What’s your favorite Japanese food? Soba is definitely on top of my list, especially in summer. I tend to save ramen for cold winter days, especially because I love the rich tonkotsu broth and it is a bit too heavy for hot and humid days. Soba on the other hand is perfect: it’s light, refreshing and nutritious meal if you are in the mood for slurping. Unlike ramen and udon noodles, soba is made of buckwheat flour which makes it a perfect guilt-free dish – buckwheat is so healthy and good for you!
We’re lucky to have a few mom-and-pop authentic soba shops in our neighborhood which I am keen to frequent on lunch breaks. In fact, there are so many soba restaurants around Japan that it is virtually impossible to pick “the best” (same applies to ramen, tonkatsu and other casual meals). You just have to find your favorite. But you know me, a perpetual food enthusiast at heart, I love experimenting and checking out new spots.
βI recently met up with wonderful Sit and we spent the entire afternoon eating. For the savory part of our foodie adventures we headed to Dosanjin – a quaint soba joint nestled on the ground floor of an apartment building in Nakameguro. We had to wait for 30-40 minutes in line (I recommend you come right before opening time to have a better chance as scoring a table right away) and were ushered inside to our counter seats.
The decor perfectly balances modern and traditional Japanese aesthetic, and is furnished withΒ contemporary seating and natural wood furniture. I also loved the artisan hand-picked dishware that was used to served the guests as well as decorate the rooms. If you choose to sit by the table inside, you’ll have a view of the minimalist Japanese rock garden.
The place is helmed by Eiji Watanabe who opened this cozy shop specializing in soba noodles in 1998. Soba noodles are freshly made every day using traditional methods and are very fresh. You can even see a room dedicated to soba making at the entrance to the restaurant.
You can order a la carte (limited English menu available) or opt for the lunch set, like we did. It included the specialty of the shop – sudachi soba, as well as salad, tofu and the crispy fried tempura on the side served with a bowl of salt, grated wasabi and sliced green onions. We also ordered their delicious tamago to split – beauty of eating out with a partner, you try a lot of things. It was light and delicious. I also quite enjoyed vegetable tempura, which was cooked to perfection and not greasy or heavy at all.
Although nothing steals the show from soba. You can order different variations, served cold or with a hot broth. Thickness of noodles also depends on whether the soba isΒ made with coarse or fine flour. Sudachi soba is a specialty of the shop. In summer, it is served in a cold broth which has rich citrus-y flavor, and the soba noodles are covered with thin slices of sudachi – Japanese citrus reminiscent of lime, with a more bitter taste. It brings wonderful brightness to the broth.
You are supposed to scoop out the slices in a few minutes before enjoying the scrumptious noodles. The texture of the noodles was excellent – gorgeous al dente, chewy, and nutty. I also loved the broth (tsuyu) and couldn’t help drinking it after I finished my noodles. We were told that the same broth served hot in winter brings out completely different flavors, so I cannot wait to return and try it again. βWe also saw how Watanabe-san was preparing maki rolls with interesting fillings including soba noodles! So I’ll definitely try that next time. If you want to try quality soba with an interesting flavor profile, I’m sure Dosanjin won’t disappoint.
xoxo, nano
Let’s connect onΒ InstagramΒ |Β TwitterΒ |Β FacebookΒ |Β BlogLovin’Β |Β PinterestΒ
PIN FOR LATER:
Oooh I love soba noodles too!
It’s such a great meal, isn’t it?!
Soba noodles
Need to try this! π³π
Definitely!!
Such a great post ! i can’t wait to make it to Japan myself and try all the delicious food!
Thank you! Hope you get to travel here soon :)
I can’t say that I’ve tried soba but now I think I have to!
You definitely should, at least to see if you like it or not! :)
I hate anything that tastes like onion so this alone is a good reason not to. Having said that, if it was right in front of I would probably try it.
Onion? Soba tastes nothing like onion so you don’t have to worry π€£
You wanna know something funny? I just read Stewie Overseas blog on eating the durian fruit which she said reminded her of onion and something else. I think I somehow got soba and durian mixed up πππ It was a busy day is all I can say ππ
Hahaha, I actually thought that might have been the case π€£
πππ
I’m desperate to go to Japan! I feel like food is an art form there!
It absolutely is! I hope you get to travel here soon. When you do, make sure you experience kaiseki meal, that is an ultimate traditional Japanese dining that evokes all five senses.
Thanks for the tip! :)
Bookmarked this as a place I will visit when I am there in the Autumn. Thanks Nano!
This looks like such a treat, Nano! I love soba noodles but haven’t had any in YEARS. Definitely at the top of my list if we are in Tokyo!
xo Jaime
Angloyankophile
Jaime, it was so good. It’s sad that soba doesn’t seem to be a popular dish in the west. Not sure about London, but it is so hard to find authentic soba joint in the US. It’s definitely a great lunch option during a visit to Japan, whether it’s Dosanjin or any other mom-and-pop shop around the corner :) xx