While Japanese ramen and udon noodles are well known, soba remains a favorite to those who are familiar with Japanese food. Ramen and udon are made with wheat noodles. Conversely, soba noodles are made from buckwheat. I recently visited Kaz the Soba Place, a restaurant that specializes in soba.
Kaz the Soba Place is just a couple of doors north of Tsujita in Sawtelle’s Japantown. They recently opened for indoor dining. While I wanted to enjoy an indoor experience, I was there to pick up to-go food for others.
The interior is modern and nicely decorated. While it looks like a fast-casual setup, a server provides full table service. I glanced at the walls to see what I could learn from this restaurant. Posted in a somewhat obscure place on the wall was a list of their tempura. Pairing tempura with soba is popular in Japanese restaurants.
The Shanghai ($16.75) is a fusion of Japanese and Chinese cuisine. The Tan Tan soup is a dipping soup much like tsukemen. Soba is grabbed and dipped into the sauce and enjoyed. The Tan Tan a blend of sweet sesame paste and chili oil and served hot.
If you like plain soba noodles, the Tokyo ($13.75) is for you. Their freshly made soba is topped with shredded nori seaweed and green onions. It is served with chilled Konbudashi soup and wasabi which gives the noodles moisture and provides an umami flavor boost. It is the perfect summer dish.
Kaz extends their fusion into Italy with the Genova ($16.75). They pair their soba noodles with Italian soup stock and add bacon, lettuce, and tomato making it a colorful Italian BLT on Soba. Fresh basil nicely adds to both the aroma and flavor of this dish.
If your taste veers towards a beef bowl, they have a few to choose from. The Osaka Bowl ($13.75) is topped with sukiyaki beef and soboro. The sukiyaki beef is marinated and thinly sliced. Conversely, the soboro is seasoned ground beef. It includes a soft poached egg to crack over this dish to enjoy.
Kaz the Soba Place, 2047 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025; 424.293.8111; kazsoba.com