Julia Restoin-Roitfeld acted as roving reporter for Dazed & Confused last year during Fashion Week in New York and she included the photo below of her meal at Soba-Ya. As Julia herself said, "At Soba-Ya in the East Village. Feeling almost guilty giving out the address as I don't want to spoil it but definitely worth trying!" Located at 229 East 9th Street, they focus on the Japanese delight known as "soba," thin brown noodles made from a mixture of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. They differ from udon noodles because udon is made from only wheat flour. Sometimes traditional soba dishes will be served cold. The broth is made from soy sauce, sweet sake, seaweed, dry fish flakes, and sugar. Making soba is a difficult technique to master but it sounds as if the chefs at Soba-Ya have it well under control. Stop by if you are in the New York area, maybe Julia will be at the next table...
Exterior photo of Soba-Ya courtesy of cheapassfood.com
Soba-Ya photograph by Julia Restoin-Roitfeld © 2009 Waddell Limited