Japan 2013 - Tokyo III

The members of our tour gathered and had a day in Tokyo before setting out for ceramics regions to the northeast. For lunch we stopped at Honmura An, a well-known soba shop in Roppongi.  (There was a branch in New York for a number of years, which closed a few years ago when the man running it returned to Tokyo to take over the main restaurant when his father died.)

The soba was, of course, excellent, highlighting the nuttiness of the buckwheat from which it is made and with a slightly al dente texture. My only problem is that, for some reason, Honmura An cuts the noodles in half, rendering it impossible to hold the noodles 12-18 inches above the tray before dipping them in the accompanying sauce, the classic technique for eating cold soba.

More surprising, however, was the high quality of the other items at Honmura An: crispy tempura, beautiful salad and a whole series of excellent side dishes.

Shrimp head tempura at Honmura An

Mushroom tempura at Honmura An

Salad at Honmura An

A good way to start the tour.

Bobby Jay