Weekend lines at Sonoba are well-earned; this 2023 arrival proves soba can be both traditional and irresistibly modern. The unorthodox warehouse space feels more art studio than traditional noodle shop, with an adjacent pottery workshop where owner Kento Yoshida makes his own bowls and plates. This unconventional aesthetic has drawn a younger crowd that might never have considered soba for lunch, though classics like the excellent duck nanban and herring with grated yam satisfy purists.
Yoshida’s hand-cut noodles show a distinctive green hue and deeply nutty flavor that sets them apart. Seasonal specials showcase creative thinking: summer’s sudachi citrus soba marries Japanese dashi with Thai aromatics like makrut lime leaves. Don’t skip the seared saba-zushi—Kyoto’s pressed mackerel sushi gets a modern treatment—or the cloud-like dashimaki tamago. Located in Gojo, between Kyoto Station and downtown, this gem sits amid old Kyoto streetscapes, perfect for post-lunch wandering.
AloJapan.com