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Take a culinary tour through Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, and
Hong Kong as writer
MICHAEL KAPLAN
samples some of
the best dishes these Far East cities have to offer.
Tokyo.That iswhereTakeyabu, aone-starMichelin
restaurant, ranksamong the topsobaspecialists in
town.Thediningroom issmallandsweet, feelingmore
likeahome thanarestaurant.SobasenseiTakaoAbe
(pronouncedTah-cowAh-bay), ownerofTakeyabu,
growshisownbuckwheatonhisown farmandmakes
hisownnoodleseachmorning.FollowingmyShangri-
La tutorial, this isonlysomewhatsurprising:Chef
Weberemphasized thatTokyo’sbestnoodlerestaura-
teursare totallyhands-on in theirpreparations.
Takeyabuoffersanoodlecentric tastingmenu. It
comeswithmushroom, sashimi, and tofudishes, but
theyall rotatearound roughlyhewn sobawhich, I
findout, is regardedas themost epicureannoodle inJapan.Noodles, served inantiqueplatesandbowls,
arrive fresh from thekitchenandneed tobeeaten immediately, lest their consistenciesdeteriorate. I’m
served soba in soup, sobawithvegetables, and cold soba that’sbeen
artfully laidout onaplate. Eachonehas itsown subtleflavornotes,
butmy favorite isaplatterof cold soba that hasyuzu—a citrusy,
seasonal Japanese fruit— cooked right into it. The taste isdistinc-
tiveandzippy, best experiencedafterdipping the fruit-studded
noodles intoa soy-based sauceanddevouring them immediately.
Slurping, as I can tell from those seatedaroundme in the small
dining room, isnot discouraged. I follow suit and savor everymouth-
ful of fresh, homemade soba.
➤
INSIDER’S TIP:
Noodles are practically a
lunchtime staple in Tokyo. To experience a
more proletarian noodle, go to Kanda, a
neighborhood in central Tokyo, and join
salarymen (andwomen) for a casual meal
at Kanda-Matsuya.
DETAILS:
Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo,
shangri-la.com; Takeyabu, Roppongi Hills
Residence B3F, Keyakizaka-dori 6-12-2
Roppongi Hills, 011-81-3-5786-7500;
Kanda-Matsuya, 1-13Kanda-Suda-cho,
Chiyoda-ku, 011-81-3-3251-1556
65
celebratedliving.com
FALL 2010
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:©MICHAELHITOSHI/GETTY IMAGES;COURTESY SHANGRI-LA (2)
