Sarashina Horii

Now that Sarashina Horii has joined NYC’s Japanese noodle scene, this city has become even more of a national soba destination. This high-end soba restaurant is a Tokyo transplant, and was even featured on Anthony Boudain’s No Reservations. The handmade noodles here are served either chilled or in a hot noodle soup, and you should order both. The cold “mori” soba made with a mix of buckwheat and wheat flour has a smooth, chewy texture and lightly salted dipping sauce. But the massive bowl of hot sarashina soba in bonito broth topped with several thick pieces of roasted duck is a must-order. Every single noodle in this dish is exactly the same size and cooked to the perfect degree of firmness, while each slice of tender duck is just crispy and salty enough to let the soba shine. If you need to impress someone over dinner, Sarashina Horii will get the job done.