Edosoba Hosokawa

"And at Edosoba Hosokawa in Tokyo, thin, al dente soba goes down a treat." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team

"Chef Hosokawa tours producing regions in search of the highest-quality buckwheat. He kneads his soba noodles reverently and you can compare buckwheat from different regions, tasting the unique character the terroir impart to each. The spring ‘Wakatake’ with bamboo shoots and wakame is fragrant with the aroma of young pepper leaves. In summer, ‘Hiyakaki’ includes the luxury of large oysters. Visiting to taste the soba of each season is one of the pleasures of Edosoba Hosokawa." - Michelin Inspector

"Just past the massive Edo-Tokyo Museum in the eastern neighborhood of Ryogoku, home to the capital’s sumo stadium, Hosokawa is easily identifiable by the line of devoted soba fans standing outside at lunchtime. Here, Chef Tadashi Hosokawa uses 100-percent freshly milled buckwheat flour to make his legendary noodles. The texture is delightful, featuring a heft and pleasant chewiness that wheat-flour noodles lack. Dipped in a smoky soy-based sauce that complements the nutty flavor of the buckwheat, Hosokawa’s soba tastes best with a side of delicate anago eel tempura or juicy, flash-fried kamonasu eggplant. If you're here at the height of summer, go for the soba with pureed okra in a chilled dashi broth." - Melinda Joe

"Tadashi Hosokawa is a soba whisperer, having earned a Michelin star for his Zaru-style preparation: thick buckwheat strings served alongside a smoky and salty tsuyu dipping sauce. At his pint-size restaurant, you can opt to enhance your soba with tempura or fried vegetable and dashi. The plate might appear minimal—even boring—but you'll be wowed by the flavors and textures once you did in. It’s enough to inspire the endless queues that form every afternoon." - Brad Japhe