• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Two Red Bowls

Two Red Bowls

  • home
  • Blog
  • about
    • about the bowls
    • press
    • contact
  • recipes
  • cookbook
  • Newsletter

RECIPES

BABY

COOKBOOK

“sukiyaki” soba noodle soup

March 16, 2016

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

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.

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls"sukiyaki" soba noodle soup | two red bowls

 

 

you may also like

Facebook0Tweet0Pin0Yummly0

view more: asian· dinner· fall· gluten-free· japanese· lunch· mains· spring

Previous Post: « curry puffs
Next Post: orange-almond sweet rolls with basil glaze »

Reader Interactions

say hello!

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Anonymous

    March 16, 2016 at 7:08 am

    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…

    Reply
    • Ellie | fit for the soul

      March 16, 2016 at 4:34 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
    • Ellie | fit for the soul

      March 16, 2016 at 4:36 pm

      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

      Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 26, 2023 at 12:21 pm

      doesnt work for me either and it is quite annoying

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Farley

    March 16, 2016 at 9:14 am

    Just beautiful, Cynthia! Recipe link is working fine for me, FYI 🙂

    Reply
  3. Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous)

    March 16, 2016 at 10:14 am

    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.

    Reply
  4. Allie

    March 16, 2016 at 11:27 am

    This looks amazing. And I can’t believe that it sounds so simple. Definitely adding this to the list. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. genevieve y

    March 16, 2016 at 11:43 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
  6. Madeline

    March 16, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    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! : )

    Reply
  7. Samantha (@PlanetBakeLife)

    March 16, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    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.

    Reply
  8. Brooke Bass

    March 16, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    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 😉

    Reply
  9. sweetteasweetie (@SweetTSweetie)

    March 16, 2016 at 7:03 pm

    Yum! Looks so delicious!
    Kari
    http://www.sweetteasweetie.com

    Reply
  10. megiswell

    March 17, 2016 at 10:57 am

    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!

    Reply
  11. Tori

    March 18, 2016 at 4:28 am

    I could so devour a huge bowl of this right now! Absolutely dying to make this!

    Reply
  12. Erica

    March 18, 2016 at 8:36 am

    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

    Reply
  13. Erika

    March 18, 2016 at 8:39 am

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Shikha la mode

    March 22, 2016 at 2:47 am

    When in doubt, noodles 🙂

    Reply
  15. Aimee

    April 1, 2016 at 11:56 pm

    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)!

    Reply
  16. Whiskey and Soba

    April 16, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    Everything you post is what I love to eat. Your site is quickly becoming my new cooking bible…!

    Reply
  17. Jane

    April 22, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    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

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Hi! I’m Cynthia

An avid eater and dabbling food-maker living in California with my husband, “Bowl #2,” and our baby bowls, Luke, Clara, and Fiona.

browse recipes

fall
winter
spring
summer
savory
sweet

Sixth Annual Saveur Blog Awards

Footer

Recent Posts

  • corn, miso, & mascarpone pasta
  • sweet kale, brussels, and date salad + a new substack
  • fiona’s first birthday
  • supreme soy sauce chow mein
  • thanksgiving leftover cranberry apple streusel tart

Subscribe

little missives on food, family, and probably the weather


Sign up!
X
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

MENU

  • home
  • Blog
  • about
    • about the bowls
    • press
    • contact
  • recipes
  • cookbook
  • Newsletter

© 2025 Two Red Bowls · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Website by Meyne