Cocoron

New favorite alert! Cocoron has been around forever but unfortunately it took me this long to finally try it out. I thought the tofu serving was rather small but loved the clean fresh taste of it. I got the mera mera dip soba and added chicken meatballs and ADORED it. The soup was so flavorful and it just perfection for a chilly winter day. Everyone there was also super friendly and nice and I loved the cute decor and menu illustrations. I will definitely be back!

Cocoron

61 Delancey, #1

New York

NY 10002 

Sobaya

I posted about Sobaya when I first came to New York and I am shocked that I have not been back since then! I went for dinner last time but I hear that Sobaya has a killer lunch deal so J and I went to check it out before going back to his place to make beer! They sell a limited number of a special bento box which J got but I got a regular tempura and soba set. Everything was delicious and very well priced!

Sobaya

229 E 9th Street

New York

NY 10003

USA

Eggplant Sesame Soba

This is one of my new favorite healthy and easy recipes! This takes less than 20 minutes and tastes so fresh and healthy! I got the eggplants from a farmer's market at school and they tasted so yummy! 

Ingredients: 

- 1 eggplant

- 2-3 stalks of spring onion

- Soba noodles 

- Japanese sesame dressing (to taste) 

Directions: 

1. Slice the eggplant into 3 x 1 inch strips

2. Chop the spring onion into small pieces as seen in the photo

3. Boil the soba noodles as instructed on the package. Drain and wash with cold water

4. While you are cooking the soba, cook the eggplant in a pan. Sauté it with a little bit of olive oil and then when it has browned a little add 1-2 tablespoons of water and cook until softened

5. Add the soba noodle with a bowl (you will want a deep bowl so you can mix it all together), top with the eggplant mixture, scallions, and drizzle the sesame dressing to taste 

Enjoy! :) 

Soba Totto

This was my last meal in NYC before finishing up my first year of grad school and it was the perfect meal to wrap things up! I initially wanted to go to Don Pepe but was actually glad that W suggested a more "ching"/light meal. If you remember in my previous post, I really enjoyed Sobaya and has heard that Soba Totto is also delicious. Apart from soba, Soba Totto is also known for its yakitori. The meal definitely did not disappoint and I would be happy to return! The layout was a little strange but it was a great meal full of yummy food and good conversation with W and T.

ToriSen - Fried Chicken Skin Ughhhh so sinful and delicious. It was sooo crispy and the spritz of lemon was a perfect little tang. 

Kurobuta Bang Bang Salad - Berkshire Pork Marinated with Sesame Dressing 
This was a major disappointment. First of all it was teeny tiny. Then the taste was also very lacking. The tomatoes were soggy and not sweet, the pork was fatty and gross. The sesame dressing was also very bland. Do not order this. 

Tsukune - Chicken Meatball Skewer with Okinawa Sea Salt and Yakitori Sauce, Quail Egg upon Request
Very solid tsukune! Not as good as yardbird's but still yummy and full of flavor. 

Negi Pon - Berkshire Pork with Scallion and Ponzu
This was really yummy. The pork was really juicy and had a nice springy texture. The scallions were also a nice touch. 

Teba - Chicken Wing
Once again, a good rendition of a yakitori favorite. The meat was super juicy and the skin was crispy and charred nicely. 

Mochi Bacon
Mmmmm this was sooo yummy and sinful. The bacon was smoky and fatty and the mochi was soft and a bit chewier on the sides where it got a good grilling. This still does not beat my favorite of cheese mochi but definitely worth a try! 

Harami - Skirt Steak and Onion
This was marinated very well in a sweet and savory sauce and the meat was tender and went very well with the onions. 

Chicken Skin, Ox Tongue, Berkshire Pork
All were yummy and served piping hot. 

Shishi Tsuku - Japanese Green Pepper with Chicken Stuffing
This was a really great combination and the pepper and chicken went perfectly well together. 

Assorted Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura
The batter was well seasoned and it was not too thick. The assortment of veggeis was also good and the shrimp was generously portioned.

Uni Soba - Sea Urchin with Grated Mountain Yam
The mountain yam isn't my favorite type of consistency as it is so slimy but this is something that most soba places add onto their soba. The soba texture was ON POINT. It was very firm and delicious and the uni was also fresh and yummy. A delicious and refreshing dish.

Ikura, Snow Crab, and Uni Don
This was a yummy bowl of uni and ikura but nothing spectacularly special. The portions were generous though and it was fresh and the rice was well made.

Earl Grey Mousse
The earl grey flavor was prominent but it was a bit too sweet. Mousses are also not my favorite type of dessert but this was a nice end to the meal. 

Matcha Pudding
Nice matcha flavor but once again nothing to go crazy over. But it is a nice taste to end the meal with.

Overall I think Soba Totto was a good dining experience and worth a visit if you enjoy soba and yakitori. Securing a table was also easy. 

Soba Totto

211 E 43rd Street

New York

NY10017

Sobaya

I still have one more post for LA and a TON for Hong Kong from the summer but I feel that I must start posting about my New York restaurants so I'll start that now and will add in LA and HK ones periodically! Sobaya is known for its soba (duh) and I've heard really great things from my friends here. I've been eating like a crazy pig these few weeks and was craving some delicious but light food so I decided to go to Sobaya for dinner while C was in town. Sobaya imports its buckwheat flour from Japan and you can tell that they really take pride in their food. Apart from soba, they also offer udon, various types of appetizers, and also sushi rice bowls. I love how you are able to pick different sizes for the soba and the rice bowls so I could mix and match my dinner. The atmosphere was clean and cosy, very traditional japanese style. Service was polite and efficient. They don't take reservations so aim to get there either early or later for weekends. We went on a Thursday night around 7:40 and the wait was only 15 minutes so it might be smart to go on a weekday!

Agedashi Tofu
The tofu was a bit too firm for my tastes but the crust was nice and crunchy. I usually prefer a silkier tofu but the seasoning was decent.

Sake Oyako Don - Salmon and Salmon Roe Rice Bowl
The salmon sashimi was decent, the slices could be a little larger. Texture was quite nice. The ikura however was excellent, slightly firm with a delicious burst of savory goodness. The rice was also cooked and seasoned well. I ordered the mini don and the portion was actually quite sufficient.

Uni Cold Soba - Fresh Uni with Grated Mountain Yam
YUM! This was deliciousss. The uni was incredibly fresh and sweet. The amount was also quite generous. The soba had an amazing texture, very firm and perfectly chewy. The mountain yam was quite interesting, it was very slimy and gooey but went very well with the soba. I felt that the soba dipping sauce could be slightly more salty but I know that you are suppose to enjoy the delicate flavor of soba. I think next time I will add some ikura and take it to the next level. 

Uni closeups are always fan favorites 

Sobaya was delicious and I will definitely be returning. I was stuffed after the meal but did not feel gross and heavy. The flavors were so clean and fresh and you leave feeling satisfied and healthy. I will definitely be returning!

Sobaya

229 E 9th Street

New York

NY 10003

USA