Honmura An Japanese Restaurant

The search for great sushi has been well documented. But the quest for the best noodles in New York begins and ends with SoHo’s serene Honmura An, where soba-the earthy buckwheat noodle of Tokyo and northern Japan-is brought to its highest expression(especially the chilled version served with banana-size tempura prawns). The ambiance is Business, Elegant, Modern, Romantic. The attire is “casual Elegance”. Remove from the bustle of the street, on the second story of a SoHo building, connoisseurs of traditional Japanese noodles enjoy outstanding soba; in fact, just as in Japan, the chefs train for years to learn to prepare them correctly. As you ascend the staircase into this serene, teak-lined space, you will find no sushi bar, no teppanyaki grill: only the noodle, soba. It is made in full view by a master who works in a glass-en-closed cube at the back of the dining room. Like the best restaurants in Tokyo, where the original Honmura An still operates, this one focuses on doing one thing well. The true test of quality is the cold soba, served on square trays with a dipping sauce and a ladle full of cooking water you are expected to slurp as you eat. But everything on the menu is exquisite, from the tiny dumplings and stuffed tofu appetizers to the steaming bowls of soba, udon, and other fresh noodles served in broth. Service is efficient and reserved. The crowd includes chairmen of top Japanese corporations and trendy young Japanese expatriates blissfully slurping(it’s de rigueur) their noodles. This may be the only place in New York where the soba(buckwheat) and udon(whit wheat) noodles are made daily. The regulars try them cold at the beginning of the meal or, as an entrée, hot in bowl of rich benito-based broth topped with tiny mushrooms or a plethora of other toppings. They also enjoy the tori dango(chicken meatballs), the beef tataki(Japanese carpaccio) and the giant prawn tempura. Here are some variations of the soba dish served at Honmura An: COLD SOBA Seiro-Plain buckwheat noodles with dipping sauce, served over a lacquerware tray Kamo Seiro--Seiro Soba with a hot, duck based, dipping sauce Ten Seiro--Seiro Soba with giant prawn Tempura HOTSOBA(served in a bowl) Sansai—Topped with wild greens and Kombu seaweed Kamona—Topped with sliced duck and scallions in a duck based soup Tempura Soba—With two giant prawn Tempura Nabeyaki Udon—Sizzling hot udon in a clay dish with prawn tempura and topped with chicken, fish cake and vegetables Quick Facts: Hanmura An Soba Shop 170 Mercer St., Between Houston and prince Sts., New York, NY 10012 212/334-5253