Osoba no Kouga
At just 17 seats, securing a spot at this Nishiazabu soba shop is tough, but the daring takes on traditional soba — like sea urchin — never disappoint.
Restaurant Details
Chef Koga Hiroshi believes in keeping things small. In spite of his Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Nishiazabu soba restaurant receiving an overwhelming number of hungry visitors, it seats only 17 diners at a time.
But that’s the way he likes it. Keeping things small allows him to pay closer attention to the quality of his food, as well as give his customers more individualized service. No bowl of noodles should ever be allowed to grow cold at Chef Koga’s counter — or in the case of chilled soba, warm.
His noodles are traditionally hand-ground, sourced from historic soba production area Iruma District in Saitama Prefecture. His fundamentals are rooted deeply in traditional technique. But the greatest reason behind Osoba no Kouga’s success might just be its willingness to break from tradition.
This may seem ironic, given that the bulk of Chef Koga’s training — 14 years — was in Muromachi Sunaba Akasaka, an iconic soba restaurant that has been in operation since 1887. But during his training, one of the cardinal rules he was instructed was that raw seafood and soba must never mix, which he took as a challenge of sorts. Thus was his signature dish, uni (sea urchin) soba, born.
It’s an exceedingly simple combination of soba noodles, raw sea urchin, soba tsuyu (sauce), dried seaweed and a dollop of wasabi, but the flavors work so well together that many suspect there has to be some sort of secret ingredient that ties it all magically together. (There isn’t.)
Michelin Guide:
2014 - Bib Gourmand
Osoba no Kouga Access Info
Osoba no Kouga is located a 6-minute walk from Roppongi Station, or a 15-minute walk from Omotesando Station.
Osoba no Kouga Phone Number
Osoba no Kouga Business Days
Osoba no Kouga Address
2-chome-14-5 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031
Osoba no Kouga Cancellation Policy
Cancel your reservation at least 2 days before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Restaurant location
Over 14 million residents call Tokyo home. Functioning as Japan's economic and cultural center, it's no surprise the metropolis often appears at the top of travelers' bucket lists. Here, you can find everything from traditional tea houses to futuristic skyscrapers.
We strive to be as accurate as possible and keep up with the changing landscape of Japan’s food and travel industries. If you spot any inaccuracies, please send a report.
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
10 meals
SEAT RESERVATIONMenosou
Experience the highly acclaimed Japanese cuisine creations of this longtime Kagurazaka establishment.
SEAT RESERVATIONRyori-ya Tachibana
The sheer respect for Japanese aesthetic and culinary arts is palpable at this Roppongi restaurant, where Chef Kosei Tachibana delights guests with his performative yet reverent way of preparing traditional kappo cuisine.
COURSE MENUGinza Wakuta
Fugu in winter, sakura shrimp in spring — located close to Ginza Station, Ginza Wakuta has earned its place among the district's premier kaiseki restaurants with its signature seasonal clay pot rice.
SEAT RESERVATIONShion
Even before moving to its current Akasaka location, a philosophy of reverence for Japan’s natural beauty has always driven the traditional kaiseki cuisine at Shion. Private rooms provide a much-needed respite from the Tokyo rush.