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| - Never had soba before? Me neither. So I did my research. Good thing I did because there's a right way to eat it and I never would have been able to figure it out on my own. I-naba does have directions on the table, but I recommend reading up on it beforehand. My first time eating soba in a restaurant was a fantastic experience. I will be back.
The waitress that day was so insanely kind. She was patient and willing to answer questions. In fact a solicitor came in asking each table for donations. She approached the woman and said in the sweetest voice, "Please leave now. Thank you." The solicitor kindly left.
I ate two things:
Battera Small Plate- 6 thin pieces of cured mackerel on vinegary sushi rice forming a perfect rectangle. Excellent.
Vegetable Ten Zaru- served on a tray you receive vegetable tempura (yam, asparagus, mushroom, etc), dipping sauce for tempura, small bowl of rice, cold soba noodles on a basket thing called a zaru, and the soba dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is salty and savory. Grab a bite full of noodles, dip the last end into the sauce, and let that end sit in there as you eat the clean noodles from your chopsticks. Enjoy the flavor of the clean noodles and when you get to the sauce soaked part you will enjoy the contrast. When you finish the meal set aside your dipping sauce. They bring the water the soba was cooked in. Pour that water right in the cup up to the top and enjoy it like a soup. Those first sips can be pretty salty so keep adding the soba water to dilute it.
I am satisfied with the portion and meal experience here. Although I could see how super hungry people who crave meat in every meal may not be contented.
They do have beer here, not bad selection either. They had Asahi, Innis & Gunn and Samuel Smith. Looks great inside too, very comfortable and calm. The music was very good, like loungey rhythm Asian music.
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