Sarashina Horii

We were looking for a dinner restaurant in the area and stumbled upon this place. We didn’t have a reservation and we were seated right after we arrived. We ordered Chawan-Mushi for appetizers, and Sea Urchin Cold Soba and Tempura Hot Soba for the main, and everything was so good, and portions were perfect. Chawan-Mushi took about 15 minutes to make, and it was so creamy with custard-like texture and had a perfectly balanced flavor. Sea Urchin Cold Soba was made fresh with sea urchin which was creamy and sweet, combined well with saltiness from the sauce, and mixed with cold soba created a noodle dish perfect for hot summer evening, and the broth from tempura soba was amazing, worked very well with soba noodles. Tempuras that came with the noodle soup was freshly deep fried which was crunchy outside and soft inside. The shop was clearly so popular with high traffic, and we were so glad to find this restaurant. We highly recommend this restaurant for its delicious soba dishes.

Your greeted by friendly staff. We were asked if we wanted to have a Japanese style dinner and we said yes it was very enjoyable. The food was very delicious and filling portions were a bit small, but definitely worth the try. The service was amazing and they explained everything in detail.

Love love love this well known Soba shop. Sometimes a line up but well worth it. Delicious. Have had every kind of soba here - all are good. Love the Kamo duck soba.

The first time I came here about 2 years ago the food was so good, so I deliberately made the trip out again. They have seasonal dishes which both unfortunately I wasn't able to get the same meal, but fortunately was able to try something new. Personally my best soba experience in Japan, and also confirmed with my local Japanese friends.

I arrived there around 12.30 for lunch and there was no queue. There is no english menu available and it is a bit difficult to figure out what to have or order. I ordered small shrimp tempura and soba (first I was going to order the seasonal one in which the buckwheat flour is mixed with seasonal ingredient but staff recommended me this one in the picture, so I agreed to change without understanding anything). The food is in good quality, soba is outstandingly different from other stores as there is also some nice smell together with good texture. What impressed me the most is services. As I mentioned, it took me some time to figure out what was on the menu but there were no atmosphere of pressure at all. Also, the decoration and the building gave a japanese homey vibe. Next time I will try a dish that look like some hotpot because a guy sat next to me ordered this and it smelled really tasty.

Ok so this place as such an history you just can't give it less than 5 stars. It was full with line waiting outside and even though we came without resevation they found us a spot in a tatami (not my cup of tea). The food was really good and with good prices considering the place and location.

APRIL 2023 The restaurant specialize in soba with several different types to choose from. Wanted to try the 100% buckwheat but it was not available at the time of visit (probably sold out by late dinner). So instead I ordered the white soba and the seasonal soba which they mixed in some Japanese shiso leaf. Both were tasty and refreshing; the seasonal one had a subtle herb flavor, and the white soba was very mild, think I prefer regular buckwheat which would have a more earthy taste. Also had the kakiage which had a good amount of shrimps and the jumbo prawn tempura. Tempura coating appeared thick but was actually light and crisp, did not feel greasy at all. Food was delicious and the service was great; staff checked for any final orders and also asked how the food was when I paid for the meal.

Really enjoy their variety of soba, regular (Mori), thin (sarashina), thicker (Junwari) as well as fresh udon. Personally really like the thicker soba here. Can't beat handmade everyday either! Their appetizers are also worth trying, personally love the egg omelet and stewed pork belly. But the absolute must have: kakiage (tempura of shrimp and veggies) have your favorite soba or udon but make sure you get the kakiage!

There was always a long queue in front of this soba restaurant. Since I was not in a hurry today, I waited 25 minutes from 12:10 pm. The mori soba was worth waiting for! They were using buckwheat flour made in Teshikaga, Hokkaido. I also liked their shrimp and Japanese parsley kakiage. They served a glass of cold buckwheat tea, which was flavorful. The staff there were attentive and kind. I will come back again!

Stumbled upon this place accidentally BUT it was super delicious regardless. Were had to take our shoes off and sit on the floor. Definitely a different experience. The menu had pictures so ordering was easy! We drank cold tea, still very delicious. The tempura was perfection. The staff were super friendly & they understand some English. Definitely recommend.

First time dining at a soba restaurant that is 230 years old. Tried the signature white soba called Sarashina made from the core of buckwheat plant. The chew is nice but didn't get too much buckwheat flavor. Our soba dishes came with Kuruma ebi prawn tempura and koebi (small prawn) tempura. Go for the koebi, much better texture than the Kuruma ebi prawn. A bit pricey for shrimp tempura soba (about ¥2140) for Tokyo standard and smallish portion but glad we tried it.

Tokyo, Azabujuban. November 2022 An unassuming soba shop with dating back more than 200 years. They are located on the ground floor of a street-side apartment building on Azabujuban-dori. From the outside it may look like a cafe with greenery. This is not a special occasion place. People come for the usual quick lunch. The pace is a little but like a busy ramen shop - you may have to queue and you don't linger when you are done. They make several varieties of soba, including juwari, but their claim to fame is a thin white soba, called Sarashina, made from flour milled from the center of a soba seed. It is best appreciated chilled with a men-tsuyu for dipping. Their specialty is so well regarded they are invited members of Toto Norenkai, an association of merchants each with more than 100 years of service. They are also reputed to be listed as purveyors to the Imperial Family. Defintely worthwhile seeking out.

I'd say that it'd be 3 stars for those who are new to soba, but for those who have eaten good amount of it, it'd be 4 stars. Located in the premium location of Azabujuban, they have been round since Edo era(1700s). I've heard their name before because they are famous. But never knew how it tasted or looked. I ordered standard cold soba. I was a bit surprised by its look - it's whiter and rater look like "Somen" noodle rather than soba(soba usually have grey color). But it did taste Soba. Texture was silky and the scent was quite aromatic. The broth was quite rich and coats the noodle good to keep the flavor. I also tried their nihonshu(sake). Shame that I forgot its name but it was dangerously smooth and delicious. I'm glad that I kept it moderate or I could have hangover of the century. Being around for a few centuries proves that they have been serving really good. Otherwise, they wouldn't have survived this long.

Their operation was perfect! Even those young waitresses and waiters who had a beginner driver sign on their chest! Hahaha My be loved Sarashina Soba. Beautiful white silky soba. Soooooo DELICIOUS! I agree that my husband Mori soba had more soba flavor but Sarashina soba texture was the winner! All appetizers were so good! Kamo yaki - you cooked your self. Delicious Thank you Kaoru, recommended to us here. We would definitely come back here!!

One of the three famous Soba restaurants in Azabujuban. This one this my favorite among the three. About 13 years after George Washington signed the Declaration of Independence, Horii Soba shop opened their doors in city of Edo. In 1789, the original shop was located not too far from the current place. Around the end of WWII, the 8th generation Horii could no longer keep the business operating, so they went broke. The business left the hands of Horii family and operated by another company. In 1984, Horii family brought back the soba business by opening this restaurant at this location. Therefore, while Horii's family business has a long history, this building looks fairly modern and does not have any resemblances of Edo period. RECOMMENDED DISH: I like their "Futo-uchi Soba" (930 Yen), which is fat soba. It is fat because this is 100% buckwheat noodle. Normal soba is actually not 100% soba, as they blend buckwheat with flower. It could be 70% Soba and 30% flour. Some cheap soba shops use 0% Soba and 100% flour. Yep, no longer soba, but rather udon with soba flavoring to keep the cost down. So, treating yourself to 100% soba is difficult to do outside of Japan, so this is the place to do it. The reason most soba shops avoid 100% soba is because soba is very brittle. It is hard to keep each noodle long as they keep falling apart. That is why Horii's 100% Soba is fat. That way, it doesn't fall apart as easily. SO MANY SOBA SHOPS IN JUBAN: Yes, there are 3 soba shops with name "Sarashina", which makes it quite confusing for foreigners. They are all operated by different owners and considered completely independent. Sarashina refers to an old land of what is now Nagano Prefecture. This area is known as the holy land of soba. While all 3 shops are good, I personally like this Horii restaurant the most. COST: Over priced. What do you expect in Azabujuban? Expect to pay around 1000 to 2000 Yen for soba lunch.

Sarashina Hori was a must-try because Chef Morimoto + Anthony Bourdain ate here. The place was a little hard to find without a phone but with the help of super nice locals, we made it here. If you're taking the train station and exit from the mall onto street level, turn left and head towards the tunnel. Continue walking on the right side and pass 3 stop lights and turn right. This place is located on the first small street on the left. When we got there, we didn't have to wait which was nice but we sat at a table. I asked if we could sit on the floor but that's for reservations only, apparently. We ordered 2 types of soba, fried shrimp, and chawanmushi. The soba was simple but good! Cold, al dente, and full of flavorful dipping sauce. I recommend getting the thin soba. The shrimp on the other hand were rather tiny. The menu made it seem like they'd be big. The chawanmushi was also super hot and fresh. Service was excellent, there's free wifi, and the food came out fast. If you want solid soba, stop by!

You know you found the right place when you can hear all the slurping standing outside the shop. There are a few different kinds of soba offered here and may change season to season, but can't tell for sure because we were given an English menu. They do sell dry soba in boxes and varies based on time of year. The mori-soba (buckwheat) I ordered was tasty and had a nice texture, however, considering that this place is known for their quality soba, I was a little disappointed to find many strands of noodles still stuck together at the ends. I don't claim to be a noodle expert but even I would cook it with a bit more care. Someone once told me the noodles that stick together at the ends like that indicates that there was not enough movement (stirring) in the cooking process or was cooked in too large a batch. Not a problem in my case, but can lead to undercooked noodles sometimes ... I know, I'm such a snob. Honestly, noodles were great but nothing stood out for me that distinguished it from many other soba places I've been to. I do like how a pot of soba cooking water was offered to blend with the residual soba dipping sauce to make a end-of-meal soup. Nice ambience but low ceilings. Tatami mat, table, or counter seating options.

Incredible history of serving soba since 1789. Though not continuously operating since those days their heritage goes deep. (Thx @とも T for the back story. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

This was a very special late lunch/early dinner. Healthy and very traditional. They seem to be used to tourists since they have a booklet that explains how to eat SOBA

I am no soba expert or lover. In fact, I came here because my husband is. We ended up here at an odd time at 4pm on Mother's Day so it was not crowded at all, in fact, there was probably only 5-6 other patrons here at a shop that can seat at least 50 people. It was quiet. However, in the hour and a half we were there, people started to pour in and fill the place. So going back to my not particular love for soba. I ended up really enjoying this place! The flavors are simple yet refined. Their soba broth had been soaking for 2 years to get you to where it is now. The noodles are fun because you have 5 different kinds to choose from, unlike most places. We got the thick soba and the thin rice ones (I forget the name). The thick soba was toothy like udon and while didn't hold onto the broth well, it was packed with earthiness. The thin white soba noodles held onto the flavors well and I'd compare it to rice noodles. I got the soba with the hot chicken soup and was pleasantly surprised by how comforting the soup and noodles were. The soup was hot, had a strong hint of lemon, and had refreshing pieces of green onions. Mixing the soba in it made the flavors shine even more on its cold host. Altogether, while simple, it warmed my soul. Now this place is no subway station soba. For whatever reason (I'm going to guess the 2 year fermented soup), it's pricey. Your meal here will cost you close to $20 and you're more than likely to leave hungry. Just remember that soba's healthy qualities are supposed to prevent you from obesity...

In my quest to try all of the different types of noodles I needed Soba to round out the checklist. It was my last day in Tokyo and I had limited time. So I found this spot near the Tokyo Tower to go to..just so happens it was a spot Anthony Bourdain has visited so I figured its gotta be good! Yeah, it was good! I sat solo at a communal table. It was really nice and people were friendly. The inside is very nice..a traditional Japanese feel to it. The service was also very good. They had english menus as well. I ordered the soba with duck. Soba is pretty different from most asain noodles. They are cold noodles with a hot broth on the side. This was actually really nice and refreshing.. especially after eating some pretty heavy stuff all week. The duck was soooo good too! Funny thing..after getting to the airport the premier lounge had curry soba there. I tried it..while the curry idea was pretty good the noodles here were far superior!

Outstanding! On my third trip to Japan no idea how I missed this place (thanks yelp!) I intend on coming back many more times during the duration of my trip to try at least all the other types of soba noodles. The noodles are so chewy and yummy. My giant tempura prawn accompaniment went together awesomely! The complimentary green iced tea is also divine - it's got this nice roast rice taste to it that I'll be on a mission to find some to take home with me. As for the decor, very nice! You can either sit in an intimate tatami matted booth or chairs/tables. Staff are polite and friendly and accommodates to the non Japanese speakers.

The best soba around. I've been here 5 or 6 times and it is absolutely outstanding. There are a lot of options on their menu, including a kids bento box for the little ones. You have the option to sit at a counter, table, or at a short table on tatami mats. The tatami mats are not ideal for comfort if you're use to sitting at a table, but you should still try it at least once. They have a good variety of teas, beers, and sakes. They also have English menus for those who don't read hiragana. This place fills up fast so you need to get here early or be prepared to wait. That being said, the wait is totally worth it! Itadakimasu!

Well...lets see... On my trip I had Imperial Family Soba (Owariya), Michelin Star Soba (Makino), Airplane Soba, Supermarket Soba, and now, Im gonna try me some Bourdain Soba. My trip around Japan led me from the capital, Tokyo, all the way south along the coast to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and back. In each of those cities, I made it a mission to have atleast one serving of soba. Why soba? because it's damn good and one of the most iconic local foods unavailable fresh to the masses in North America. Now, I have to be honest here... finding and eating at Sarashina Horii was not my idea, but when Bourdain tells you to do so, you just gotta go! (The man is a fricken legend, who would disobey? =p) Sarashina Horii has 2 locations, this one in the Roppongi area (Main Location), and one more farther west in the Tokyo suburbs. Finding the restaurant is not hard, it is in a high tourist and high traffic location, so transit methods are aplenty. At night time, there is a giant lantern on the side of the restaurant that says 「そば」 that you cannot miss. The restaurant is either quite large or average sized depending on what you have seen prior of Japanese restaurants. The back area has rooms with tatami and regular table & chair seating. The front area has booths and a large round communal table enough to seat 10 or so people? Since Roppongi is a very touristy location, Sarashina Horii has pictures to accompany their menus and an English menu for foreigners. (I didnt need it =D). Sarashina is famous for their white soba as opposed to the more common greyish/brown soba. When asked for their recommendations (おすすめ・osusume), the head waitress politely pointed at the KAMO NANBAN or Boiled Duck and Broth Soba. The duck is cooked in the soba sauce, already something new for me because typical soba sauce is cold-room temp, not hot. To go along with my duck soba, I ordered a serving of Tamagoyaki aswell. So far, at every dine-in soba restaurant Ive been too, It has been soba, duck, and eggs. The soba were cooked perfectly and presented in a lacquer box with a bamboo grille. The duck was very succulent and infused with the ever tasty soba sauce. The Tamagoyaki is sweet and perfectly cooked, and goes really well with the soy sauce grated radish it comes with. Typical soba meals come with Soba-yu, the water in which the soba is cooked in. The soba-yu is poured into the cup in which the sauce is in and is consumed like soup. I love soba. I crave soba. If the soba here is good enough for Bourdain, the Shogun, and even the modern day Imperial Family, it must damn good and good enough for me. A recommended Five, out of Five.

my last trip to Japan, stumbled on this Soba shop as my brother and i were looking for food near our AirBnB. i typically prefer other noodles (eg - ramen, udon, etc), and usually think of soba as filler at the end of the meal. that said, i do enjoy soba when the noodles are well prepared and the dipping broth is complex. this place elevated soba for me! while i'm not nearly a soba expert, this place made me appreciate the skill and quality that went into my soba. the soba was perfect (i ordered the one imbued with shiso leaf), and the dipping broth was flavorful and nuanced in taste. i had 2 issues with the place: - price - pricing was high, but that might be because i'm accustomed to soba being cheap filler fare. 1500-2000 yen seemed steep. - tatami seating - as a big burly gaijin, i barely fit into the tatami seating. and my legs are not very flexible :(

I had a wonderful lunch here on a rainy Tokyo day. I was a single, so they seated me at the communal table in the front of the restaurant. It was a great place to see up close how more experienced diners were eating their soba, so I had some idea of how to do it right when my food came. Was given an English menu, and I pointed to pictures to order a plate of the normal soba with six tempura shrimp on the side. (Next time I will try the fat buckwheat soba some other reviewers recommended.) The noodles were absolutely wonderful - perfectly cooked, and the tempura shrimp were light, not oily and a beautiful complement. There is somewhat of a process to how you combine ingredients, eat and slurp - if you are new to this, just watch those around you. And save the rather elaborate square pot with hot water for the end - pour the water into the sauce and noodle bits left in your little bowl, and enjoy drinking it. For me, the communal experience with fellow diners was almost as nice as the food itself. A very sweet older couple sitting next to me discreetly guided me when I looked puzzled. We could not speak with each other, but smiles and helpful gestures went a long way. A very tasty and heartwarming experience!

Picture perfect. This is a great find, and it's easy to find, right on the street, look for a red brick apartment building with decks. Table turnaround can be quick, so don't let a line dissuade you. The food is just as good as you would expect, the service to English-speakers is excellent, and it is a warm and pleasant environment. They accept credit cards. It's worth making a trip here, Roppogni is a fun neighborhood and there are several smart shops on this and surrounding blocks, as well.

The soba bowl I had here was the best I've ever had. Seriously, so good. That aged bonito broth was a heavenly elixir and the fish paste sakura flower was the perfect touch considering I was visiting during the cherry blossom season. They offer you hot tea and cold water, they take credit cards and the staff were all very friendly - I definitely recommend this place if you're in Tokyo.

Popular soba shop in Azabu Juban with a lot of history. Gets really full after opening, so try to come early. Highly recommended, with an English menu available.

Best soba in all of Tokyo the shrimp tempura is so amazing Japan shrimp it's nothing else

Soba noodle is a little dry. Side dishes with tofu, pork, and sweet eggs were average.

We decided to check this place out after watching No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. We ended up getting soba noodles and it was delicious. Nice texture, simple and well made. I recommend checking it out if you love noodles!

Overpriced and over rated in my opinion. Tried the thick soba and was not that impressed. Also the price was quite high for soba and tempura. Personally, I think it's a tourist trap. There- I said it.

Masaharu Morim (delightful, brilliant) took Anthony Bourdain (tedious, undertalented, lucky gasbag stoner) here when he wanted to demonstrate what a true classic Japanese soba house was. He didn't pick wrong. We were the only non-Japanese in the place, but they did have an English menu and staff were very polite with our battered guide-book phrases of Japanese when ordering. I had standard soba noodles, cold, with dipping sauce and six shrimp tempura. My wife had the unusual white-only soba noodles, cold, with dipping sauce, tempura mixed. My son had the chicken teriyaki. Starters are a cold refreshing tea and a bowl of fried and sea-salted soba noodles. They say appetizers can steal the show of even great restaurants where main courses are a let-down second act, and I'd have to say the BEST thing at this GREAT restaurant was the fried, salted noodles served as a snack. They were super simple, super perfect, and super delicious. We've been to dozens of highly recommended specialist chicken teriyaki places in Tokyo, and this was hands-down the BEST chicken teriyaki any of us have ever had. Order the chicken teriyaki. Chef Morim hinted at why this place is so special, unapologetically traditional, and over 220 years old: they make everything in house, fresh, and daily. That must include the teriyaki sauce, since the chicken was sublime. The main attraction is the soba, and it did not disappoint. Home-cooked dried soba tends to be overdone or underdone. Fresh-made daily here in the restaurant is even less forgiving and needs but seconds of difference to be unpalatable, but 220 years of perfection don't disappoint. My soba was delightful, bordering on chewy, but not rubbery, with a delightful bit of give while still cooked through. This is soba the way it is supposed to be. The texture of the noodles is just crackly enough to soak up tiny pockets of sauce that makes coating and slurping a breeze. Do slurp and get some air in the mix for the full effect. I must admit that I have never tasted absolutely correct soba sauce until my experience at Sarashina Horii. I have no idea what it is, but it is memorable perfection of understatement and balance, neither overwhelming the taste of the noodles, nor being an unnecessary afterthought, but a delightful compliment and contrast like flowers and fireworks. Don't miss out on a sprinkle of red-pepper and black sesame seeds. Beer. Beer is the drink (my son had a Coke, served with a smile). I had an Asahi Dry and my wife had....some non-alcoholic thing that claims it is beer. Both were served frosty cold with small glasses, and we poured for each other Japanese style. It was deliciously cold on a hot day (July 14, 2014). Perfect with the noodles. Our tempura was excellent, and bordering on greatness of specialist tempura houses. My wife said her okra tempura was the perfect counterpoint to the noodles, while I claimed the same distinction for my shrimp tempura. Parties of three and less should expect to be seated at spots at the comfortable front-and-center the communal table, while others should expect traditional tatami booths. There are "western" style tables in the back, but don't accept to be placed there unless you are in a hurry. We bought dried noodles and sauce to-go, and the proprietress helpfully explained cooking procedure in broken English. This restaurant is worth a special journey as it is the finest example of perfection and understatement of soba in Tokyo.

I love the convenience of Sarashina! It's open whenever I'm hungry at an odd hour and their soba never disappoint. I would personally recommend their tempura soba! It's also tourist/foreign friendly with detailed pamphlets on how to eat soba the Japanese way.

Mediocre food that is ridiculously overpriced. The service was slow and took a lot of effort to get the attention of our waitress. Many better choices nearby!