In Japan, department stores must not to be overlooked. The top-branded stores acquire the best of the best – from food hall vendors on the basement floors to brands of clothing to restaurants on the upper floors.
Mitsukoshi Ginza is one the best department stores in the country, and so it is no surprise they have one of the best soba restaurants, Hakone Akatsuki-an, specializing in freshly milled buckwheat and handmade noodles.
The immediate draw into Hakone Akatsuki-an comes from their window display. During lunch and dinner hours, you can watch the soba master rolling out freshly milled buckwheat into thin sheets and slicing them with a specialized soba knife.
Freshly made soba noodles, as opposed to the dry ones in grocery stores, have an amazingly soft, yet al dente bites with a light taste of the milled buckwheat. If you love noodles noodles, freshly milled and handmade soba in Japan is a meal that must be experienced.
If you cannot read Japanese, many restaurants provide English menus. These English menus tend to only translate set menus. At Hakone Atatsuki-an, the set menus are perfect for lunch or dinner as it comes with more than just the soba noodles.
Hakone Akatsuki-an
11th Floor, Mitsukoshi Ginza
4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
+81-3-6228-6918
11am to 11pm (Last order 10:30pm)
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