The great thing about soba noodles is that they can be served cold or hot. Whether you want a warm broth or something more refreshing, soba is the perfect dish that can please everyone. When I was searching for a place to eat with my mom on our New York outing on one of the coldest January days, I found Cocoron, a small but popular soba place in SoHo.
The store can be hard to find because there is no sign to be found outside. When you walk in (hopefully into the right place), you see a small but cozy restaurant with wooden tables and Japanese chefs behind the counter, making fresh buckwheat noodles.
Their menu is very diverse, with three types of soba: cold, warm, and dip. For each type, there are more than five flavors, starting from the traditional Kake Soba or Tanuki Soba to Pork Kimchee Soba and Mera Mera Soba, their most popular dish. You can also choose a large size: more soba noodles for just one dollar. The menu also includes other traditional Japanese appetizers and dishes, such as Karaage and a variety of curry. My mom and I ordered the Warm Mera Mera Soba and Tanuki Soba, both large sizes, of course.
When the noodles came out, my mom and I began slurping right away. As soon as I chewed into the soba, I could feel the difference in the special homemade quality. The noodles were fresh and chewy, and the flavorful broth complemented them perfectly. The Tanuki Soba was the common soba taste that we had had often, but the Mera Mera Soba was very unique. It is a spicy sesame based soup with minced chicken, bean sprout, bok choy, scallion, sesame, and sesame chili oil. It was perfect for our Korean tastes, and resembled a spicy Korean broth. We finished both bowls to the very last drop.
The soups warmed us up and gave us energy to finish our New York trip. I hope to visit again and try the other flavors, but the Mera Mera is a must.