While in Japan last winter, I decided to visit one of the oldest soba shops in Tokyo, Kanda Yabu Soba. This restaurant dates back to 1880, during the Edo period, and dates back to a time when soba noodles were famous as a fast food for busy people.

To my surprise, my group made it in. Although the wait was a bit long—about 30 minutes—it wasn't as bad as I expected at such a popular restaurant. When our number was called, we sat down on one of the traditional seats on the floor (as opposed to having Western-style chairs), and I ordered seirou soba: a simple, buckwheat noodle dish. Eat hot with thin dipping sauce.

It was truly the best soba I've ever eaten. The noodles are simple but delicious with a rich fresh buckwheat flavor, and the restaurant also provides hot water at the end so you can mix it with the remaining dipping sauce to create a delicious broth after your meal. Not only that, it's also very affordable, not even taking into account the strong dollar-yen exchange rate.

Japan is the land of truly delicious food at affordable prices, and Kanda Yabu Soba is a prime example. While this value is most evident in the many convenience stores scattered across the country, what really caught my attention is that even a 144-year-old nationally known restaurant can still be accessible to the budget. suitable books. But even putting aside such a long-lived establishment, I see that by comparison, the United States suffers from high rents, real estate prices, and community segregation due to the prevalence of cultural car. These factors make it nearly impossible for niche restaurants to grow and maintain reasonable prices.

My only regret about going to Kanda Yabu Soba is that I didn't get a chance to try more than the basics. Of course it was amazing, but now that I've had the seirou soba, I want to try their more complex options (like the one with the duck!). Hopefully that will happen next time I happen to stay in the area.