Izumo soba is one of Japan's three great regional soba styles, alongside Wanko soba (Iwate) and Togakushi soba (Nagano). The distinctive feature is the preparation: the noodles are made from whole buckwheat including the hull, giving them a darker colour, a stronger flavour, and a grainier texture than the refined soba served elsewhere. They are typically served either cold in stacked lacquerware boxes (warigo soba) or warm in a simple broth.
The warigo style — two or three stacked bowls brought to the table in sequence, with dipping sauce and condiments — is the traditional way to eat Izumo soba, and you'll find it at specialist shops throughout the city and around the shrine precinct. The area immediately south of Izumo Taisha has a concentration of soba restaurants. Look for noodle shops with handwritten menus and obvious age; the best ones have been making soba the same way for generations.