Sasuga Ginza — Local services in Tokyo

We ordered à la carte at this soba restaurant, and it was an extraordinary experience. Each dish was carefully crafted to complement the soba noodles, showcasing exquisite attention to detail and high-quality ingredients. The restaurant seems popular with international guests, as the staff were comfortable speaking English. Their polite explanations, attentiveness, and refined manner of speaking enhanced the dining experience.

Now, let's talk about the soba itself. It's challenging to put into words just how exceptional these noodles were. The texture, aroma, and the way they felt going down my throat - everything was perfect. I can confidently say this was the best soba I've ever had in my life. The noodles beautifully captured the essence of buckwheat, and the moment the flavour spread across my palate was truly blissful.

The à la carte dishes were equally impressive. Each item was designed to pair well with the soba while maintaining its own distinct deliciousness. The quality of ingredients and the culinary expertise were evident in every artistic plate.

After leaving the restaurant, we had an unusual sensation. It felt as if I'd just returned to reality after being immersed in a world infused with the aroma of soba. This lingering impression lasted for quite some time, making me appreciate anew the depth and complexity of soba.

Here are some highlights from the menu:

Buckwheat and yam: Buckwheat grains cooked in broth, topped with grated mountain yam. The broth allows you to directly experience the aroma of the buckwheat. Absolutely delicious.

Two-colour fresh yuba (tofu skin): Including a black yuba made from black soybeans.

Wasabi pickles: Local wasabi from Mount Amagi pickled in the lees of high-grade sake.

Deep-fried burdock root: Crispy chips you could eat endlessly.

Zaru soba: Cold noodles made from 100% buckwheat flour, ground in-house using a stone mill. These handmade noodles are incredibly thin yet have a wonderful texture, impressive given that they contain no binding agents.

Soba ice cream: A subtly flavoured ice cream that captures the essence of buckwheat without being overpowering. Pairs excellently with soba tea.

This meal was a true culinary journey, offering a newfound appreciation for the artistry and depth of soba...

If Google reviews could give half stars it'd be 3.5, but I'll try to justify the rating. For starters it's a good soba restaurant, no doubt, no question. I was disappointed in the overall experience ratio to price. For a place that had previously held a Michelin star, I had hoped for a degree of consistency with speed of service. I don't think I went at a time period with a lot of patrons or my order being last to be placed. Service was generally quite good but I guess for people looking for a quick feed, it's not desirable. As stated I know where I was going, would it be a place o return to? The answer would be a maybe, if the price was to align 500 yen cheaper on the tempura soba I believe it would be a fair ratio and...

I don’t know if we are foreigners or what, we arrived at noon, with not many customers inside (only three people including me and my husband ), they didn’t serve water (like they did to any other Japanese customers )but only asked “what would you like to drink?”

It’s noon, we don’t want to have alcohol, so we ordered tea, 400 yen per very small cup.

It’s a 2018 Michelin one star, but we didn’t know that at the time, we were just looking for a decent soba restaurant from google map, actually it was even not our first choice.

We didn’t know until at the checkout, they showed off the book to every one. But I later found out it got no star in the 2019 Michelin guide...