. The anticipation grew during this short wait. I ordered the shrimp tempura. In addition to shrimp and two types of vegetables, there were also tempting tempura options like tilefish and sweetfish. There are many delicious soba restaurants, but this one came highly recommended by various people, so I came here with great excitement. Let's dig in. The soba is delicious, the dipping sauce is delicious, the soba broth is delicious, and the tempura is delicious - everything is delicious. The rich flavor of the soba broth spreads the natural sweetness of soba in your mouth. This is a place worth waiting in line for.

Visited for lunch on Friday. Arrived 15 minutes before opening and there was already one group waiting. About 20 minutes after opening, it was full. The soba had a good texture and aroma, and was delicious. The soba water was light and went well with the soba dipping sauce. The restaurant was clean and the service was good.

I visited the restaurant in the evening. I enjoyed a variety of Japanese sake with soba, tempura, grilled duck, rolled omelette, simmered dish, horse sashimi, and yuba. The tempura was especially delicious. Everything tasted great, but the prices are a bit high. They only accept cash, so be prepared when you go.

I heard rumors about this place almost 10 years ago. It's located in an area outside of my usual stomping grounds, reservations are only accepted for dinner, limited to 3 groups per day, and there's always a line forming before opening. Despite wanting to visit, the high hurdles made it seem daunting. But during a special gathering with my sister, we decided to give it a try in mid-May. I called to make a reservation for two at 5 PM on a Saturday in June. Surprisingly, they had availability. Excited, we arrived on time and managed to find the restaurant after navigating through the winding streets of Kagurazaka. Even though we arrived just after opening time, there were already several people waiting in line. The rumors of its popularity were indeed true. Luckily, we had a reservation, so we were seated promptly at the counter. The restaurant was fully booked, and we felt the stares of those waiting as we passed by. We started with drinks - I had a highball and my sister opted for oolong tea. We also ordered some fresh squid sashimi and grilled duck. The squid was sweet and had a nice chewy texture, while the duck had a delicious aroma and tender meat. I switched to sake and we ordered tempura next. The tempura, including smelt, conger eel, sandfish, and asparagus, was fried to perfection and served hot and crispy. The conger eel tempura was particularly delicate and tasty. My sister, who is allergic to soba noodles, opted for chilled wheat noodles, while I chose a duo of zaru and inaka soba. Both were served with anago tempura on the side. The noodles were translucent and had a firm yet smooth texture, while the soba had a slightly grayish hue and a chewy texture that was a delight to eat. Overall, the variety of dishes and the quality of the food justified the restaurant's popularity and the difficulty in securing a reservation.

On the first visit, there were about 7 people waiting before opening, but we were able to get in after one round. On the second visit, we arrived after 1 PM and were able to get in without waiting. We ordered tempura soba on the first visit, and curry soba on the second visit. The tempura was crispy and fresh, and the soba was delicious as expected! The curry soba was also quite impressive, with a good balance of sweetness from the beef tendon and spiciness from the curry. You can feel the attention to detail in the dishes. We had the warm curry soba this time, but I would like to try the cold version next time. Eating at the counter allows you to experience the liveliness of the food preparation, so I highly recommend it.

Moved from Ikkoan to this place. Following last weekend's Gesshin, another midday drinking at a soba restaurant (*ˊᗜˋ*)و♪♬*゜Arrived 10 minutes before opening, was told I would have to wait for the second round, but luckily got seated at a shared table if that was okay. Quickly looking at the menu, there were so many appealing side dishes to choose from. I ordered the following 3 items, all of them delicious (*>ω<)bｸﾞｯ!! It's nice that you can get a half serving of sake as well~ The two-color soba we had to finish was even better than the side dishes♪ The dipping sauce was slightly spicy and rich, so it paired well with the soba from the countryside maybe? Skipped the tempura this time, and there were so many other tempting side dishes to resist, so I must visit again haha. Enjoyed another round of midday drinking this week (*>∀<)ﾉSo good!! Two-color soba 1,200 yen Udo vinegar miso 880 yen Raw yuba sashimi 780 yen Shad with sansho pepper 1,000 yen Yaemon "Sohin" Junmai sake (1/2) 450 yen Oarabashiri Junmai Ginjo Gohyakumangoku (1/2) 475 yen Yamatoya Zennaichi Junmai Nama sake (1/2) 475 yen

Sorakutei Tabelog 3.77 *As of June 2023Soba Top 100 Michelin Bib GourmandPersonally, the best soba in Tokyo! Even the 100% soba is fresh and moist with plenty of water! You can only taste the refreshing hiyamugi here!Usage: Solo ✔️ / Date ✔️ / Friends ✔️ / Women ✔️ / Entertaining ✔️ / Colleagues ✔️System: Cash only, order after seating.Atmosphere (Interior): 4 counter seats and tables. Spacious and clean, with a calm atmosphere.Atmosphere (Staff): Generally friendly and homey service.Menu: Nihachi soba and Hiyamugi (80% soba and hiyamugi) *This is the best for lunch* Can be served in larger portions. Tempura assortment.Tasting: Nihachi soba comes in two types, 80% and 100%. Noteworthy is the high water content and quality of the soba! The unique firm texture of 100% soba is completely absent here. It has a simply refreshing and smooth texture.★Recommended by Manpuku: Use the table's provided snow salt. Originally for tempura, dip a little in the soba without adding broth. Enjoy the true taste of Sorakutei's fresh soba.Summary: Manpuku, a soba lover, loves this soba shop the most. Instead of craving soba regularly, it's more like wanting soba equals wanting to go to Sorakutei. Since reservations are hard to come by at night, be prepared to wait in line for both lunch and dinner. Please improve the cash-only policy here! Also, please accept reservations for dinner (urgent).

When I happened to be nearby for work, I stopped by this restaurant. The atmosphere of the place is cozy and feels like a hidden gem. Inside, there are clean counter seats, and it gives off a vibe that would be perfect for enjoying sake if it was closer to home at night. Since one of their specialties seemed to be soba with my favorite anago tempura, I ordered that. First up was the anago tempura. There was an anago bone tied in the center of the tempura! How stylish! And it was incredibly delicious! I savored it while resisting the urge to have some sake. The soba noodles were slightly thick and had a chewy texture, making them very flavorful and delicious!

About a 5-minute walk from Iidabashi Station B3 Exit on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line and Namboku Line. I visited the long-established "Ishiusu Biki Tegata Sogakutei" where I had been wanting to go. It's funny how my excitement rises when the meeting point is specified as "Peko-chan" lol. It means let's meet around the area after exiting Iidabashi Station B3 Exit ^^ On this day too, we met at "Peko-chan," climbed up a hill, and passed by the oden shop and bistro we visited recently (Eh? Was it here!?). I was pleasantly surprised. I visited prepared to wait based on the reviews of this constantly crowded restaurant. It was lunchtime, but fortunately we were seated at a table without waiting. They use Gen-soba from Aizu, Fukushima, and grind it in the store's stone mill, showing their dedication. There is a lunch set menu that includes soba and kozuyu, a soup. Kozuyu is a lucky soup from the Aizu region, made with scallop dashi and ingredients like dried shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms, often eaten during celebrations. It was my first time trying it, and I felt that Japan still has so much to offer. Soba + kozuyu? Tempura soba for 2500 yen. Both the soba and tempura look delicious! And they taste great too, with thin noodles and a good texture. The name "Sogakutei" comes from the idea of enjoying soba and the meaning of "inn, place," and it's truly a recommended restaurant just as the name suggests. I'd like to visit at night as well. Thank you for the meal ❤️