Really great soba. Good at socially distancing customers/tables! Excellent service, we were seated immediately and the staff was friendly. Ingredients were fresh and tasted great, and the outdoor dining is nice and spacious. read more

One of my all time favorite restaurants and the best soba you can find outside of Japan. Get the chirashi soba, hot or cold. It has shiitake, tamago, and tempura made of mitsuba and tiny tiny baby sardines. May sound different but the flavors are amazing and it's not overly fishy. I've been here tHree times on one trip. The apps are bomb too. Their kinpira gobo takes me back to how my Bachan used to make it during New Years. They also have a sampler appetizer you can get. This place is very traditional. I've seen people from Japan in there all the time. Even the Hispanic waiters speak some Japanese! read more

Soba-ya was very good. I tend to be more of a sushi or izakaya person then a soba/ramen lover, but the food was very solid. Excellent atmosphere, very good service. I recommend going with a group and ordering a plethora of appetizers - the small dishes were all phenomenal. The pork belly especially stood out. Went with the cold soba (since it was in the 90's outside and getting hot food seemed absurd) and enjoyed it. Several of our party got the sea urchin, which was a big hit. read more

I went to Sobaya Twice. I was attracted to the hand-made noodles there. The first time I had the Cold Uni and Yam Soba....I hate yam....but I love uni....I think the soba is okay. And my friend & I are not very used to the tradition to put the "cooked noodle water" in the bowl towards the end ....and drink them all together...its just....to much for us..... The second time, I had the hot udon with a piece of fish on top.I think the fish to me is very mushy....and very fishy (( as an Asian, I believe I am very good in handling fishy.)) but this one is way over the top. The udon is okay..it's kind of different from those hand-made udon that I had in hong kong. The broth...I think it's just a very soy-sauce soup base. I personally didn't really enjoy it. I went to Sobaya Twice.....but I don't think there will be a Third Time....I like the place....but it's just too pricey for me...and i think the food is okay..not great. But it is definitely a very authentic jap restaurant. read more

This place is always busy and jam packed with Japanese people. By that alone, you know this place is super authentic and highly recommended! Can't say I've ever had anything bad here. Obviously the soba is really good, but I always go here for their donburi (ricebowl) offerings. Their chirashi (or mixed seafood) donburi is quite possibly one of the best I've ever had in my life. They cut the fish into tiny cubes along with the veggies and everything else unlike the chirashi you'd get from other sushi places where it's like one thick cut of each type of fish. Everything is really quite good from their appetizers to even their unique dessert offerings. It's all very tasty, authentic, and good! Service is super fast and everyone is quite nice. The place is just always packed and in some parts it feels like you're seated with less than a foot between you and the other party next to you. Definitely recommend getting a booth or a table in the center instead of by the wall if you can manage it. My only gripe about this place is that after ordering 3 courses and a soda or two, it can get pretty costly! But the food is so good, and it's worth every penny if you ask me! read more

Food: 4 star Ambiance: 2 star I went here on a saturday night with 6 friends. We waited 45 min to be seated - not so bad for a weekend night and a large party. First thing to notice is that its super bright, so i think that it would be great for lunch however the bright lights at night are icky. this is not a date place....more of like being in a middle school cafeteria. Here's how it works: order a bunch of 'delicacies' for the table and then everyone get their own noodle bowl. (i love that they call the appetisers delicacies!) All the noodles are delicious - you can taste that they are super fresh. I ordered the daily special : duck and mushroom udon but had serious food envy for everyone that ordered the nabeyaki udon (tempura shrimp and egg and all kinds of yummy stuff) as for delicacies the highlights are : #1 eggplant (vinegary and a little sweet) #2 sesame green beens (nutty and crunchy) and #3 some chicken custard dish which was incredibly interesting and totally delicious. - it came in this little covered pot and was the consistency of pudding yet savory with flavors of chicken and a touch of orange. wish i knew the name because it was fantastic! in short: great food. crappy lighting. ideal for brunch or lunch. read more

It is okay, not the best noodle. The soba soup is just so so. But I like the cod. read more

Soba-ya - Cod - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Super authentic Japanese noodle restaurant in NYC!! Lunch special is my favorite. I usually order Salmon don with cold udon. This salmon don is soooo gd and my boyfriend got addicted lol Also noodles r sooooo delicious. Everytime I go here, I feel like I'm in Japan... Service are great, They are super polite and professional Japanese ppl=) I heard Lucy lu is a big fan of this place. 1 thing I can't give them 1 more star is, They don't take reservation.. So when i go there for dinner,I have to wait for 30-40mins... well there is a nice bar across the street so i usually kill my time over there. But I'm a fan=)) read more

Great food! My friend took me here once and I become a regular now. Every time I get fresh meals. The brunch menu on weekend offers good value. read more

Went during lunch with 3 friends on a weekday. Customer service was awesome: I was early and the person up front said that all parties must be present before I can be seated. She was nice enough to tell me to let her know if everyone in my party arrived. When they did, she seated us right away. Food was delicious! This was one of the freshest and savory seafood I've ever been too. The soba was also freshly made and satisfying. I feel like I'm in cloud nine while I eat and enjoy the food. Price: Reasonable (for lunch) I will return and bring more friends. Note: The place is very quaint and small.. It's an intimate setting so perfect for a small group or even for a date :) read more

Excellent service, amazing food, great atmosphere. Wait might be a bit long without a reservation. Service 5/5 They have multiple waiters pacing back and forth that can take your order or just help you out in general. Never really have to wait around for service. Food 4.5/5 I got the sliced duck hot soba. Broth was great, duck tender and juicy, soba had great texture. Don't let the duck sit for too long or it gets kinda ... Chewy? I got green tea creme brûlée which was amazing. Definitely recommend! I'd definitely come back again. read more

Had Yasai soup (Mixed vegetables & mushrooms) and Oyako Don (Fresh salmon sashimi & salmon roe w rice), both were ok. Soup was bit overly salty and the rice was too plain. Mixed together, ok. Some of the salmon was not very fresh. The soup was a bit plain. But loved the dessert: we got green tea ice cream, black sesame ice cream and honey & wasabi ice cream. The honey&wasabi was strong! Loved the bitterness and matcha taste of the green tea one. Black sesame was a bit icy and not as smooth in texture but nice. The decor, jazz music, and friendliness of staff is "A+" level though! read more

I went there on Sat 1:30pm. They told me 30mins wait... ....I like the soba but a little pricey. I would love to try the cold soba next time. read more

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Super delicious. It was pretty expensive but definitely worth it. Amazing cold udon. And the honey wasabi ice cream is definitely as good as everyone says! read more

Soba-ya - cold udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Very disappointing experiences since my first time I've been dining here, or maybe I'm just walking in on BAD DAYS?! The soup for hot soba/udon was very salty and sour. Our waiter got one of our orders wrong and argued with us when we pointed him on his mistake. We asked for hot stamina soba but he gave us plain hot soba, he was upset at US and told US "No. You ordered hot soba, i heard you." Maybe if you repeated the order with us instead of thinking your superior to mistakes, we would've tipped you 10% but we gave no tip because of his attitude. He had the nerve to chase us half way down the block and complain that we didn't tip him. We politely told him it was because of his attitude he gave us when we comforted him about his mistake and he told us "Don't bother coming back"!!!! Ok fine, not a problem. My last time... Then again, they weren't a legit Japanese place or professional. All the servers were old hispanic men checking out every female that got up from their chair and walked by!!! There was only 1 Japanese person in the entire restaurant, not even the chefs who were looking out from the curtains of the kitchen were Japanese. Not an authentic place. Wasn't busy either so that says a lot about their demand rate. read more

You should try to have a sense of what you feel like eating because there are so many options on soba. Everything was fresh, and good. Gets packed early. read more

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Food poisoning! After leaving Soba-ya and on my way walking back to my car parked in Little Italy, I'm hovering over a toilet from extreme nausea. It's been two hours now and the nausea has not yet subsided, and the stomach cramps has turned even more painful. I like to say that I'm a fairly heathy human being with a pretty good immune system, in fact, I've eaten all over the world (even in holes in the walls and street food in 3rd world countries) and this is the first time I've ever gotten food sickness. This place actually deserves a NEGATIVE ONE STAR. On top of the food poisoning about half an hour after we finished dinner there, other qualities, just as equally bad, contributed to the negative one star review. 1. The service: The hostess was attending to the texts on her personal phone more than to the customers walking in. The waiter, although nice, had a heavy accent and more than once did we have to ask again what he said. 2. The food: We ordered Chirashi and Tanuki hot soba noodle soup. The Chirashi lacked flavor and the Tanuki was EXTREMELY SALTY. I'm the type of person that loves to drink all the soup, especially on a cold winter night like tonight, but was truly disappointed that the soup was not palpable at all, it felt like they added heaps of salt without even trying the soup. Never in my life did I have to drink multiple glasses of water after eating a soup dish! 3. They charge for soda refills without warning! I don't normally write reviews but this horrible experience at Soba-ya prompted me to warn the food patons of nyc! read more

The extrior was pretty neat, the inside was somewhat a wide but close space. They give you towels to "wash" your hands, so you don't need to go to the restroom. The host was pretty awkward and not as friendly (? Lol) He would refill your water and the second time he did, he kind of slammed the glass on the table hard and I was abit frazzeled. The server was okay, he just didnt seem to get my question about the serving sizes which was weird, he kept saying it was only this much bigger as if I came here before... The people who worked there were walking around a lot in a closed space, and it was prerry awkward... The duck soba was at least $21.75 The soba had small cut pieces in the serving basket(?) Like leftover small ones. It was greasy and you couldnt bite it into two pieces, its a little bit of a big piece and the broth was alright... My friend got the regular soba and her broth was like soy sauce and water... Lol.... The green tea cream brulee was unforunately the only good thing there read more

This restaurant is crowd and I went there just as it opened at noon. The Kano nanban soba consists of 5 slices of toast duck which is not tender, and some onions. The left is just noodles. I believe it is over charged. The broth is almost water.Maybe this is an authentic soba restaurant, but I will not go there not time. Ramen is much more delicious than soba. read more

Probably their Katsu curry udon was directly made by S&B golden curry cude purchased at grocery store?

The soba and the eel rice here are both great. Have been here so many times, and it is connected to so many unforgettable memories during my university life. read more

I hate doing this but it's ridiculous! Going to airport so begged them to plug my charger so my iPhone doesn't die so I can get uber etc but no! They refused as don't want to be responsible even if I do it myself. Not cool! Bathroom was nice though, food ok. I get it but customer service and kindness is more important. read more

Excellent soba and excellent deserts. The Soba was light yet al dente and subtly flavorful. The tea was also solid, not too rich but also not super watered down. Decor was tasteful and quiet, also not much of a line. Overall a good place for a meal. It's a little on the pricy side, but totally worth it. read more

The best udon/soba in the east village. the appetizers are also really great, i'm fan of the Japanese sweet potato particularly. Everything is always really fresh and never over cooked. Many ingredients are ordered straight from Japan for the best flavor. The tempura batter is very light and flavorful and the sashimi is always fresh. I usually go with the Kake Udon then a sampling of appetizers. There is an early bird special that gets you a lot of food for a great price from 5:30-7pm also. Soba-ya has defiantly become by go-to restaurant when I don't know what I want to eat. read more

We walked in around 3 PM on a weekday. They had no problem accommodating us for a late lunch, and even though it was so close to closing time, the staff was very attentive and didn't make us feel rushed. I ordered the Tuna-Steak Don set with hot soba noodles, and it was delicious! I'm no expert, but the soba was definitely comparable to what I've had in Japan, and the best I've had in the city. The tuna steak was very flavorful and perfectly cooked. It is served with a tasty garlic sauce on top of a small bowl of sushi rice. For dessert, I tried the green tea brulée. The green tea flavor wasn't very strong, which I thought was perfect since I'm not a huge fan of green tea anyway, but if you are, this might be slightly disappointing. All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait to go back for more! read more

I came here to explore the soba. The food was okay. I liked my Uni Soba but my friends did really enjoy their orders. It was a personal preference. Someone may like it somone may not. It pissed me off when it came to birthday cake. We brought a birthday cake and gave to the waitress when we arrived. After our meal, when we unwrapped the cake the waitress said 'no outside food is allowed'. Are you serious? This is the only place that does not allow birthday cake even with extra charge. read more

Soba-ya - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I found this place when I couldn't get a seat at Ippudo. The food is very satisfying even though I was craving for ramen that day. The traditional cold soba is very good. I almost finish it instantly without any worry about gaining another pound were I get ramen. The small dishes goes well with the lean citrous soba soup. It's very refreshing. Will definitely come back for the hot soba. read more

We've been here many times, both for lunch and dinner. Food is consistently good and satisfying. The hot udons or sobas particularly hit the spot on cold days. The texture of the noodles are really on point here. We really enjoy the the lunch sets.... our favorites are the tempura and the unagi. Tofu appetizers are great. Also love their green tea creme brulee. Overall quality of food and ambiance of this place is on par with similar no-frill restaurants in Japan. read more

I came here with my girlfriend twice for their dinner service. Both times, coincidentally we sat in the exact same spot, haha. Anyway, this place is in St. Marks, so for dinner time it's always buzzing. It's a good place, the food is tasty, but I have to say that the portions are small if you order off the menu. It's better to get the Dinner Special because you get way more food for the price that you're paying for. You have your choice of Udon or Soba, and the Soba is very light tasting, not like the ones you cook by yourself from the packages (it's made in house here). The tsuyu sauce is pretty tasty, though I have a suspicion it's from a bottle. The last time I came, I wasn't really that hungry, so I just ordered regular Zaru Soba. For those of you who don't know, Zaru Soba is straight up cold soba noodles on a plate, with dipping sauce. That already set me back 12.00 USD, haha... damn. My girlfriend ordered a Kitsune Udon Soup. She said the soup flavor was oddly off for a Japanese run restaurant, but what do I know, I'm not Japanese and I thought it tasted pretty damn good, haha. Overall, good experience. Food is a little pricey for what you get (I was nowhere near full with my entree) but the quality is good, and the atmosphere isn't too bad. More like 3.5 stars, to be honest. read more

Ok. They make the buckwheat soba noodle on site. That's something plus if dipping sauce taste good. However, the dipping sauce of cold soba was somewhat flat to me. I personally can judge it because I have had some soba in Japan over the years, and soba is one of my favorite summer dish. It was clean and well maintained. I would have to say that it is not family friendly place because I was not allowed to bring a stroller inside. I had to park my stroller at the entrance of the restaurant, and hold my sleeping baby inside. I don't think it's Japanese culture, but it's them being very strict. read more

Delicious food. Perfect service. Adequate prices. Now it's one of my favourite places!!! ^_______^ read more

Just had their lunch special (they only serve 25 a day, $21 each), it come with so much, I was stuffed for the whole day! If you miss their delicious lunch special, there's plenty on their menu to choose from. The soba noodles that came with the lunch was perfect, you can order it hot or cold (love it hot so I can put in the hot spicy pepper sprinkles and shrimp and veggie tempura. My favorite part was the boiled salmon and veggies. The rice with sesame seeds, ikura, and omlette was phenomenal too (not just your old plain white rice)! But the sweetest deal was at the end, they suprise you with a really delicious milk tofu, it really hit the spot! This is a solid lunch place I'd recommend to anybody. read more

Soba-ya - $21 Soba-ya Lunch Special rocks! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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So delicious. I love soba. I love udon. So when we went to Sobaya, I was a happy girl. Even in the hot and humid weather, I got a huge bowl of nabayaki udon and almost finished the whole bowl. The noodles were cooked perfectly to just the right chewiness and the stone bowl kept the broth hot. If I knew how large the portion was, I would have split the bowl with SJT, but I was really hungry and my eyes were bigger than my stomach (happens often). I loved the noodles, tempura carrot, egg, fish cake, and shitake mushroom. I wasn't crazy about the two pieces of chicken, but I'm not a big chicken eater. We also had this delicious japanese sweet potato appetizer that I'm craving right now, which is what made me think of writing this review. I will return many times to Sobaya and go to Cha-An across the street for dessert! read more

I was rushed out by the server during the dinner, they came here so many times trying to take my plate away when I was eating. And I am a fast eater. What more unbelievable is, when I finished sign my bill the server came and said I must pay AT LEAST 15% tips. I paid about 12%, ($85 in total, I paid $10 tips) because my dinner was so rushed, I didn't feel comfortable the whole process. But eventually I paid what they asked for. I thought the amount of tips is depend on the service customers received, and they should earn the tip by their action. May be I was wrong read more

Great lunch set with huge portions if you get the don and udon set. Personally I never tried the bento but it didn't look too appetizing to me. Ambiance is nice for intimate meals and service is always great. read more

I ordered a plain large cold dipping soba. The portion was tiny and the soba was not fully cooked before cooling. Soba is a favorite food, and this was disappointing in taste. The prices for noodles increase heavily with toppings, and the appetizers are far over priced. Some may enjoy the atmosphere, loud and friendly, but I was over whelmed. My meal ended quickly, but during it, enjoyed my interactions with the staff, who were friendly and helpful without crowding me. I'm sure it's a good Japanese restaurant, but if you are truly looking for good soba, this is not the place. read more

The place is pretty pricy and service isn't like stellar either. Can't understand what people are raving about.... Food was actually good but not something I would give 5 stars for the price I have paid. read more

The atmosphere and decor in Soba-ya is very nice and inviting. In the waiting area there's an iPad that plays a loop of videos on the restaurant and on how to properly eat the noodles. We waited on a Sunday night around fifteen minutes for a table. When you give your name they ask for your number so you can leave the restaurant while waiting if it'll be a long wait. I ordered a basic soba with spinach and a fish cake and added salmon roe and crab meat. For a drink I ordered the peach fizz, which was very good and refreshing! The broth of the soba was amazing and had lots of flavor. After adding the salmon roe and crab meat it was perfect! The waitstaff is very kind and friendly and helped me with the menu when I got a bit confused. For dessert we had the green tea creme brûlée which was also very good! I wish it had been a bit bigger, but for the price it was reasonably sized. I would definitely come back and recommend Soba-Ya to friends. read more

Soba-ya - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I've transformed from an udon to a soba lover. What got me in the door was that Soba-ya's soba is homemade. Otherwise I would just make my own soba at home by sprinkling some nori with black sesame seeds on cold buckwheat noodles with a splash of sweetened soy sauce. Simple and satisfying. The restaurant itself is clean, but the ambiance is otherwise not particularly remarkable. The tables and seats are a yellow-toned wood, meant to conjure a similar texture as bamboo. It looks like a standard Japanese restaurant. For dinner, my party of 3 shared the Moriawase, with our choice of three vegetables. Our selections were the gobo (mountain burdock), the lotus root, and the satsuma imo (marinated sweet potato). The gobo, sauteed with carrots, and the sliced lotus root were refreshing appetizers that didn't weigh us down before our noodles were served. The sweet potato was marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, more sweet than savory, with the starch fully digested by the marinade such that the potato had a pasty consistency. We also had the sukui tofu, a chilled tofu with shavings of dried fish and served with wasabi and a soy based sauce. The tofu was fresh, but not special. Appetizers were followed with a hot tempura soba with shrimp, shiso, and shishito tempura and a cold soba salad with chewy noodles mixed with mesclun salad, seaweed, and slices of cherry tomatoes with two sauces, a sesame soy sauce and a creamier white sauce. The tempura had a light batter. The shrimp was a pretty pink and had great texture, which was indicative of its freshness. I found the soba broth to be average, although my friend really enjoyed it. I personally preferred the cold soba, which highlighted the bouncy buckwheat noodles whose chewy integrity was maintained throughout our meal. The hot soba, on the otherhand, had absorbed much of the soup and was no longer doughy but rather soft. Last but not least, the price is right. Wallet friendly. I will be back for lunch! I want the lunch box. And after that, I want to try the seasonal offerings of their soba. read more

This restaurant is a consistent winner. I have been so many times and am never let down. A good piece of advice for all restaurants though is you need to stick to what they are known for. This place is known for their big bowls of udon and soba noodle soup. Ideal for a cold winter day when you need to be warmed to the core. I come to this place when I need a good home cooked meal and something that will really hit the spot in so many ways. The atmosphere is charming, cozy and quietly buzzing with people who are happy and content, the food is just great and as you look around the place you see people engaged in good conversation and smiling. It may have something to do with the crazy heated toilet seat in the bathrooms that keeps people coming back again and again. Not to mention the bathrooms are kept pristinely clean. What I had this last time I ate at Soba-ya and was delighted with each and everything I ordered: Starters: Box of Sake ($14.00) - Let me explain this whole box thing, as this was my first experience. I knew I wanted more than a 'double shot glass' sized amount of sake, that is the smallest increment they offer in terms of sake ($7.00) so the next one up is box. It is literally a square glass dish that you sip your sake from and it was fun and unusual and I loved it. I liked drinking from the corners! More than enough sake for one little girl like me, perfect for couples sharing just trying to have a "warm cheeks" sake glow. The kind that I picked was the last bottle on the back page of the drinks menu. They only offer two unfiltered sakes, ( I love unfiltered sake the most because you can really taste the rice) I was not let down by this choice it was cloudy and sweet, so great! Appetizers: Agedashi Tofu ($8.00) was excellent, 3 homemade cubes of tofu very silky and topped with shredded ginger, roots, scallions, mushrooms, daikon and served in a delicious broth. Salmon Sashimi ($8.00) surprisingly great quality of fish since this place is not "known" for their sushi rather their noodle bowls. The display of this appetizer was breathtaking with a purple orchid on the plate with the salmon slices gently placed around it on a bed of seaweed and daikon with a lemon wedge too! such buttery salmon... Entrees: Chicken Tempura ($9.00) We had never had this before and were very pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture of this. Not boring at all! It is served in triangles with the perfectly moist chicken of the highest quality wrapped in an interesting large leaf that I noticed was served as a garnish to the sashimi that when tasted alone resembles something near basil and cilantro but more muted and slightly bitter. It was great wrapping the chicken in the thin layer of herb that it provided and then the chicken was tempura battered and lightly fried. Served wonderfully hot yet not too hot, not greasy or oily as some poor versions of tempura can often be but perfectly light and crispy. The kicker was the green tea salt that they serve this dish with! Why is it so freaking good, I wouldn't let them take it away after the dish was finished. One light dusting of the green tea salt across your open bite of chicken and you bite into something heavenly. Love the crunch of the tempura. I will never look at chicken fingers the same again...never...why did soba-ya do this to me? I need to eat this dish again in the near future it may be a new addiction! Yasai Udon Bowl ($13.00) This is my favorite bowl hands down tried and true. I have gotten the other bowls, same sized but b/c they come with 3 shrimp tempuras they are (19.00) I would rather just enjoy this dish that is big enough for two people to share after having eaten several appetizers before. The broth is a clear tan broth with so much flavor, tons of scallion and shredded mushrooms and daikon are also in the soup. The udon is cooked to perfection. If you want to kick it up a notch the spicy chili flakes are available on the table. Dessert Black Sesame Ice Cream ($3.50 a scoop or 3 scoops for $6.00) - I love any and all things black sesame and this ice cream is no exception. Served on a bed of crunchy things that gives the flavor a nice nutty after taste. The ice cream is white with black sesames throughout and it looks like cookies and cream when looking at people eating it on tables around you! I have had better black sesame ice cream ( En Japanese) but the meal was a lot more. Green Tea Ice Cream - not a highly recommended green tea ice cream. Go somewhere else if this is what you are craving. It tasted to me like green tea that had been over steeped and had that bitter tang in the back of your mouth and was not creamy enough. Free Hot Green Tea at end of the meal. I am sure you could ask for it at any point in the meal...in fact I actually have and it was always free and very good high quality green tea (Im pretty sure its the popcorn kind) with a nice nutty aroma. Happy Eating! Ashley read more