Kanda Yabusoba

This is one of Tokyo's most famous soba (noodle) shops, established in 1880 and rebuilt after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The house, which is surrounded by a wooden gate with an entryway through a small grove of bamboo, features shoji screens and a dining area with tatami mats and tables. It's often filled with middle-age businessmen and housewives, so you'll probably have to wait on the bench at the entrance if you come during lunchtime. There's an English-language menu. The specialties are hot and cold wheat noodles, which you can order with grated yam, grilled eel, duck, or crispy shrimp tempura. Listen to the woman sitting at a small counter by the kitchen -- she sings out orders to the chef, as well as hellos and goodbyes to customers.

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