Kanda Yabu Soba is an edo-style soba restaurant in Kanda, Tokyo.
Kanda Yabu Soba in Tokyo has served Edo-style buckwheat noodles since 1880 and is the canonical room for the yabu lineage. Sing-song order calls still in use.
Editorially verified May 19, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Seiro cold soba, Kamo nanban duck soba, Anago tempura
Must order: Seiro cold soba; kamo nanban duck soba in winter.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Queue from 11:30; afternoons are calmer. Cash and major cards.
Address: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0063, Japan
Tonkatsu Maisen's 1965 Aoyama shop in Tokyo occupies a former Omotesando public bathhouse. Kurobuta cutlets so tender they slice with chopsticks.
Signature: Kurobuta hire katsu, Amai Yuwaku rosu set, Katsu sando
Order: Kurobuta hire (lean) set with shredded cabbage refills; the katsu sando is the takeaway hero.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-22:45. Long lunch lines from 12:00; counter seating turns faster than tables.
Ippudo Roppongi in Tokyo is the Hakata-style tonkotsu chain's late-night branch, open until 03:00 weekends. The standard intro to creamy pork ramen.
Signature: Shiromaru classic tonkotsu, Akamaru modern miso-tonkotsu, Karaka-men spicy tonkotsu
Order: Akamaru modern with extra-firm noodles; add a kaedama refill.
Tip: Open 11:00-03:00 Fri-Sat, until 24:00 weekdays. Counter and tables, English menu.
Tsunahachi Shinjuku Honten in Tokyo has fried tempura over sesame oil since 1923. Counter and tables; the lunch set is the local lunchtime introduction.
Signature: Tempura lunch set, Anago saltwater eel tempura, Shrimp tempura skewer
Order: The tempura lunch set with anago and the shrimp opener.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-22:30. Lunch queue is fast; dinner counter seating turns quickly.
Torikizoku Shibuya in Tokyo is the value yakitori izakaya pouring 350-yen skewers and mega-highball jugs. Counter, tables, English ordering tablet.
Signature: Yakitori skewers, 350 yen flat, Mega highball jug, Karaage fried chicken
Order: Tsukune, momo and negima skewers with a mega highball; karaage on the side.
Tip: All food and drink 350 yen plus tax. Reservations recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Sushizanmai Honten in Tokyo's Tsukiji is the 24-hour sushi flagship Kiyoshi Kimura built after winning the auction tuna in 2013. Counter, tables, sashimi.
Signature: Maguro-zukushi tuna selection, Otoro fatty tuna nigiri, Kaisendon seafood rice bowl
Order: The maguro-zukushi tuna selection plate; otoro lunchtime is the value play.
Tip: Open 24 hours daily. Late-night counter seating is the easiest. The Tsukiji Outer Market is on the corner.
Katsukura Shinjuku in Tokyo Takashimaya is the Kyoto tonkatsu chain's department-store branch. Tableside sesame-grinding ritual, sauces blended to taste.
Signature: Kurobuta rosu cutlet, Hire-katsu lean cutlet, Sesame-grind sauce service
Order: Kurobuta rosu set with cabbage refills and the grind-your-own sesame sauce.
Tip: Inside Takashimaya Times Square dining floor. Open 11:00-22:00; weekend dinners queue 30 minutes.
