Originally Posted by LapLap
Don't miss out on trying soba noodles at a highly dedicated soba restaurant - where the flour is freshly milled and the noodles rolled out and cut that day, a quintessential Japanese experience (and one that won't break the bank). There are a wide variety of soba noodles, some are light made from highly milled buckwheat flour, others are dark with a stronger flavour - then there are the many kinds of flavours that are incorporated into the noodles which include green tea, ume, yuzu, sesame & shiso leaves. Ramen is a result of the indigenous development of a Chinese import (wheat noodles) whereas soba noodles are an entirely Japanese invention dating back about 400 years.
Out of the suggestions on this web page:
http://metropolis.japantoday.com/tokyo/433/dining.asp , I can recommend Toshian & Kanda Yabu Soba. (My favourite is a restaurant in Yotsuya, but I can't access my notes for another month to tell you the name of it).
Sake and soba go WONDERFULLY together, and cold noodles on a hot day are a delight as well as a relief. (Morisoba - or zarusoba wich comes with nori)
When you're doing your research on which restaurants to visit, don't forget to check what food is in season when you're there and choose a restaurant or dish where this kind of speciality is best served. Some of the best restaurants in Japan/Tokyo only serve a very narrow range of options and are highly specialised.
I also recommend going to a good soba place. One I have been to in New York and Tokyo is Honmura An. It is my favorite restaurant in New York and I liked the one I went to in Tokyo as well. I went to the one in Roppongi but I think their other one, and I forget where it is, is a bit fancier.
As far as sushi I also liked Edo Gin. It wasnt as good as Kyubei in my opinion but about 25% the price.