KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Move over Korean barbecue, it’s time to slurp up hand crafted soba noodles given a truly Korean touch that will have you whispering, “Soba, so good.”
Soya Soba (IG:@wonju_soyasoba) started in Wonju city, Gangwon province, faithfully making noodles daily using ground buckwheat sourced from the same province, putting it on the map for food seekers.
Spreading its wings to Malaysia for their first overseas foray, the essence of their soba noodles is distilled here with a menu of seven soba choices and a maki using soba noodles. There’s also a vegetable tempura udon too.
The Korean Herald writes that buckwheat noodles go back as far as the 17th-century, as recorded in a cookbook as food shared after performing important rituals and even finding its way to the royal court since it was regarded as “healthy food” renowned for driving away body heat.
Who knows, perhaps even the fictional tyrant king in the buzzworthy K-drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty may have commanded his royal cook to make it at the peril of her life.
Noodles are served cold, hot, mixed and niftily rolled inside a seaweed roll.
Each order of noodles is always accompanied with pickled yellow radish and pickled celery, keeping the palate refreshed.
Chilled soba is the way to go — better to relish the smooth texture of the strands — with a cold slushed broth as the ideal heat chaser.
Pan Soba (RM29) or Memil Guksu, is a gentle introduction to the noodles, as it is similar to the Japanese dip-and-eat method, as the cold noodles sprinkled with seaweed is served with an ice cold soy based dipping sauce mixed with grated radish, sliced spring onions, a piece of fresh lemon and wasabi.
For a truly immersive taste that quickly cools down your body, the Cold Soba (RM32) or Makguksu is the way to go.
Similar to Naengymeon, another Korean cold dish that uses chewier noodles, this version has you slurping down the smooth noodles and drinking the icy cool broth mixed with grated radish, lemon, spring onions, wasabi and an addictive roasted seaweed cracker. Super refreshing!
Perilla Oil Soba (RM36) or Deulgireum Makguksu is a popular choice with the soba tossed in perilla oil and covered with perilla powder, finely chopped pickled yellow radish, spring onions and crumbled roasted seaweed crackers or Gim.
On the side, you will find the same chilled broth served with the Cold Soba so add a few spoonfuls of this to bring together the toppings with the noodles, making each strand a nuttier bite.
Bibim Soba (RM36) is for those seeking the heat with the spicy-sour gochujang-based sauce mixed with the soba and a garden of shredded lettuce, red cabbage, carrots and cucumbers.
Soba Shrimp Maki (RM36) is the recalcitrant child, bending the rules that soba should only be slurped up, as it replaces the rice in the seaweed roll that also includes crunchy pickled radish, carrots, purple cabbage, kamaboko and tempura prawn. Think of it as a one-bite wonder.
When it’s raining, a hot steamy bowl of soba will chase away the chill, whether it’s the highly sought after Chicken Soup (RM39) that is always sold out or the Mandu Soba (RM36) with two types of silky dumplings, one stuffed with kimchi and another with chicken, brimming with comfort.
Slowly savour the steaming hot mushroom broth with perilla powder — nourishing you with its savoury, earthy flavours — as you slurp down the soba.
Perhaps the bowl of broth was too steamy that pushed the handmade noodles to be slightly softer, breaking easily with each spoonful.
A popular bowl is their Hot Soba (RM32) with a skewer of Korean fish cake or Eomuk in the same mushroom broth topped with slices of Japanese kamaboko with its distinct pink and white layers made with surimi.
Side dishes like the crunchy Shrimp, Pumpkin or Mushroom Tempura are good bites. There’s also a juicy Chicken Karaage too.
Various set meals of your choice of soba can be combined with your pick for the side dishes.
Word has definitely gotten out about the soba as the place was packed for lunch with a mix of Korean expatriates and locals, while dinner time is quieter in comparison.
Spanning two lots, the restaurant offers ample space to slurp up your soba in comfort.
Soya Soba
Lot 1-1 & 1-2, Verve Shops
8, Jalan Mont Kiara 5,
Kuala Lumpur.
Open daily: 11am to 10pm
Tel: 010-9283696
Instagram: @soyasoba
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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