HARUKIYA HONTEN

Extraordinary Juwarisoba and Devoted Ramen
[updated August 2022]

Harukiya Honten in Ogikubo is well known for their exquisite juwarisoba or 100% soba flour noodles. They serve not only soba noodle but also ramen. In fact, they started as a soba shop. The third shop owner says modestly, “My restaurant is just like an ordinary town restaurant,” but he has committed himself to the juwarisoba. They also have nihachisoba or soba which consists of 20% soba flour. They blend roughly ground soba flour grown in Hokkaido and flour ground by millstone in Fukui. Also they make their soup from katsuobushi, or dried bonito, that has been roasted with binchotan, or charcoal of best quality, and then blend it with special soy sauce. You will surely enjoy the soup as it has a peculiar fragrance of soy sauce. The soup goes hand in hand with grated spicy radish grown in Yamagata.

Harukiya Honten have devoted themselves to keeping the same taste since the shop opened in 1931. It is said to be the oldest ramen shop in Tokyo, and the originator of “Tokyo-style” soy sauce based ramen. Although their main menu is Japanese soba noodles, their ramen is said to be some of the best in Tokyo. The main menu includes soba, ramen, donburi or bowl of rice with various food on top, and alcohol. A large ramen serving is available for an extra 200 yen. They use their homemade noodles for both soba and ramen. There are 38 seats and children are welcome.

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Translation: Y. Ikeno
Photography: TFF staff