After my recent cool down at the Dae Dong, I thought I should try Japanese version of cold noodles, soba. Which can be served hot or cold, Soba-Ya is nested in the East Village serving mostly sobas, traditional root vegetables and regional sake. Like the naengmyon soba are also made of buckwheat but has more of a creamy texture.

Impressed by the simple décor, pleasant service, and topnotch food, however I was very disappointed with the overall pricing of the entrees.
One could get a moderate meal for under $13 bucks including tip but for what some boiled noodles with a side of dipping sauce, which by the way is not as refreshing as the naengmyon. I had sticker stock when I saw our bill, but first let me tell you what we ordered. Kamonan grilled duck & scallion $15.50, Uni fresh sea urchin with japanese yam $18.50, and one Sapporo $6 with tip and tax came out to over $50. Once I saw the bill I took a double take, and thought I should have gotten the soba with sauce but knew I would inevitability be hungry by the time we got the check. The Kamonan frilled duck and scallions was delicious, came with 2 slices of duck and 2 slices of shitake mushrooms, a dish I would highly recommend if you a diet. And the Uni fresh sea urchin with Japanese yam I would recommend also if you had appetizers before hand.

Over all I thought it would be cheapass, but I had to learn the hard way, not so filling. For $50 Kenneth I could have 2 porterhouse steaks at a butcher and cooked at home, and that definitely would have filled us up.

Japanese New York East Village