(Matsui in Yoshinoya: Japanese fast food chain)

(Fresh cut soba in Japan)

Eating soba noodles is all about texture, temperature, and participation. Soba noodles are buckwheat noodles served either in a clear broth or cold in a special sauce. While backpacking in Tokyo a few years ago, my love for this noodle began to grow. Last week, San Francisco had a surprisingly scorching day reaching almost 87 degrees. Armed with noodles and a few garnishes, I began my noodle meal.

Ingredients: (can be found at most Asian stores) or online at Asiangrocer
dry seaweed
soba noodles
soba sauce
cubes of ice
wasabi paste

Cooking soba at home requires technique. First, toss a batch of noodles in boiling water. Keep stirring frequently. Boil for around 5 minutes on medium heat. Cook the noodle beyond al dente (chewy) and next drain the noodle and immediatley toss them in a bowl filled with cold water and ice. This will chill the noodles. In a small bowl, mix soba sauce with wasabi paste. I add a cube of ice in my soba sauce to ensure that it is cold. Chop seaweed into thin laywers and use as garnish.

Temperature. Soba noodles need to be cold. Warm soba simple does not taste good.
Texture. Do not over cook the noodles. The buckwheat noodles will lose the chewy texture that makes the noodles deliscious.
Participation. Take some noodles and dunk the noodle directly in the soba sauce. In Japan, it is polite to slurp. Slurping is a sign to the chef that the food is great.

Soba noodles are served frequently at train stations. They are healthy and simply refreshing.

Consultant hat.
In San Francisco, Mifune is a good spot for soba. Soba are a great item to be placed on the menu because profit margins are very high. Soba served on a lacuqer tray (~$6) is simple to make and does not require any master chefs. The owner of Mifune can certainly keep the food cost around 20%.

Estimated food cost.
Noodles: $.10
Soba sauce: $.10
Plate charge (plate,chopsticks,tea cup):$.10
total: $.30 for food cost
Profit: $6 – .30 = $5.70
{keep in mind I did not factor labor,workers insurance,electricity,water,and rent}
Overall, still a great profit.

In terms of international Japanese fast food chains, Yoshinoya is the only one that comes to mind. It is hard to scale a soba noodle chain in the United States. Soba is an acquired dish and will probably never reach mainstream appreciate. Another type of noodle I enjoy is somen, a white thin noodle.

Mifune
1737 Post St Ste 375
San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: (415) 922-0337