Eat in Oakland: Soba Ichi

Tamagoyaki: Japanese-style savory omelet

Left: Tsukemono - assorted veggie pickles

Right: Soba-ko Kaarage with Garlic Mayo - chicken thigh fried with buckwheat flour




Tempura Soba: soba noodles in hot soup with assorted tempura

I tried Soba Ichi, a Japanese restaurant specializing in soba noodles on Magnolia off West Grand in West Oakland, for the first time in mid-February with my dining companion and a friend, both of whom had been waiting to visit for a while. Formerly occupied by FuseBOX, a Korean "soju bang" pub-style restaurant, Soba Ichi serves buckwheat noodles either hot or cold as well as many popular side dishes. 

We tried a few dishes on our visit. We started with a few appetizers: Tamagoyaki (a Japanese-style savory omelet), Tsukemono (pickled vegetables), and Soba-ko Kaarage fried chicken. We then had the Tempura Soba as our main course: soba noodles in hot soup with assorted tempura. Although I don't remember the specifics, I remember being impressed by the quality of the food, which they clearly put a lot of care into creating. We tried a nice selection of starters to begin with — from the savory omelete to the tangy pickled veggies. Although I prefer Aburaya's fried chicken, Soba Ichi's made with a nice dry rub was still worth trying. The tempura was battered like we like and it was nice to dip the soba noodles in the hot soup.

Soba Ichi is well-reviewed by my friends and food writers I follow alike; as seen with the long line to order, it's clearly popular. I'm not sure I'll return as it's a bit out of my way and I'm not the biggest fan of soba. It was nice to try a more specialized Japanese restaurant and I appreciate the experience we shared in this intimate setting.

Soba Ichi

Website | Instagram | Yelp

2311 Magnolia St., Ste. A, Oakland, CA 94607

Open: Wednesday - Sunday 5pm - 9pm

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