Sobaya Hitori

To appreciate the soba itself, start with a cold serving of seiro. One diner first tried a bite without dipping sauce, then moved on to the sauce, and praised its mild, approachable flavour and smooth texture. Another said the 100% buckwheat soba had a satisfying bite and a pronounced buckwheat taste. Aromas are a matter of personal perception, but a simple serving is a good way to discover the character of the soba. Some diners who ordered seiro also mentioned receiving extra dipping sauce or enjoying soba-yu, the hot water used to cook soba, after their meal. It makes for a leisurely finish. For a more substantial meal, some have paired their soba with thick sushi rolls or duck loin. Seiro with thick sushi rolls may also suit diners who want a little more than soba alone.

For a different take on cold soba, consider sudachi soba. Diners have praised the noodles’ firm yet chewy texture and the flavour of the broth. It offers a change from seiro, where the focus is on savouring the soba itself. Other menu options include chilled soba and soba with spicy grated daikon, for a refreshing meal. Tochio-age, a speciality of Niigata, is another dish to look out for. Diners have remarked on its fragrant dashi broth, and some have enjoyed it served with soba. Other menu choices include fried soba dumplings, rolled omelette, fried soba and herring soba. Choose a simple bowl or add a few dishes to make the meal more substantial, depending on your appetite.

Sobaya Hitori is in Kohama Shopping Street and offers dine-in service; some diners have used the counter seats. One visitor noted that the menu differed between lunch and dinner, making it worth considering for an evening meal of soba and small dishes. In the Kohama area, you might start with a serving of seiro, or add Tochio-age or thick sushi rolls. Choose according to your appetite and how you’d like to enjoy your soba.