ISO Good Soba Restaurant

[barcosbarcos]

Does anywhere in town make their own soba noodles? I'm a bit surprised that despite the recent influx of Ramen joints, that there haven't been any soba restaurants (Maybe there has!). In my mind nothing beats some zaru soba on a hot summer day.

And on the topic of cold noodles, where in town has the best hiyashi-chuka? I've only tried it at Kintaro and it was alright, but not as good as their tonkotsu.

[fmed]

It is summertime(?) so I too am on a hunt for a good cold noodle. I haven't had a decent handmade zaru soba since Lime's soba master went back to Japan. (Lime is closed). I had a good one at Dan, Zen...but a while ago now.

You can find decent Korean cold soba noodles far more readily it seems. I had a pretty good one at the Wang Ga Ma at the H-Mart foodcourt just last week.

Peaceful restaurant has a good cold mustard oil/soba noodle which hails from Xi'an.

I haven't had a good hiyashi-chuka here most of the ones I have had here use cheap cold-cut ham which I do not like.....but I am always on the lookout for a good one.

[grayelf]

I recall a decent soba dish at Zakkushi but that was at least last summer, maybe even 2009 (!). I think I had the hiyashi at Menya last summer and they were decent as well, though I believe they had the inferior ham.

Don't quote me on this but I thought that Santouka had summer cool noodles on offer when I went for toroniku two weeks ago. Might be worth a look if so. Sanpachi had them on offer as does Benkei but I haven't sampled any this year as the weather hasn't warranted it.

Let us know what you find!

[betterthanbourdain]

dont remember seeing cold soba at hokkaido. they do have a cold noodle but it wasnt soba.
soba and ramen are complete disciplines, from what i gather. in japan, you specialize in either
i have been wanting to post this topic as i agree that there isnt much of an option for cold soba noodle.
i really like the cold noodles at peaceful, but it wasn't good when i had it in the davie location recently.
is there a place that makes their own soba noodles?
havent had a good korean cold noodle either.
OT, there is a new Korean resto in richmond. beside deer garden, upstairs where the HK dessert place use to be that had pretty decent cold noodle and very good beef bulgogi.

[grayelf]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, btb -- I thought I saw a cold summer noodle on offer at Santouka, NOT a cold soba :-).

[repartee]

I was just wondering the same.

Regarding the ham, though, I don't wax nostalgic for a better quality of it in the dish in Japan. It simply wasn't the case.

They'd typically put radish sprouts, egg, julienned ham and tomato on it.

[fmed]

You are right repartee. That pink gelatinous ham is a common and essential ingredient. Which is perhaps the reason why I am not a huge fan of the dish itself. I prefer zarusoba or a hiyashichuka-like deconstructed cold somen salad which I haven't found it here. (And nice to see you posting again!)

[Sam Salmon]

Had a tasty plate of cold Soba last week @ Menya too bad the weather didn't match the food.

http://www.menyaramen.com/