A known rule of thumb when determining if a food place, especially Japanese, serves genuinely authentic food is to check if its clientele is comprised mainly of Singaporeans or expat families.
Tokyo Soba, which operates out of Icon Village in Tanjong Pagar, is supposedly an offshoot of Yomoda Soba, which is itself a noodle stand in Japan. The hole-in-the-wall eatery caters to office dwellers on weekdays, and Japanese families and groups of friends on weekends.
While Tokyo Soba recently expanded to serve more customers, one can imagine that its tables fill up quickly during peak periods. Ordering is entirely self-serviced; just enter your order, pick up a buzzer, and wait till it’s ready for collection.
Most eateries in the CBD prize themselves on their short wait times, evidently to cater to time-crunched workers. At Tokyo Soba, preparation takes slightly longer, with each bowl made to order.
The soba has a pleasant, chewy consistency, and you can choose from hot and cold soba. The cold version is a dipping one with refreshing sauce to coat your noodles. Personally, I prefer the hot soba which has a rich and flavourful broth, with a citrusy aftertaste.
Ebi-ten Soba ($16.50)
While soba is most commonly associated with prawn tempura and kitsune tofu, Tokyo Soba serves a wide variety of fried and non-fried toppings to complement your noodles.
The Kaisen Kakiage ($8) is an uncommon find that I recommend you try at least once. The amount of clams, prawns, onion, carrots, and long bean in the disc-shaped tempura is pretty substantial, yet it’s not excessively oily. I enjoyed picking apart the succulent morsels of prawns and clams.
Ebi-Ten ($6.50) remains a classic topping, with a light batter that falls off the succulent prawns easily.
Kaisen Kakiage ($8)
Kaisen Kakiage Soba ($18.50; add $2 for aijitama)
Although it’s on the expensive side for an eatery, I wholeheartedly recommend Tokyo Soba if you’re looking for a meal that’s wholesome and authentic. It’s an excellent primer if you also want to try lesser-known soba flavours in Singapore, such as tororo (glazed white yam) and natto!
Address: 12 Gopeng Street, Icon Village, 01-12/13/14, Singapore 078877
Google Maps
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar EW15
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm daily
Contact: +65 6410 9353
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