Soba Ichi is a temple to buckwheat noodles, set in the West Oakland O2 Artisans Aggregate compound that supports artists of all kinds, including ceramicists, bakers (Grand Opening and Studio Estepan), and more. Koichi Ishii is the artisan behind Soba Ichi and its
soba, making the dough and cutting each strand by hand , ready for customers to slurp up in the evening.
Soba Ichi is the sister restaurant to Ippuku, the popular Berkeley izakaya serving skewers of all kinds. Ishii first made soba for lunch there after apprenticing with soba makers in Yamagata, Japan. But Ippuku didn’t have the space to support the ambitious soba program. The West Oakland space gave Ishii room to fully codify his soba operation. A glass room serves as a stage forIshii, who turns buckwheat into flour and, eventually, soba noodles there, daily.
The vibe
Soba Ichi has a transportive quality; diners can easily pretend they’ve left the Bay Area and arrived in Japan. Patrons first encounter the patio filled with charming wooden tables and a wooden awning, complete with plants and space heaters. When the weather cooperates, there’s no better spot to slurp noodles. Inside, there are booths and tables to sink into, with lights strung overhead. It’s also a chance to glance into the glass-encased soba room where Ishii makes the noodles, and gain a deeper appreciation of the meal to come.
What to order
- Soba is (obviously) the thing to get. If you don’t go for the special soba, such as a recent curry chicken nanban seiro, you’ll first decide between hot and cold soba. Then choose from accompaniments on the side, whether slices of rare duck breast or tempura. Both are great for different reasons; during colder days, there’s not much that can beat a warm bowl of tempura soba ($25), noodles softened in slurpable broth, with golden tempura-encased shrimp, maitake, and a shishito pepper, made complete with a pinch of matcha salt on top. But for most other occasions, I’m more partial to ten seiro ($25), the cold soba dipping style that also comes with tempura on the side. Here, the broth tastes more concentrated and umami, perhaps not as suitable for chugging as the warmed broth, but it plays well with a briefly dipped noodle for slurping. (There’s also a vegan option, if that’s what you’re after.)
- While you can get full from a meal of soba, consider adding on more dishes to round out the dinner, such as the restaurant’s seasonal salad. I recently tried the restaurant’s smoked tako salad ($18), which features slices of tender octopus amongst leaves of frisee, tomato, cucumber, and avocado, all coated in cilantro dressing. This isn’t the standard year-round, but it’s enough to make me trust ordering the salad no matter what season I’m visiting.
- Along with making soba in-house, the restaurant also makes its tofu from scratch, and as such, I make it a point to order some tofu to share. I’m partial to Yamagata dashi tofu ($13), topped with what the restaurant calls “Yamagata regional salsa.” It’s a mix of eggplant, cucumber, shiso, konbu, plus Japanese ginger and long onion. There’s also a small handful of katsuobushi on the side, and dashi underneath, perfect for dragging each bite of tofu through.
The drinks
The drink menu leans heavily into sake, featuring both Japanese brands and a small handful made in Oakland and Berkeley. Warm options are thoughtfully highlighted in red, with most available by the glass, carafe, or bottle, generally staying in the $12 (glass) to $65 (bottle) range. (Though some bottles can balloon up to $90, depending.) The restaurant also offers a small selection of shochu, a Japanese spirit typically brewed from grains or starches, umeshu, and flavored sake. Beers are also available, such as Asahi Super Dry, and if you’re completely not partaking, the restaurant has you covered with Mexican Coke, sparkling water, iced oolong tea, or the eternal childhood favorite, Ramune.
Insider tip
Keep an eye on Soba Ichi’s Instagram page for the latest specials, in case you’re trying to plan out your order ahead of time. There, you’ll see items such as a summertime key lime cold soba dish or Japanese-style deep-fried chicken wings as specials. And while you’re at it, keep an eye out for an announcement of mochi; it’s not a constant dessert menu item, but a favorite of regulars that’s worth asking about upon arrival.
