A few months ago, a couple of friends introduced us to a soba restaurant in Midtown called Soba Totto, and introduced me to a world of wonders. Soba noodles are fast working their way up my list of favorite noodles, with their resilient bite and nutty flavor, and they were never better than in the soups we tried there. I had a duck breast and yuzu soba noodle soup that was all kinds of crisp, smoky and tart in all the right ways, but what really stole my heart was B2’s choice (this happens all the time, because I am that kind of date) — something they called “sukiyaki soba,” soba noodles served in a dark, lip-smacking broth crowded with thinly-sliced pork belly and wiggly tofu, piled high with bias-cut scallions, and, most wonderfully, finished off with a barely-poached egg that melted into the broth to make it extra creamy, rich, and just the slightest bit sweet.
I was fairly convinced that there was no way something that complex and richly nuanced could be easy or quick or even possible to make myself, especially after Google informed me that sukiyaki is typically (correct me if I’m wrong, Japanese friends) a kind of Japanese hot pot, which seemed inscrutably far from noodle soup. Still, assuming that the clever folks at Soba Totto made a kind of sukiyaki-inspired soba noodle soup, and finding that most recipes for sukiyaki incorporated some measure of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and a touch of sugar into a sauce for dipping, I thought maybe that flavor base would do the trick, along with a quick sear of the pork belly and some onions for flavor. As much to my surprise as anyone’s, that turned out to be perfect. And so fast! All it takes is some good Berkshire pork belly, onion, tofu, soba noodles, and those condiments, and you’re a paltry 30 minutes or less from one of the best noodle soups I’ve ever made at home. I have a feeling it’s going to be one of our favorites on cold or rainy days from now on. I hope you love it as much as I do. You can find the recipe over on Crate and Barrel!
Thanks so much to Crate and Barrel for sponsoring this post and providing all the products shown here! You can find links to individual products in the recipe post on their blog.
Anonymous
Why post just pictures and NOT the recipe – refer to Crate and Barrel website which does not appear to be working? Very frustrating I may unsubscribe…
Ellie | fit for the soul
Hello anonymous! Just want to help out a bit here. 🙂 It seems to be working now, or at least it does on my end. Do remember that many times bloggers who are well loved by companies will work together, so that way they can kill two birds with one stone. Blogger puts up a beautiful recipe on their website, and then the reader might also become interested in the company that owns that website as a result. Maybe you knew that but I like to clear things up for people. 🙂
Ellie | fit for the soul
Goodness gracious, this sounds so comforting! I’ve always been a soba lover thanks to mom, but I haven’t tried it in such a unique broth which means something’s not right here. Gotta find me some in LA <333
Anonymous
doesnt work for me either and it is quite annoying
Jennifer Farley
Just beautiful, Cynthia! Recipe link is working fine for me, FYI 🙂
Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous)
sukiyaki hot pot sounds so wonderful and super cozy! glad that you figured it out so that the rest of us can benefit (; and goodness i can’t stop staring at the second picture- the noodle mound is so magnetic.
Allie
This looks amazing. And I can’t believe that it sounds so simple. Definitely adding this to the list. Thanks for sharing!
genevieve y
Cynthia! Your first paragraph describing the noodles was so beautifully written. I might have to add some of those phrases to my food writing inspiration page in my notebook: “all kinds of crisp, smoky and tart in all the right ways”, “dark, lip-smacking broth”, and your description of the barely poached egg melting into the broth is just perfection. I’m glad you were able to recreate this at home! It’s so satisfying to be able to recreate a dish you had in a restaurant in your very own kitchen 🙂
Madeline
It is now lunchtime and I am sitting at my desk where my stomach is literally growling from reading about these noodles…!! I need to definitely try this restaurant in midtown, and also make your version at home. Thanks for the inspiration! : )
Samantha (@PlanetBakeLife)
We don’t have a lot of soba noodles around in New Zealand but I hope it becomes more of a trend because this looks delicious! I might have to hunt around at the local Asian supermarkets to see if they stock them in their dried noodle section.
Brooke Bass
Ohh love me some soba noodles, always! (And for what it’s worth, I am also the kind of person who munches on my hubby’s orders when we got out. The good ones will let us do that, I think 😉
sweetteasweetie (@SweetTSweetie)
Yum! Looks so delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
megiswell
I’ve recently started cooking with Japanese noodles and soba were delicious. They are really easy to overcook though so I’ll have to practice some more with this recipe!
Tori
I could so devour a huge bowl of this right now! Absolutely dying to make this!
Erica
You are my Asian food hero, lady. You always inspire me to go back to my roots (or at least convince my mom to make some Korean food for me during the busy times hehe). I’m making this once I’m done with internal medicine because soba is THE BEST!!!! <3 <3 <3
Erika
Beautiful as always!! I love soba noodles and I might be that person that drinks what’s left in the bowl when no one is looking. 🙂
Shikha la mode
When in doubt, noodles 🙂
Aimee
I made this for dinner tonight and couldn’t be more satisfied! The soba with the slightly sweet broth are such a good combination, and I think the tofu really adds some heft to the meal. Even though it’s a hot noodle soup, I know I’ll be making this long into the summer months (even if it means I have to keep a towel on hand to wipe away the sweat while I’m eating)!
Whiskey and Soba
Everything you post is what I love to eat. Your site is quickly becoming my new cooking bible…!
Jane
Clicked on the link for the recipe but what I really wanted to come here to say was, “damn girl, what products do you use for your hair?!” In so jelly. Haha