Arrive at Aoyama Kawakami-an at midday and you’ll find a typical upmarket noodle shop — as quiet and genteel as you’d expect of any restaurant in the residential backstreets around Omotesando. But return after nightfall and it has a very different feel.

The specialty here is soba, buckwheat noodles prepared fresh daily, just as they are at the original branch of Kawakami-an, up in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. These are served cold, either on their own as seiro soba (served on a bamboo tray); with tempura (ten-seiro); or with warm duck broth on the side (kamo-seiro). A range of side dishes are also available if you’re planning on lingering a bit longer.

In the evening, though, the menu flips. Kawakami-an turns into a full restaurant, with an extensive menu of appetizers and main dishes ranging from fish to pork or wagyu. Soba is still served, but now it’s more an afterthought, a dish to close the meal.

You’ll also find a substantial list of sake and wine, a bar where you can linger till the wee hours, and even the occasional DJ event. No wonder this has become such a popular hangout for the hip and well-groomed late-night Aoyama set — just as its sister branch has in Azabu-Juban (kawakamian.com).

Soba from ¥920, set lunch menus from ¥1,300, dinner a la carte; Japanese menu; some English spoken

Aoyama Kawakami-an Restaurant Page Aoyama Kawakami-an Name (J) 青山 川上庵 Lunch price range ¥1,000 - ¥2,000 Dinner price range ¥5,000 or more Cuisine Japanese Keywords soba, wine Number of seats 93 Smoking No smoking Reservations Not accepted Area Aoyama Address 3-14-1 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Address (J) 東京都港区南青山3-14-1 Stations Gaienmae Station Telephone 03-5411-7171 03-5411-7171 Website https://kawakamian.com/shops/aoyama.php/ Hours 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.-3:30 a.m. (L.O.) Payment information Cash, Credit Card English spoken? Yes Map

In line with COVID-19 guidelines, the government is strongly requesting that residents and visitors exercise caution if they choose to visit bars, restaurants, music venues and other public spaces.

KEYWORDS soba