I’m not knocking ramen. If it’s freezing outside or you’ve had too much to drink, few things are as good at satisfying hunger than a big bowl of salty broth, a handful of noodles, and big chunks of oily pork.
But say you’re sober and want a light meal you won’t feel grumbling in your stomach hours later. In that case, choose soba.
Soba noodles are the Japanese version of a simple plate of pasta, and in this take, what you have are buckwheat noodles in a light broth (made with kombu [dried kelp] and dried bonita) or served cold on a small bamboo tray. The hot version can be topped with a variety of ingredients. For example: Duck and leeks; shrimp tempura; grated yam. Both versions come with a dipping sauce made mostly of mirin and soy.
In the winter, a bowl of hot soba topped with small pieces of duck and a few sliced leeks is so heart warming that after eating it, you may be ready for a nap. In the summer, when southern Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto are so humid it’s stifling, a lunch of cold soba will provide much needed relief.
Soba is sold dried or fresh, and, sure, the fresh noodles are better, but the dry version is delicious, too. For about 850 to 1500 Japanese Yen, depending on toppings, you’re all set. It’s hard to beat that price, which, as always in Japan, includes tax and tip.
There are literally hundreds of soba restaurants throughout Japan and while the baseline is high, a few stand out.
Honmura An in Tokyo.
In Tokyo, Honmura An, which at one time had a place in NYC, sells wonderful noodles. Located in Roppongi, it’s a well-established classic.
Also in Tokyo, recommended by a colleague, is Kyorakutei. It’s here that seasonality and finesse are touted.
All of the fancy food halls of the upscale department stores in Ginza sell soba, and if you have access to a pot of boiling water, it’s a good chance to learn to cook this extremely simple dish.
Kyoto has several wonderful, old school soba restaurants, all deeply atmospheric, and a lot more low-key than those in Tokyo. Daikoku-ya, hard to find but worth it, has been around a long time, and has a crowd that often seems as if they’ve been around a long time, too.
Omen in western Kyoto.
Omen, near the temples in western Kyoto, has udon (thick, wheat noddles), and, OK, it’s not soba, but it’s really wonderful, hot or cold. They have a branch currently in Manhattan.
Finally, don’t miss Honke-Owariya. This place is said to have been in business, in one form or another, since 1465. The noodles are amazing, the toppings first-rate, and the vibe delightfully traditional.
Honke-Owariya.
Soba is often eaten as a mid-day meal. You order and wait. The soba arrives. Use chopsticks to eat and slurping is not only allowed, it is expected. You can add sprinklings of dry, spicy Japanese pepper to perk things up. You dip the soba, hot or cold, into a sauce in a bowl beside the noodles to which you can add fresh wasabi and minced scallions.
If you ordered the hot soba, you’ll be presented with a tiny pitcher at the end of the meal that contains the water in which the noodles were cooked. You pour this into a cup, add the remains of the dipping sauce, and…drink up!