Soba Totto

Soba Totto Restaurant Review:

Soba lovers take their noodles very seriously, and Soba Totto --- from the same owners as the equally fetishistic Yakitori Totto --- meets their expectations with its earnest treatment of the traditional Japanese buckwheat noodle. Hand-pulled on the premises, the noodles come in a panoply of permutations: hot or cold, and with dipping sauces like a thin beef broth or a nutty sesame paste. Many of the dipping sauces are bolstered by additions like slices of duck or tempura vegetables. After diners finish, they receive a teapot filled with soba broth. The starchy water is combined with the dipping sauce and together they become a soup to finish off the main course. Despite the name, the eatery is not just a noodle joint. The chefs cooking yakitori behind the long bar in this dark, low-ceilinged space speak to that. In addition, there is a rotating selection of specials such as horse mackerel tartare, plus classic nibbles like blistered shishito peppers and more esoteric fare of salted sea urchin and shark cartilage. Desserts include soba seeds --- also known as oats --- with vanilla ice cream. Saké and shochu choices are extensive.