Shimbashi Soba: Why can't we have more Soba shops?

Soba (Part of the Tempura Seiro Set)

Singapore has enjoyed a great following of Japanese food over the years. We have an ample amount of shops which sell sushi, tonkatsu, and even specialized establishments like izakayas and yakitori restaurants and bars.

The only Japanese food that seems to be lacking, is Soba.

Soba, (literally "Buckwheat" in Japanese) in addition to Sushi and Ramen is one of the few main staples of Japan, similar to what Chicken Rice is to us Singaporeans. Yet, it has rarely enjoyed the same amount of popularity garnered by the likes of Sushi and Ramen.

Stone mill used to grind out the buckwheat

I have always procrastinated visiting Shimbashi Soba because being a restaurant that was recommended by many people for an "authentic soba experience", I knew the prices there would be much more than what I would pay in Japan for essentially the same thing so in terms of price point value, it is certainly not a great place. But I had to try.  I had to hold on to that last shimmering glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, Shimbashi Soba would be worth the travelling time and price.

Tempura Seiro Set ($24.80+$5 additional noodles),

A seiro is a rectangular lacquered steamer box in which a chef would put the cold soba in. (For more info click here) So I found it contradicting that they would call this Seiro Soba and put the noodles on top of a stone round plate instead. I ordered the tempura set to add a little variety to my meal. This was the moment of truth.

Alas, the soba was, frankly unexciting. It was not any different from any other shop in Singapore that served half-decent soba. I'm not saying it was bad. I could see their efforts to try to replicate the dish, so credit to the restaurant for effort. But perhaps, my taste buds have been too spoilt by Japan itself. The tempura was cold and could hardly retain the ideal crispy exterior.

Pick up, dip, slurp. Rinse and Repeat.

Eating soba takes a little practice. Firstly, you pour some sauce into the bowl, and you add the sliced leeks and a suitable amount of wasabi inside. Using your chopsticks, you pick up a small mound of noodles like the picture shows, and you dip it into the sauce. Only the bottom half of the noodles you pick up should be in the sauce. After which, you proceed to slurp it all up in one breath. The incorporation of air into the noodles while you're slurping is important as it actually amplifies the flavour of the buckwheat noodles, allowing you to taste it better. (The same concept as why one would inhale air when tasting wine). My general rule of thumb would be one breath, one slurp. Some neighbouring diners giving you stares while you slurp? Just keep calm and carry on. That's the proper and only way to enjoy Soba. Who cares what others think?

Having tasted this, I can finally extinguish this last light and no longer have any nagging concerns. Why is Soba culture not as strong as the other foods in Singapore? I can only guess that it's because not many people enjoy eating cold noodles (a concept still relatively foreign to us) and due to the fact that Soba is essentially just noodles with sauce with condiments like wasabi and sliced leek. I look forward to a day where we can get proper soba with reasonable prices here.

This is a place to go to if you just happen to be in town, and are having a serious craving for soba. In which case, I would advise you to just go for the normal Seiro Soba (which costs $12.80 if memory serves) and fill your stomach with something else later on.

Shimbashi Soba

#B1-41 Paragon
290 Orchard Road

Tel: 6735 9882

Daily: 11.30am to 10.00pm (Last Order at 9.30pm)

Nearest MRT Station: Orchard

Here's a video on how to eat soba.