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Soba And Udon

Wherever you go in Tokyo you can't help running into a soba or udon restaurant.

They range from the most expensive to the street stalls where many salarymen will stand and eat as they grab some food before the next business appointment.

If you're a fan of noodles you'll love the variety of dishes and venues available. For a real Tokyo experience try one of the thousands of local restaurants usually found near the train stations.

Soba

Soba noodles are the thinner of the two types of noodles. Made from buckwheat flour, they are usually brown in colour.

These dishes are served both hot and cold depending on the Tokyo climate.

In summer, the cold dish is really refreshing on a hot Tokyo day. It is a very simple dish consisting of the noodles, cooked and then cooled, along with some soy sauce for dipping, some chopped spring onions, and possibly some dried seaweed sprinkled on top.

In winter, the the noodles are served in a broth known as dashi in Japanese. This dish will warm you to the core while filling you up at the same time.

Soba noodles are often served in combination with other dishes. You can try tempura style noodles or a Japanese noodle salad if you fancy adding a twist to this dish.

These noodles are also a traditional dish to eat on Japanese New Years Eve. Go to any shrine in Tokyo and you will find someone selling noodles by the bowl. Why not join in the celebrations and have a glass of sake as you slurp along with everyone else.

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Udon

Udon are much fatter noodles made from wheat. They are slippier in texture, and white in colour. Whichever noodles you prefer, however, they are both served cold in summer and hot in winter.

Udon soup tends to be very simple fair. Common ingredients are spring onion, a pink and white slice of fish cake, and seaweed.

Personally I prefer the thinner noodles as I find the udon noodles a little too slimy for my taste. The dry texture and taste of the soba are perfect for me. Each to their own and all that.

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Yakisoba

This is a very common dish at festivals and other outdoor events in Japan.

If you are going to any of the music festivals like Fuji Rock festival, a summer festival, a hanabi festival, the Asakusa Samba Festival, or a local matsuri, chances are you'll come across a yakisoba stand.

This is definitely a form of fast food from Japan, although I'm sure it's healthier than most Western fast foods. Yakisoba consists of fried noodles with a mixture of pork and vegetables to your taste. These days you can also get it with chicken and other meats, but the original dish is made with pork.

I wouldn't want to eat it everyday but this one is great when you're out and about having fun.