Cocoron Soba

Cocoron Soba opened at 61 Delancey Street (just a little west of Allen) in December.  I've walked by it many times and peered in and thought: "this places looks great!"

It wasn't until a friend, who lives in the neighborhood and I take Yoga with, asked me had I been to the great new Soba place on Delancey that I got motivated to actually go.

In part my motivation was based on being sick with the flu, all week I've had no appetite for anything but hot tea and broth so the idea of some warm soothing Soba in hot broth was my true motivation. Don't blink when you are walking by or you will miss it. Cocoron Soba has 14 seats in total.

 

All over this tiny place are signs that say: Praying for our country Japan. 

It's very touching, I find the smiling cartoon character on the poster a little jarring, I understand that is a cultural thing and I do like the feeling that it gives that although a terrible tragedy is still unfolding in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami and now the nuclear reactor meltdown that as this orange head character would suggest, fist skyward, we may be down but we are by no means down.

 

One of the funniest aspects of their website is if you click on the Characters tab  there are 17 different cartoon characters that represent, um, I guess different aspects of Soba making?  My favorite is Mr. Bu the balding, pink, chubby, pig character.

Both times I have been here I have ordered the same thing: Kim Chee and Pork Dipping Soba.  You can order your Soba three ways, cold or hot which come complete in a bowl or Tsukemen Style which means dipping style so you get a strong hot bowl of broth served on a stand with a heater below and a plate of cold Soba noodles.  You place a mouth full of noodles into the broth let them sit for 30 seconds or less, then scoop them up and place them in your eating bowl and slurp them up.  When you are done most of the chunky bits of the hot broth have been gathered up with the noodles, then you are presented with an enamel tea pot that is filled with Soba noodle cooking water which you pour into your broth to make a soup.  You are also presented with an over size wooden spoon to drink your broth from.  Its so amazingly good I can't begin to describe it.  They have a good selection of small plates, Yuba Sashimi (house made tofu skin), fried chicken and steamed chicken meatball in addition to desserts like Black Sesame Cheesecake which all look amazing.  

 

 And here is the lack "tea pot"  filled with Soba cooking water ...

The only other item I've had is a side of miso coleslaw, which was a small, crunchy bowl of red cabbage, in a simple oil and miso dressing sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I'm going to be spending a lot of time here over the next week or so because I can think of no way to eat myself out of this flu than with this deliciously spicy Soba soup.  Come join me while seats are still gettable!

Here are two organizations that you can donate money to who are helping in Japan during this terrible crisis: 

Doctorswithoutborders

Redcross.org