soba totto

Hello darlings, I'm back from London! I had a fabulous time at the wedding but it is goooood to be back in New York. Happy to be back where people don't drive on the "funny side" (and therefore where I don't put my life at risk everytime I cross the road!). I have some London posts in store for you but my USB key isn't cooperating at the moment so they will have to wait until tonight.

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a Midtown spot where I went for a ladies lunch last week with Ludette and Vanessa. Those who work in the area know that choices are a bit more limited here compared to downtown so I like blogging about good places when I find them. I've eaten at Soba Totto before with Sonu but have better pictures this time so I thought I'd rehash.

I personally love soba noodles, but unfortunately I dragged two people who are not big fans of it. Ooops. But the lunch specials are so huge that you will definitely get your fill even without touching the soba. Check out my meal:

The shrimp tempura soba set is a little pricey at $18 but well worth it for the amount of food you get. Aside from the large tray you see above, there was also a side salad, so it's a lot of food. They serve a proper tempura where you get plump shrimp with each bite. The freshly made soba noodles were nicely al dente. The perfectly chewy noodles and the warm broth were so comforting.

Vanessa ordered her usual grilled salmon ($16):

Ludette seemed happy about her Chicken Kuwayaki set ($16). We had a funny episode because she wanted to bring home the soba noodles to her son. Our Japanese waiter was utterly conflicted between wanting to be a good waiter and not wishing the soba to be consumed when it wasn't at its best. Generally, Soba Totto doesn't allow its soba to be taken home because it won't taste as good when it's not freshly made. In the end, he let her take home the cold soba in a doggie bag, but warned that this would not be allowed next time.

Soba Totto is certainly not one of the cheaper Midtown spots, but it's great value for money and the ambience is quite nice. It's probably not good for everyday, but it's a nice place to go to for more special occasions. Just make sure the people you're eating with are not averse to soba!

Soba Totto is located at 211 E 43rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Tel.(212) 557-8200