Soba Rojina

The first thing you see at Soba Rojina is its long corridor; the first thing you hear is the sound of buckwheat being manually grounded in the workshop. Recessed from the street and sharing walls with neighboring buildings, the narrow shop feels more like a kissaten (traditional Japanese coffee shop) than a soba joint. There are only a few seats, and the owner takes his time preparing your orders over the dark wood counter — this is the kind of place where food is meant to be enjoyed slowly. The wait is worth it, though. Soba Rojina’s soba is so good that it has received a nod from the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand. The owner-chef grinds the buckwheat from Ono in Fukui Prefecture using a stone mortar he made himself, so the noodles are so fresh that the aroma of buckwheat is still strong. Locals love to order the mori soba — cold soba piled with dipping broth — and tempura assortments. During the summer, the soba topped with grated radish and refreshingly sour plum (umeoroshi soba) becomes popular. At dinnertime, the arabiki soba — coarsely ground buckwheat noodles — is featured. Side dishes are brilliant and reflect Kyoto’s culinary roots, like the chilled tofu with yuba. The sake list is only as long as it needs to be in a restaurant that focuses so completely on doing one dish exceptionally well: concise, but effective — just like its soba.