Long-established SOBA restaurant in Kanda-sudacho

In Kanda-sudacho(神田須田町), there are a lot of long-established "edo-mae(江戸前)" Japanese restaurants. Among them, I went to a soba restaurant named "Kanda Matsuya(神田まつや)." Soba is a Japanese traditional noodle made by buckwheat and there are many types of sobas all over Japan. If we want to taste good soba, we go to soba specialized restaurants.

Matsuya is so famous and there are always a lot of customers. In principle, we have to sit together with others. But nobody seems to care as they come here just to taste soba, not  to be relaxed. Service is very quick. We have to follow the instructions explained by experienced waitresses (there are always some invisible manners in such famous restaurants). 

Exterior of "Kanda Matsuya", old Japanese wooden house

Inside of "Kanda Matsuya"

Soba and shrimp tempura

I ordered a bit expensive soba and tempura set at JPY1,900, but normal soba is available at JPY600. Soba was nice.Soup is a bit strong as edomae but sliced citron makes the taste a bit lighter. Soba is thin and its taste is standard...but sophisticated somehow. The ratio of buckwheat does not seem so high and this type of soba would be the most popular. But the normal portion would not be enough for men. Most men ordered big portion or two plates of soba (actually I couldn't be full...). Tempura was crispy and delicious enough.

After eating, we can't sit there long as many customers are waiting and it is seen as "uncool" in this kind of soba restaurant. The atmosphere is nice as old Japanese wooden house. We can feel some kind of nostalgia. The taste was more than above but the one I ate was a bit expensive considering the content and portion. My rating is 3 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!   

Kanda Matsuya(神田まつや) http://www.kanda-matsuya.jp/