Tag Archives: bukkake

Miyabi 45th: Where Soma Makes Soba and So Much More

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An amuse bouche of butternut squash and shrimp soup with brilliant flavor

Spicy miso dip with market fresh vegetables

Smoked salmon and potato with ikura, mayo, nori, and house-cured salmon gravlax

Part of the cheese plate: miso-marinated brie, fermented tofu, and candied spaghetti squash

Agedashi soba tofu (buckwheat tofu and eggplant in bonito broth)

Saba battera (house-cured Washington mackerel, shiso, sushi rice, sesame, and ginger)

A sample of "pork belly and egg"

A sampler of oyster isobe age (tempura-style deep-fried oyster with nori)

Truffle Kinako: cold soba with hot dipping soup of mushrooms and black truffle oil

Natto: bukkake-style soba with fermented soybeans, sprouts, bonito flakes, negi, nori, egg yolk, and sesame seeds

Ginger crème brûlée with ginger ice cream

A look inside Miyabi 45th

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It’s been fun watching the evolution of Mutsuko Soma since the closing of Chez Shea left the chef shopping for new options. She had a (buckwheat) seed of an idea to start serving handmade soba, and saw success in a variety of pop-ups, including the ones I attended at Sushi Kappo Tamura and Miyabi Restaurant in Tukwila.

But her vision extended beyond soba, and in striking up a partnership with Miyabi, she’s bringing a piece of Southcenter north to Wallingford in opening Miyabi 45th. (There’s more information at the restaurant’s Facebook page.) I wrote previously how 45th Street in Wallingford is becoming a bit of a Nihonmachi, but Miyabi 45th brings Japanese food unlike any found in that neighborhood—or in the whole Seattle area. Soma’s menu has Japanese dishes with European influences; it’s fusion that’s accessible without the pretentiousness of a place like Nishino.

Making her soba noodles from scratch, Soma carves out a new noodle niche in Seattle that’s actually rare to find in any U.S. city. Seattle has its share of ramen joints (though only Samurai makes its own noodles) and a fairly new udon restaurant (U:Don), but now we have a chance to try what some say is the most sophisticated of fresh Japanese noodles. I believe soba is best eaten cold, and Miyabi 45th serves seven this way, with dipping sauces that range from the basic bonito broth with negi and wasabi ($9) to fancier ones like kamoseiro ($17)—the signature soup (hot) with duck and leek.

There are two bukkake-style soba bowls: one with natto ($12) and another called “California” ($15) with shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, grated daikon, and nori. And then there are seven hot noodles in hot broth, ranging from plain to offerings with oysters, pork belly, and duck breast.

The soba’s super, but you’ll want to sample other parts of the menu, including the snacks, salads, and hot and cold plates which let Soma show off her European flair. Look for dishes like beef tartare with spicy miso (I’ll be working on making this addictive gochujang-infused miso at home), foie saikyo-zuke (marinated fish with Brussels sprouts, sunchokes, and soy balsamic gastrique), and perhaps the most intriguing item on the menu: the cheese plate. It sounds simple, but in addition to a smart collection of quality cheeses, this plate might include intriguing bites like miso-marinated brie, fermented tofu, and candied spaghetti squash—guaranteed to have you reaching for a beer, sake, or an interesting cocktail.

Of course, there are some traditional Japanese dishes, still done with a twist. Saba battera is delicious (three cheers for using Washington mackerel!), matsutake chawanmushi will likely use local mushrooms, and agedashi soba tofu brings Soma’s love for buckwheat back into the mix in a delicate way.

Miyabi 45th is scheduled to officially open this week. My recommendation: Order omakase-style, proposing an amount to spend on chef-picked items and a plate or bowl of soba noodles.

Noodling Around: Soba by Soma Pop-Ups Continue

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This Amuse Bouche of tomato with cheese was the start to the lunch.

I especially liked the roasted eggplant and the shishitos in this Summer Vegetable Appetizer course.

Here’s the Edo soba with shrimp tempura, wakame, grated daikon, green onion, and bonito flakes. This soba seemed the most traditionally Japanese of the four offerings, with a good balance of flavors.

This Buta Goma soba featured shabu shabu pork, Walla Walla onions, cucumber, asparagus, and sesame vinaigrette. Again, a nice balance of flavors, and I especially enjoyed the runniness of the soft boiled egg I ordered as an add-on.

For dessert, the buckwheat tea-flavored panna cotta was a pleasant surprise. A little thicker in texture than I like, but nice flavor.

Here's a look at the menu.

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Several months ago, I reported about former Chez Shea chef Mutsuko Soma and her desire to bring a soba restaurant to Seattle. She did a pop-up at Sushi Kappo Tamura, serving zaru-soba as part of a multi-course lunch to showcase her handmade buckwheat noodles.

Soma’s pop-ups continue, with the latest at Miyabi Sushi in Tukwila. This time, the menu featured bukkake soba. The minds of non-Japanese may immediately run to porn upon hearing the word, but Japanese people know that bukkake stems from the verb bukkakeru (sprinkling water) and means “to dash or splash or sprinkle.”

In culinary terms, my understanding has been that bukkake means “pouring” (of liquid), as in pouring broth over noodles for bukkake soba. But Soma had a different explanation. She said that bukkake means “tossing in” or “splashing on,” with her bukkake soba options all featuring a variety of tossed in ingredients.

Whatever the exact meaning, the bukkake soba event was fun for Soma and her subjects. While I still prefer zaru-soba as the best way to experience the noodles (and Soma’s soba is high quality), the bukkake menu offered a nice variety of enticing noodle options. I was tempted by the Neba Neba noodles (with slimy okra and grated Japanese mountain potatoes), but instead chose two that you can see in the slideshow above.

If you want to get in on the soba action, Soma’s next event will be August 27 at I Love Sushi’s Lake Bellevue location. Cost for the five-course meal will be $38 and will include a unique demonstration of making soba. Back on this side of Lake Washington, she’ll be popping up at Skelly and the Bean in October, with hope of another event sometime in September. You can keep posted on all future meals (reservations requested) at the Kamonegi Facebook page.