Don't get me wrong, for the most part the food tasted alright, but for the 30 min wait in line, portion size, and price? HIGHWAY ROBERY!!! The ambience was interesting playing jazz and all the servers yelling welcome in. I don't usually leave mid reviews and I want to like this but unfortunately this place is for tourists read more

Sora Dining Soba - 3 piece tempura FOR 9 DOLLARS. DO NOT GET THIS!!!! Small, bland, and soggy. The matcha salt was interesting at least - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here on a Saturday morning about an hour before they opened, I was first in line however about 10:30am, the line was getting super long. I recommend coming early to avoid waiting in the long line. The restaurant itself was very cute and ambiance was very nice, reminds me of Japan. I got the duck hot soba and it was very tasty and noodles were really good. I also got appetizers to share including the agedashi tofu, karage chicken, and the tomago all were great to share. I definitely recommend this place ans would love to come back to try their cold soba. read more

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They beat the drum when you enter. Looks like a traditional Japanese restaurant. Staff are friendly and come at the right times. Came here twice and got the kamo zaru both times. I love cold noodles (just got that better bounce and chew) but you get a concentrated hot dipping broth so it's the best of hot and cold for me. The tempura was fine but the soba is the standout. I read they had to adjust the soba making here for the humidity levels (drier here than Japan?). I feel like the little uneven splinters of soba noodles are evidence of that. It doesn't take away from the taste and experience though. I like this spot more than soba ketsu at the moment but my friend thought soba ketsu was better. read more

Soba is finally having its long-awaited moment in SF, and hopefully it's here to stay. My friends and I tried the newest establishment, Sora Dining Soba, and we eagerly joined the queue before the restaurant opened at 11 AM on a Sunday. As soon as the clock struck 11, we were ushered in by the hostesses, who promptly seated each group. While the line only stretched a couple of parties behind us, by the time we were seated, the line quickly grew to wrap around the corner. The restaurant was small but fit about a dozen or so tables, and there were seats at the bar as well. The menu is simple and includes an adorable comic book illustration on the first page that instructs first-time soba diners on how to enjoy the noodles. I did my research beforehand and heard that the tempura shouldn't be missed, so I ordered the cold soba set with tempura. Our food took a while to come out, but it was worth the wait! The presentation was impressive and showcased the artisanship that went into preparing the fresh soba. I had only ever eaten dried soba noodles before, so enjoying them fresh increased my appreciation for this staple dish. The noodles' texture was perfectly chewy, and they held their own when I picked them up with chopsticks and dipped them in the savory yet delicately sweet broth. The noodles were also served alongside a matcha-flavored salt and wasabi, which added another flavor dimension to the broth. I am glad I indulged in the tempura - the batter wasn't greasy or thick, and each item was cooked to a perfect tenderness beneath the batter. I've never tried tempura tamago before, but it was probably my favorite part of the set. Our servers were very kind and ensured that our glasses were always filled with water and that we had everything we needed. I am already eagerly anticipating my next visit. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Tem Zaru (cold soba with tempura) - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm so glad that this place is finally open ! I got to go twice. The first time was about when it opened and there was a very long line to get in. That time, I had gotten to duck hot soba which I still think to this day is my favorite dish I got there. The second time, pretty recently, I went on a Sunday night at around 7pm and we walked right in ! So no more worries about waiting in a long line which is great. This time I opted for the tempura hot soba, which was good but a bit less flavorful than the duck, and I wish I could have gotten more of the tempura. All in all the service is amazing, the food is very good, but still quite expensive for what you get which is why I don't know how often I'll be coming back. read more

Came here on a Saturday morning around 11AM, and there was no line. Closer to opening, the line got much longer. So would recommend coming around 11:20-11:25 if you want to make first seating as the restaurant is pretty large. I love soba and was really excited to try this place. Agree with the reviews though, the soba noodles where choppy and definitely not what Im used to from eating at various spots in Japan. I'd only come back for the tempura and perhaps the seared duck since there's no other place in SF that makes it like Sora Dining Soba does. At least not yet. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a while now. We got the duck broth cold udon ($24) and the tempura cold udon ($26). Food was good and restaurant felt really clean and nice. I do think it's a little over priced for what it is, even for city prices. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delicious! We stood in a line for dinner at 530 on a Thursday evening in February. Seated quickly with a beat of the drum and a call and response wait staff, we were met immediately by our server and our food was ready in a scant few minutes. It is a small place with maybe 15-20 tables. Reasonably quiet and elegantly beautiful. The food though: wonderful buckwheat noodles. I had never had them hot like this, with a side of vegetable and shrimp tempura. Flavors were exquisite. Our age dashi tofu appetizer and our yuzu cheesecake also great. No notes. Come try this place and you'll love it. read more

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Hmmm not sure why this place is so popular. Ordered the regular cold soba with no sides cold soba with duck and hot soba with tempura. In all the dishes, I could not taste the soba which is the reason why you would pay a premium ($25-30 per soba after tip and tax) to have 100% soba noddles. I was especially disappointed with the duck version since the sauce had duck and strongly over powered the soba taste. I'm glad I tried it and will not be going back. The service was great, fyi. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Soba with duck. Would not recommend as duck sauce overpowers the delicate soba taste. - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a Thursday night with a short wait! Extremely efficient staff, very clean restaurant. The noodles were so filling and tasty! Loved the presentation and can't wait to come back to try some more! read more

Super excited to try this new soba spot in Japantown; we waited in line before they even opened and got lucky to be in the first wave. The soba was good, but honestly, not like really good; still worth a try if you're in the area, just manage expectations. read more

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Came here in a rainy day and this meal really hit the spot. We got here early because this place has limited seating and there was already a line at 4:30 when they open at 5:30. Staff are so friendly and helpful and greet everyone at the door with a smile and a tap of their gong. We all ordered variations of the soba with either the sesame, duck or tempura. The soba noodles were perfectly cooked. I could come here every day. Their appetizers should not be missed either. My ultimate favorite was the fried tofu and the fresh tofu. The fried tofu was perfectly crispy with no oily heaviness. It melted in your mouth. The fresh tofu was soft and silky and really complimented the fried tofu. Will definitely come back again and again. read more

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Fell in line at 12:45pm on a Sunday and maybe waited half an hour. There were heat lamps for people in line. It was with the wait but probably wouldn't wait for over an hour. It is a bit pricy for the portions but I was content. Ordered the 6 piece kushi tempura to share and they gave us scissors. It was good but I'm not sure if it was worth $17. The batter was light and crispy and I liked the matcha salt. Tasted the broth of the kashiwa tamago and loved it. You could really taste the chicken in the broth. Ordered the kamo namban for myself and loved it even more. There were a few pieces of duck in the soup that were warm and a side of duck slices that were served cold. I would come back for this if I wanted hot soba. Definitely gotta come back when it warms up to try their cold dishes. read more

Sora Dining Soba - 6 piece kushi tempura - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I love soba, so I was genuinely excited to try SORA Soba Dining after hearing so much hype about it. Unfortunately, the experience started off on a rough note with a 45-minute wait outside in cold, windy San Francisco weather. I don't expect a restaurant to control the weather, but the experience does begin the moment you arrive. Since there isn't an option to put your name down and walk around, it would be really thoughtful to offer heaters, seating, or even hot tea or water while guests wait in line. Once we finally made it inside, things definitely improved. The space is clean, warm, and beautifully designed--very inviting and thoughtfully laid out. I ordered the matcha beer, which was a fun and unique experience. I've only ever had premade matcha beers from cans or bottles, so I didn't expect them to whisk the matcha by hand and pour it into the beer right in front of you. The presentation was lovely and memorable. Flavor-wise, it did lean quite bitter--even as someone who loves both matcha and alcohol. The seared aigamo (duck) was a standout--great flavor and really nice texture. The soba noodles were well presented and nicely balanced in taste. The flavors were clean and subtle, maybe slightly on the lighter side, but still enjoyable and thoughtfully done. The tempura offered a good variety, and the wasabi salt was an excellent pairing that elevated the dish. Overall, the presentation across the meal was beautiful, and you can tell a lot of care and intention went into the food. Service was also a highlight--attentive, friendly, smiley, and kind, which always makes a difference. Parking was easy as well--we parked in the underground garage at the mall and walked over without any issues. Despite the rough start with the long outdoor wait, the food, service, and ambiance made for a solid experience. With a bit more consideration for guests waiting outside, this place could be even better. read more

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The interior is stylish and very aesthetic . Service was good, though a bit awkward at times... The star of the show was tempura moriawase! The spread was unique and full of pleasant surprises. standouts like the asparagus and beef combination really. My partner ordered the sesame cold soba; the flavors were interesting and the noodles had a nice bite to it! Highly recommend to order the code noodles because I ordered the hot soup soba, and the noodles did not hold their integrity well. (All broken up) and ruined the slurping experience:( Overall, it was pretty good give it a solid Not sure it's worth waiting in a long line for, but I'd definitely come back once the hype dies down to try more items on the menu. read more

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Nice to have an additional soba place in Japantown! This spot is located across from the plaza/mall. My group of 4 arrived around 10:50am on Sunday to line up earlier and we got in quickly. The restaurant was busy and filled up. We ordered the tamago appetizer and kushi tempura to share. I got the kashiwa tamago (fluffy egg hot soba). The tamago was okay, a bit slimy. I liked my soba entree. It felt hearty and healthy. However the noodles were cut a little too much. I would have preferred eating it in longer strands. It is definitely on the expensive side as the bowl of noodles was $22. The decor was nice and the staff were super friendly and helpful. read more

This was my first time trying soba noodle as a hot dish and I liked it way more than I expected! However, the line to get in is pretty crazy despite there being a decent amount of seating inside. My friend and I entered the line maybe around 12:45pm on a Sunday and it took over an hour to finally get seated On the bright side, we were able to finish all our food because we were so hungry lol I ordered the hot soba noodle with tempura and my friend ordered the kashiwa tamago. They were both really good - and it was nice to have so many different toppings and dips for the tempura itself. I would definitely come back at a less busy time and try their cold soba next time! read more

Sora Dining Soba - kashiwa tamago - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The restaurant is very aesthetically pleasing inside. Was my second time going and the soba was consistently good. I think the appetizers might be the things that really shine here. The egg roll and agadshi tofu are very good! read more

Sora Dining Soba - agedashi tofu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Everything about this place was divine! The wait staff were so welcoming and accommodating, especially for some dietary concerns. They did everything they could to keep us informed. The food was incredible! We continue to rave about it! The feeling and vibe is very cozy, especially for the type of day it was. We felt very appreciated! read more

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Located in Japan town - this place seems quite popular. There was a line and we waited about 40 minutes for dinner seating. The highlight is soba which you can get hot or cold. We opted for cold as that seems to be most popular. Options are pretty straightforward- plain soba or soba with duck or soba with tempura. You can also add on side dishes or more tempura. Price seems moderately high for the amount of food you get. It's a good experience and noodles seem fresh but probably not a place I would frequent. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Soba is one of my favorite noodles -- easily top two for me -- so I take soba spots pretty seriously. I've had a lot of good soba, and this place definitely held its own. We got there around 6:30 PM on a Sunday. There were a few people in line, but it moved quickly and wasn't an issue at all. If you're trying to avoid waiting, 6:30 or earlier is probably your best bet. We started with the fried tofu, which was actually very good. The tofu had solid flavor, and the broth it came in was well-balanced and comforting so it definitely hit the spot. My only gripe is portion size. For the price, I do wish there was more tofu on the plate. The soba came out quickly, and texture-wise it was on point with a clean, well-executed soba with the right bite. I ordered the duck soba, and the broth was the standout. With the duck fat and a little wasabi mixed in, it was honestly excellent. Flavor-wise, I'd put the broth alone at about an 8.5-8.6. The duck portion was on the lighter side, around five small pieces. I do understand that high-quality soba isn't cheap for restaurants to source and produce, so it's somewhat understandable from a cost standpoint. That said, at $24, a bit more duck would've gone a long way. They also provide soba-yu at the end to pour into the remaining broth, which was a great finish: warm, flavorful, and honestly spectacular. Overall, I'd give this place about an 8.2/10. Excellent broth and solid soba execution, with room to improve on portion balance. I'm definitely planning to try the other soba spot next door and compare. read more

Sora Dining Soba - duck soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I heard this is new and I enjoy Soba noodles. We arrived at 7pm and waited an hour. I got the regular version of Soba. And it was pretty good. I enjoyed the noodles and experience of eating it. All of the staff is quite nice too and I felt like I was transported to Japan. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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New soba spot!!! I love soba, so waited til lines started dying down a little as we all know lines can get crazy at brand new spots. We waited probably around 20-30 mins at 6pm on a Wednesday. We ordered the Dashi Maki Tamago ($14) which we felt like was the star of the show lowkey... Tamago was very soft and fluffy, but the sora dashi broth was SOOOOO good and the umami flavoring was chefs kiss. We said we'd go back just for that alone. I got the Ten Zaru ($26) which is a classic cold soba with dashi dipping broth and tempura. It was okay to me. The tempura was really good, but I felt like the soba noodles were just ok. Bouncy, but had a grainy texture which I wasn't a fan of, you can definitely taste buckwheat. It's almost like what it sounds like wheat noodles. My boyfriend got the Kamo Namban ($24), which is a hot duck broth soba soup with seared duck and green onions and a little bit of yuzu. I felt like the noodles were better as it cooks more in the hot broth, which I'm not typically a fan of bc it can make the noodles too soft and overcooked. For this dish tho, it made the noodles have a better mouthfeel and more enjoyable to eat, plus it had so much more flavor with the duck! I loved the broth, it was a good mix of salty and citrusy with the yuzu in it. Our friend got the Kamo Zaru ($24) which we felt was probably the best choice, it's basically the dipping version of the Kamo Namban. You get cold soba noodles and hot broth to dip in, plus the seared duck. Tbh, I still prefer the competitor soba itchi, sorry... but this isn't a bad spot! It's located in Japantown so parking is either street or garage. read more

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Such a fun experience! Staff was so welcoming a knowledgeable about soba. The restaurant was clean and cozy. The food was delicious!! I really enjoyed the cold so a with sesame. You got to grind up your ow sesame!! Then adding the boiled soba water to your sauce was such a treat!! Can't wait to come back. read more

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We both got the Tem Soba! Nice and simple :) carefully prepared and thoughtful of the culture. Service is on point, attentive and kind. Place is neat and clean. Definitely get there early! Line gets long! read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Honestly, I was so hype about this new soba place since I heard it's the same owner as Hinodeya and I love Hinodeya. Sadly to say, it was sub-par. My hot soba noodles were mushy and broken apart and the tempura portion and starter portions were a bit tiny. For the same amount of wait and cozier atmosphere, I'd still stick with Sobakatsu. read more

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A friend and I came here on a Friday at around 10:35 and a line was quickly forming for their 11 AM opening. We ordered the 6 piece tempura and the tamago. The tempura included items I don't usually find at Japanese restaurants (brussel sprouts, tamago, tofu) and all of the selections were delicious! The tamago was also very tasty, with a savory broth that created a striking combination of sweet and savory. As for the soba itself, the noodles were not what I expected - very soft and delicate and easily broken, but the broth and duck were very tasty. The highlight of the meal was definitely the appetizers! read more

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TLDR: Overall a solid dining experience, but I would wait for the hype and lines to diminish first. Ambiance (5/5): * Bright and welcoming. * Any place that offers a bar/counter to dine at gets a gold star in my book. Service (5/5): * Our main server was friendly and welcoming, although subsequent servers/helpers didn't appear to be as knowledgeable. Menu (5/5): * Offered a good variety, no complaints. Seared Aigamo (4/5): * Very tender and tasty, although I could see how some might find it ever so slightly on the salty side. Zaru & Kamo Zaru (3/5): * I do enjoy soba, although I was a bit underwhelmed. * The sauce seemed to lack a slightly brighter flavor that I was expecting. Although the addition of the hot broth at the end provided really nice flavor * I thought the noodles could have been slightly firmer. I'm pretty sure I've been to other soba spots in SoCal where this was the case. * There was virtually no difference in flavor or satisfaction in the cold vs. hot dipping sauce. I'd just stick with cold next time. read more

Our family was happy to try this new restaurant and had a good experience overall Appetizers Agedashi Tofu - tasty. My son liked it and it got his approval Potato Chips - this was my favorite thing I ate. Crispy chips, interesting dipping sauce with yuzu. Tempura - we got the 9pc. Some interesting and less common tempura pieces. Entrees Goma Zaru - liked the sesame flavor. Kamo Zaru - always like duck but I second some of the other reviews that 4 pieces felt small Nabe Udon - my son liked it Service was great. My biggest question mark for this place was the pricing. $20-28 per order of noodles felt like a lot given something like the goma Zaru was noodles and dipping sauce. Same for the kake or Zaru. The food is good but it feels like the average person needs appetizers and sides for a meal and that approaches $40-50pp mark. The food is tasty and authentic but I think the average patron might get better value elsewhere. Sobakatsu provides tempura as a side for the same prices as Sora. It felt even more expensive because the suggested tip % started at 20%. I think Sora is going to do well but at these prices, people will try but it probably won't be somewhere they will have in their regular food rotations. read more

Came on Friday night and waited approximately 30mins. It's a restaurant with decent amount of tables. The servers were very nice. Loved the soba texture - slightly grainy, not too chewy, not too soft. The cold duck soba comes with four thin pieces of duck and a broth that is slightly tooo salty. The cold tempura soba also comes with a dipping broth but this one was way too subtle in taste. Overall it was okay, not very impressive. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love that SF has another great soba restaurant now! Having heard that there's quite a long line, my party of 4 arrived super early around 4:20pm - there was no line yet, but people started lining up around 4:40pm and by 4:50pm there was a pretty sizable line and not everyone in line at opening was able to be seated. The interior is really clear, brightly lit and warm with lots of natural wood. The place was well staffed, and we were able to quickly place our orders. Our food came out pretty quickly, with appetizers coming out first and then our individual soba orders coming out not long after. We did have a mishap where one of our soba orders was forgotten (it sounded like the order was mistakenly placed as a hot soba order instead of the cold soba order we placed, and then got lost in the process as a result), so we did have to ask about that order after a while to check if it had been forgotten. The staff apologized and we quickly received the order afterwards. -Duck appetizer - the duck is really great here; tender and flavorful, but if you're getting the duck soba there's no need to also get the appetizer unless you just wanted some extra slices of duck . -Tempura - I didn't get this, but I'm told the tempura is really good! -Tamago appetizer - this was tasty but not too notable and I probably wouldn't get it again. It was nice to try though! -Cold Duck Soba - this was great! I really loved how umami the dipping sauce was, which is duck broth bsed. The buckwheat noodles have a good bite but weren't too brittle and held their shape compared to the other 100% buckwheat soba noodles I've tried in the past, which I really liked. Overall, Soba Dining Sora is a great addition to Japantown! Definitely recommend the cold soba over the hot soba, and I'd say it's pretty comparable to other high quality specialty soba options in town. read more

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Pretty small restaurant, if you don't want to wait in line try to avoid peak hours. We were there at 7 PM on a Sunday so the wait was one hour. But when we were about to leave around 8 PM, there was no line. Servers were friendly and helpful. Service was fast. We liked the fried chicken the most. For the mixed tempura it was randomly, I wish they asked because my kids don't eat seafood. I deduct one star because the soba was broken into small short pieces. read more

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Expectations and hopes were so high after seeing that SF was getting another soba restaurant! I absolutely LOVE Sobakatsu, so I was excited to try Sora to see if it could compare. One of the biggest reasons I thought Sora would be at an advantage was the wait time. There's normally at least a 30-60min wait time at Sobakaktsu, so I thought if Sora had comparable (or even better) soba with a shorter wait time, that'd be gamechanger! Unfortunately, the line for Sora is just as long :( And I want to say it was still their soft opening and they hadn't blown up on social media yet! I visited on a Saturday and got there at ~12pm, to find a line that was already turning the corner with at least 15 parties ahead of me. I waited a total of 1 hour before getting seated. Pro-tip, Sora is on DoorDash, so if you want to try but don't want to wait in the cold SF weather, order directly from there. I haven't personally ordered off DD but my sister did and I believe they separate the noodles so they won't get soggy in transit. Also, at least as of early December 2025, even if your party is not fully there when you're seated, they don't make you wait until your full party has arrived (which I love!). For food, I ordered the Cold Soba Set w/ Tempura (Kushi Tempura), my friend ordered the Hot Soba w/ Duck (Kamo Nanban), and we shared the Dashi-Maki Tamago appetizer. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend the Tamago appetizer! It's cooked to perfection--so fluffy and soft, and was the best thing I ate that day, even better than the soba! This is a must order every time for me. My friend seemed to like her Hot Soba, which is on my list to try, and the Cold Soba was pretty good as well! I will say the tempura at Sobakatsu is much much better (to this day, it's the best I've had), but my mediocrity with the tempura at Sora isn't just with how they battered/fried it, but also with their choice of vegetables/meat. Will also add that their portions aren't that big; my friend and I were able to basically finish everything we ordered which was a bit of a surprise since at Sobakatsu, I typically have to share some of my noodles, which I like! Would I wait 60min again for Sora's soba? Probably not... If I'm going to wait, I'd rather wait in line at Sobakatsu. However, would I order from Sora on DoorDash? Absolutely! read more

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Relatively new restaurant located in Japan town. Ordered the Ten Zaru Soba and dashi maki tamago. The soba noodles were a touch firmer than expected, but the tempura more than made up for it--perfectly fried, light, and not overly greasy. They serve it with matcha powder, which was a unique twist and actually worked really well. The dashi maki tamago was excellent--soft, flavorful, and slightly salty. read more

Lovely service and welcome into the space. Well decorated in a japandi simple clean wooden vibe. We had the back table and they were very attentive to ensure our glasses were full of beer and drinks. I thought the soba ten was ok not super packed w flavor but the udon my friend had was good. We had to add the spice in their cute little container read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place recently opened up and I got a chance to try it. I was there 10 minutes before opening, and was seated relatively quickly once the restaurant opened. Everything tasted good! There were some hiccups in the service with neatness, menu knowledge, and table setting, but I'm giving them some grace as they just opened. It's nice to have another soba option in Japantown! read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's great to see such a nice restaurant opening up in Japantown! I came here during the soft opening, and the line was around the building. The soba itself was definitely a step up from what you can make yourself at home. I also was very impressed with the tempura. I would recommend ordering that again! It was a cold night, so I didn't order the cold soba, but I'd definitely come back to try it once the lines calm down. read more

Sora Dining Soba - hot soba with tempura - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I give them 3.5 stars. Everything taste good, service was on point, a bit hovering at times though. I was just looking around and the waitress thought I was calling for her haha. If you're looking for a light tasting broth and sauce this is for you. My taste is more bold flavors. I think it was a bit pricey for what it is. My bill was over $80 including tax and tip. read more

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Overall 4/5 Food 4/5 Ambiance 5/5 Ten Zaru - noodles not bad but you can see some noodles have broken/fray pieces. Dashi broth is light and not too salty. Gave Soba-yu towards the end so you can make a soup out of the leftover dashi broth. 4/5 Dashi-maki tamago - strong dashi flavor. Tamago was so soft and fluffy! Came out piping hot. Overall I enjoyed the food and would like to come back to try more of their appetizers. I would prefer my noodles to be not so frayed and broken. Texture: chewy & firm. Restaurant is very small and clean. wait is long. Already a line 30mins before opening. read more

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Excited to see another soba restaurant in SF, especially after waiting for 45 mins for Sobakatsu We got the cold dipping soba, kamo (duck) cold dipping soba, and tamago roll. I loved the broth of the duck dipping soba. The sliced yuzu was a nice touch. The soba came broken but I understood that it was hard to make 100% buckwheat soba without breaking it. The line was long at the soft opening so plan ahead. read more