At the stand-alone communal table of this monastic space (white tones from floor to ceiling), fashionistas slurp up their smoking hot bowls of soup in unison. The reason for this meditative moment? Japanese buckwheat noodles, also known as soba, worked to perfection by Keiko Matsui, who hails from Fukui (a former province of Echizen). Plated on brutalist ceramics, choose from either smoking hot or chilled noodles, customized with a wide variety of toppings: grated white radish, fried breadcrumbs, breaded pork, wild vegetables… The other day for lunch, we had delicious fried eggplant seasoned with ginger, perfect cold soba noodles with lime in broth; before tender green tea or black sesame mochi – unless you’d prefer a delicate Japanese buckwheat flan. // C.C.
FEELING THIRSTY? Hot or cold green tea from Mikuniya Zengoro (€4 a cup), Kirin on tap (€5 for 250 ml) or junmai sakes from Fukui (€11-15 a glass).
PRICE: Set menu €16 (lunch and dinner), soba €11-20, plates €3-19.
