Teuchisoba Kanei

Restaurant Details

The restaurant is housed in a traditional wooden townhouse, which is quaint and the perfect vessel for the soothing meal to come. Diners take off their shoes before sliding into the horigatsu (Japanese-style low tables); the gentle air flows from the noren-clad entrance to the veranda and becomes a welcome breeze.

Fueled by his love for soba, the owner-chef of Teuchisoba Kanei learns its making process by himself. Using a stone mill, he grinds his buckwheat seeds and serves two types of soba: juwari, a smoother thin noodle made with whole buckwheat, and the coarse-ground arabiki, made with shelled soba seeds with added wheat flour. The owner’s manual labor adds a rustic touch. With a boiling time of only about 15 seconds, the noodles are considered some of the thinnest in Kyoto.

While waiting for the soba, try appetizers like buckwheat tofu, rolled Japanese omelet and broiled miso. Guests are given a stick of wasabi to grate with a shark skin grater; add the desired amount to the dipping sauce for an earthy kick. If the popular arabiki soba is unavailable, opt for the duck soba instead.

Teuchisoba Kanei is a recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award in 2024.