Soba in NYC

Outside Japan, I think soba noodles takes a back seat to the now very fashionable and found everywhere ramen. But when done well, soba is equally delicious and perhaps more nutritious. Soba is typically served either cold with a soy based dipping sauce or hot in broth, with a variety of toppings. On my most recent trip to Japan last summer, I had pricy hand made soba noodle in a serene restaurant but also a dirt cheap (for Japan) bowl in soup standing up on a busy street in Kyoto, both wonderful in their own ways.

a tiny three men kitchen

We got something that was a little different when we were in NY last week. A tiny place in the lower east side called Cocoron. There was a decent writeup in the NY Times about it not long ago so I am not going to go into details here other than that everything was done with care, cooked and seasoned perfectly (don't sleep on the few small side dishes like the homemade tofu). And the cold noodle you dipped in hot broth/sauce bobbling on the sterno was a very unique take on noodles of any kind. (as for finishing your bowl with noodle cooking water, it is not uncommon in homes or other noodle places in Asia, I do it all the time after I eat noodles not in broth.)