For my Pop's birthday dinner, he was in the mood for soba. It's not common to find soba in the area, but I had heard positive things about Soba Ichi, so suggested we go there. Soba Ichi is a casual spot located in an industrial area and in a very unassuming location. The shop is a bit hidden, so you have to walk down the entranceway between the gates. Once there, the layout and decor will transport you. There are a well-sized amount of tables outside plus heating lamps. Inside offers booths and dining benches. We sat inside, where noise transfers easily. I found the service to be fine. To order, you wait in line and order outside at the counter. A couple menus are displayed around--beware the line can get long. After ordering and paying, you select if you're dine-in or take-out and receive a number. Food and water will be brought to you and workers will check on you throughout the meal. Soba is something I grew up eating as a kid and don't romanticized. So I was looking forward to trying their specialties. Our family shared the Homemade Tofu, Tamagoyaki, Agedashi Tofu, and Ume Miso Kyuuri. Everything was light in taste and flavor--good but not outstanding. For dinner, we all ordered the Ebi Ten Seiro. A nice portion of chewy cold noodles and a salty and umami broth. I'm partial to cold soba, and I loved adding some daikon and wasabi in it. The tempura that came with it had a nice and light fry. I recommend this soba dish! If you're unfamiliar or craving soba, Soba Ichi is a pleasant spot to go to. As a Japanese gal who grew up eating this, I thought it was good albiet pricey for what you get. The restaurant is located off Magnolia St. where there's plenty of street parking around. read more

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[IN A NUTSHELL] nice vibes, good duck, soft soba [VERDICT] - APPROVED [RUN-DOWN] A great vibe area for this place. Not only was the food good, the vibes was really nice. It was great sitting outdoors when we are so used to eating inside and I appreciated that. The menu is super simple which I like and they have a lot of alcoholic options. [SCORE & ORDER] OVERALL: 3.87/5 Kamo Yaki $18 (4/5) -Smoked duck breast w/ roasted apple sauce & yuzu kosho, duck meatball w/ egg yolk -This was such a great dish and the sauce on top was a great topping. I didn't t know it was apple sauce till I read the menu again but it added a very interesting flavor. The meatball was also super interesting because it came with an egg yolk and some sauce and it was really delicious. The yuzu was also a good acidic flavor to be used for the duck and I like how it complimented the duck. I would recommend getting this as an appetizer. Ebi Ten Seiro $24 (3.75/5) -Cold soba w/ dipping sauce and garnish with 2 shrimp & shishito tempura -The soba noodle was super good and I don't think you can mess up soba but it was chewy but also soft at the same time. They also give you some green salt (maybe matcha salt?) with the shrimp tempura and shishito pepper. The shrimp and pepper were crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. I wish it was fried a little longer, but overall still good. It was also interesting because they give you some soup at the end to mix with your soba sauce that was a super good way to end the meal. I would recommend getting this dish. [SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE] (not reflected upon review score): Service was really good. You order your food first and then choose your own table. The outside atmosphere was really cool and felt like I was in Japan and somewhat homey. [TIME STAMP] MAY 2025 read more

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I can definitely see why this place is so poppin! I came here on a Monday night around 7 and there were actually a fair amount of people in the restaurant eating already. Almost all the tables were full and there were only more people coming in! I absolutely love soba, to the point where I had it on 4 separate occasions in Japan when I was out there recently. I just got the Seiro, which was the cold soba with their dipping sauce and garnish. No meat, tempura, or anything. I just wanted to taste the soba as is for what it is and it blew me away! It's on par with the spots I had in Japan and it might even be better than a few spots I had out there! The noodles were nice and chewy and the sauce clung onto the noodles super well. Every bite and slurp was like a bite into complete serenity, but for your taste buds. After you finish all your noodles, they give you broth to pour into the sauce so that you can drink the rest. Super comforting and oh so satisfying! read more

Beautiful seeing for delicious authentic Japanese soba. Don't miss their appetizers and dessert too! read more

Soba Ichi - Vanilla pudding with caramel & "soba puffs" - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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Incredible food!! Definitely recommend. The Kamo Yaki and Ebo Ten Soba were favorites! Sitting outside was so lovely. Dress warmly so you can enjoy the patio. Great service. Parking was a bit tricky, we found street parking about 2 blocks away. read more

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This place is worth tiptoeing through the worst potholes in Oakland, which you will surely encounter en route. After traversing the lunar surface of warehouse-land, you get to a very cute Japanese-inspired location that gently buzzes with vibrant conversation. Great for parties of 1 to 4 in size. The order taker is very Japanese, which is to say efficient and unemotional. If you want California warm fuzzies, get to the point and sit down. The menu of food is short but compelling. I had the agedashi tofu and tamagoyaki to start, and both were worthy of respect. The star of the show was the veggie soba, with toothsome noodles in a tasty broth, tender veggies, and a citrusy togarashi on the side if you want more heat and flavour. I'll definitely return. If you can't handle wheat in your diet, this is a good place to come to! (Can't promise it's okay for celiacs, though...) read more

Soba Ichi - Veggie soba, Koshihikari Echigo beer - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

Went here on a Friday night for dinner and did not have to wait for an indoor table/seating (even though it was a bit packed). You order & pay first at the window, they'll give you a number and table, then you sit and they'll bring the food to you. Also, they prefer to take 1 credit card for payment. They also have outdoor tables with fire lamps too. We ordered the Agedashi Tofu & Kamo Nanban Sabo hot soup with Duck Breast. The tofu was super good and the sauce was really tasty - it also has mushroom, (and there's only two piece of it, I wish they had more)! The kamo nanban noodle had a good texture and the duck breast was thick and tender! The service was okay and I think it's a tiny bit pricey! There's only 1 restroom gender neutral stall and only street parking if you were curious. read more

Soba Ichi - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is my second time back at soba ichi and my friend and I love their appetizers. The menu changes seasonally so check out their instagram. We ordered the agedashi tofu, persimmon salad, shrimp tempura with soba, duck miso, oyster confit, and tamagoyaki. The tamagoyaki was soft and refreshing with the radish. The shrimp tempura was perfectly fried. The duck miso and cucumbers kind of threw us off since we weren't exactly sure how to eat them but it was very salty and pungent. The favorites were definitely the oyster confit and persimmon salad. The persimmons gave the nutty salad a sweet taste with the fresh ingredients. The oyster confit was perfectly salty and umami with the toasted bread. My only complaint is I wish the portion sizes were higher for the prices. I loved the low light ambiance and would definitely come back to try their new seasonal items. read more

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Obviously the aesthetic of this restaurant is gorgeous, considering the location of the place. I enjoyed dining in and having an intimate space with my loved one. The soba was alright! My boyfriend loved the smokey duck broth but other than that, everything else was alright. My soba with tempura and dipping sauce was ok. I've had better ones. They fry the shrimp very nicely I must say. Our fig and melon salad was very fresh but it was very simple and nothing too crave for. Service was alright?? I know this is a reach... but we were the only asian customers at the time so although this is an asian establishment, we did not feel too welcome. We both caught on that the servers were very.. " starey eyed. " If that makes sense. read more

Soba Ichi - soba with tempura , soba with duck - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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Such a popular spot that my friend recommended us to check out after a day in Oakland. We waited for about 30min on a Saturday late afternoon until we were able to get our order in. Service was friendly and fast. We sat in their outdoor area which was very nice. Salad was light and refreshing. Our soba dishes were comforting and tasty. The tamago dish was good. The ice cream was just okay for me. Overall a nice spot to check out. read more

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So good! The soba broth was so flavorful & delicate. Noodles were a great texture. The dessert was really unique & mellow and not too heavy which was very pleasant. The seasonal sashimi was just tuna and hamachi which tasted good but I was expecting maybe a different kind of fish but the presentation was beautiful read more

A solid soba spot. Got here at 6 pm on a weeknight- the wait was not bad at all. Service is friendly and accommodating. and the interior feels cozy. I like the tables and how they are partitioned. Ordered the hot soba with fish balls ($25). Tasty and comforting on a cold night. Portions were on the smaller side for the price. read more

Soba Ichi - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

The noodles are perfection! Also loved the homemade tofu! The atmosphere is great, kid friendly

worth the wait! Food was delicious and staffs were all very friendly! will definitely revisit! read more

Soba Ichi - crab croquettes, duck breast, sashimi platter - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

First time Soba noodle eater here. It was good. I like the outside area a lot. It was raining and in the 50s so we are indoors. Serio was a cold noodle dish with the dipping sauce. Noodles had good texture and I liked the plain flavor. The omelette was awesome. Really good flavor on it. My only real knock is, it's not a lot of food. I don't need massive portions. But 3 of the 4 people at the table were wondering "where are we eating after this?" once we finished. Super solid. Would love to come back in the spring and summer and see enjoy the patio and the cold noodle again: read more

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the duck soba is so good, tried the oyster one as well and a few starters, also, had dessert --the homemade mochi was delicious!! restaurant has outdoor and indoor seating areas on a first come first serve basis. order first, then sit. everyone was friendly and the decor was minimal -- japandi; very cute. read more

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They have a system and they have it down well! Get your order ready in line since it's order before you sit. The soup is perfect for folks who want noodle soup that is on the lighter notes over a bowl of ramen. We enjoyed our meal on Valentine's Day and now we want to come back for the cold soba in the summer. The mochi dessert was delightful and I'm still dreaming about the duck meatballs. A very nice vibe - very chill and traditional feel indoors and a beautiful atmosphere outdoors. Memorable meal worth coming back for another time! read more

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This is a very interesting well hidden restaurant in Berkeley. I was having a big craving for Japanese soba noodles so my daughter found this incredible restaurant. The operation is a little bit more unusual than I'm used to. Also, the place is located sort of an industrial area not too far away from the freeway and there is street parking and it may be a little difficult to see their small sign but when you get there it's fine. You walk up through a nice large patio area, which has plenty of heaters if you wanna eat outside to a menu and then you select what you want off the menu you ordered at the window and they give you a number and you select your own table and sit down and wait for the food to be delivered. Everyone that worked there was very very nice and the look of the food on the other tables gave me hope that it was going to be wonderful when it arrived for me and my family. We were very lucky as it was exactly as I just said the food was delicious. We were missing sober and had not had it in a long time and it was nice to find a place that they also make their own tofu and it was so delicate and wonderful. Everyone that worked there had a nice light attitude and made it very friendly atmosphere to dine in. We were a group of four and that's about a maximum table seating for inside. The place is set up to be very functional you go in and you're eating food that could be messy. If you don't know what you're doing and the tables and chairs are sturdy. It's not over accessorized with cheap paintings or photos around it just is like country food in Japan with humble surroundings. We got a couple appetizers to share, and we also ordered each of us the soba ebi or buckwheat noodles with tempura shrimp the big ones. It was delicate and not really greasy, which was very nice. All the flavors were wonderful, and not buried under oil. It was very easy to share the meal at the table as is often done in Japan. The final touch, which was something that I was looking forward to is when they bring the water that they boil the soba noodles in back to your table in a teapot, and they pour it over your dipping sauce, and you drink it as an after dinner treat. What a wonderful way to finish it. I definitely recommend this place. It was a fun experience and I'd like to come with the weathers wonderful and I can sit outside really get the full benefit of all the wonderful things that they're preparing. Everyone in my family was very happy with the way that the mail turned out. read more

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I don't understand why Soba Ichi is popular. On my recent visit with some friends, we all thought it was overpriced, small portions, long waits, and average quality. Tofu appetizer ($10) was nothing more than a a block of cold tofu with soy sauce and green onions. Avoid. Two chicken wings for $16. Enough said. Kake Soba - $16 for soup and noodles, zero toppings, tiny bowl, and 45min wait. How can a soba place have a wait this long for noodles? Duck soba - meat was extremely chewy, tiny, and had no flavor. Overall, this place has the elements that a fine dining restaurant would have--the price, small plates, and presentation. But it is actually not a good value for your money. I am really disappointed by my experience and will not recommend coming back. read more

Love the vibe of this place. It is a cool hybrid of traditional Japanese and West Oakland, in all the best ways. Order at the counter, and pick your table. Not a huge fan of tipping up front, but their service lives up to it. We split the tamagoyaki, which was night mind blowing but a nice tasty starter. We followed that with the tempura soba and duck soba, with we're both super tasty and refreshing. The broths were both rich and light at the same time, and subtly different. Thankful to have this place less than 10 min from home, because we'll definitely be back before long. read more

Soba Ichi - Tamagoyaki - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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One of the best sobas I've had in the bay! Ambiance is cozy and vibey. Service is quick, though I don't like that there is almost always a line out the door. The kamo nanban (duck) soba is consistently good, and so is their soba ice cream dessert! We ordered a few appetizers as well that were SO good! Their steak tataki salad was 10/10. Perfectly rare steak slices on a bed of mustard greens, yuzu dressing, with garlic chips & pistachio garnish--yumm! Would def get their kamo yaki again. Dipping the duck meatball with egg yolk is soo delish. Not sure if I would get their simmered herring again but I certainly would get their classic kamo nanban soba & ebi ten soba again!! Soba is made in house and their broth is fermented for 2-3 weeks in barrels so you have this deep complex flavor that's unmatched. Love soba ichi! :) read more

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pros: -everything we ordered was delicious -pro tip: get there early because there was already a long line before 5 pm -lots of seating inside and outside -friendly service -clean establishment cons: -nons read more

Soba Ichi - chicken wings - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is the first time I have ever had Soba Noodles (Not including Yakisoba) and I have never felt healthy after eating noodles. The best way I could explain Soba noodles is that it tastes/feels grainy when taking a bite. The Tori Soba was great (seasonal item) - Large mushroom with chicken. The wife and friends got the Kamo Soba - Duck. Both were wonderful and perfect for the cold night of the Bay Area. For dessert, we had the Soba Cha Gelato. The taste is quite similar to black sesame ice cream in my opinion. Nicely decorated inside and out. Parking could be very tough, lines can get long, and if you have a party of 5+, you may have to wait quite a bit as each table usually only seats about 4, maybe 5. read more

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If you plan on going here, make sure you get here around least 15 minutes before opening as it gets crowded. They offer a variety of different hot and cold soba noodles, as well as appetizers. All the food was really good and I would love to come back! read more

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Love the simple menu here, great vibes, and excellent food. Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. Walk-ins only. Took about 40min to be seated, though the bar was open so we happily started with couple of beers. Your initial selection is placed at the end of the queue, just before being shown to your table. You can of course add more food at your table. The artisan soba noodles were exceptional, boasting a perfectly balanced texture, neither overly soft nor overly firm. Surprisingly, the duck meat and dashi tofu were both outstanding as well, deserving a 10/10. read more

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Food was solid and great soba! After you order, they assign a table and within 10 minutes you are eating. Ambiance is neat in an old school/industrial building and we went during the rain and it would be nice to be outside but inside was ok. Food was nice, service is good, but going to the restaurant at dark the neighbors is interesting. Safe but interesting. Would go back during spring or summer read more

The place is really cute! Lots of seating available. I personally enjoyed the cold noodles more than the hot ones. After placing your order, the food comes out quickly. We got there around 7:30ish, waited in line and by 9pm we had all our food. They're very good soba noodles but I don't know that I would wait again. read more

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First of all, this is an expansive place. You are also paying for the experience. The restaurant has a good spot. The outdoor patio is absolutely romantic and pretty. The ordering process is kinda interesting. It's a way to solve the staff shortage. You line up and order everything, then you go in and find a place to sit. The place is very different than outside. It does transfer you to a different place. All dishes are great. The duck break soba and the fried oyster are very tasty, not as much the dessert thought. Mochi is way too sticky to hold the icing together, and to my opinion, they don't blend very well. I might not want to come back due to its price, but I would recommend to try it for experience. read more

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The noodles are delicious, the sauce is nice and light. The atmosphere is nice. We ordered the potato croquettes and they were good, the cheese cake was also good. I wish the noodle portion was bit more but that's about it, very good place. read more

ample seating and cute, lowkey vibes in west oakland. fresh soba was exceptional. appetizers: fried tofu, dungeness crab croquettes, cucumber w/ miso paste- all fresh and tasty. service was friendly and quick. a must-try. read more

Had the hot soba twice. Very reasonable portion, awesome noodles, duck broth is clean and not rich. The massive green onions are a difference maker. Everything balances out nicely. I've had the croquette and filet of fish with teriyaki sauce and both are awesome Good for date nights. I need to try the cold soba next time For those that are loyal dessert, you'll have an appetite for it afterward read more

A hidden gem that's tucked away on the sidewalk! You start by lining up to place your order, then decide between sitting indoors or enjoying the fresh air outside. One of the things I really love about this place is their seasonal menu--it always gives me a chance to try something new! For lunch, I went with the Ebi Ten Soba (hot soup), and my boyfriend opted for the Ebi Ten Seiro (cold dip). Both dishes were fantastic in their own ways. The hot soup was incredibly flavorful, with just the right amount of saltiness, light broth, and a hint of yuzu. The cold soba noodles were perfectly cooked, with a firm and chewy bite that reminded me of their handmade freshness! I also love their green tea salt to dip with tempura as it's something more unique than what you typically get at other restaurants. read more

Soba Ichi - Kamo yaki, sweet corn fritter, homemade tofu - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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We came because it is the sister spot to Ippuku in Berkeley. First time with my wife and kid and we got there early so parking was fine and we were second in line. Ordering felt rushed since the menu inside was different from the one online and it would help if they showed it while people wait. The duck was really good and the cold soba with chicken was great. Overall solid food but close to three hundred dollars and we noticed regulars skipping the line to head to the bar which was confusing. Glad we tried it but not sure it is a go to at that price. read more

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This is tucked away in a very non assuming location across from a cute apartment complex! My partner and I got there a little before 5pm and thought the entrance was on the other side since there's a gate The food was super yummy but a little pricey. * (5/5): nectarine & duck salad Super refreshing, sweet nectarines, and the perfect flavor combination! Would definitely order again. * (4/5): cold soba with shrimp and shishito pepper tempura noodles were chewy and super different from past soba I've had! Broth was savory, refreshing, and tempura were crispy without feeling too greasy. * (3/5 for me but partner liked this a lot): seasonal key lime cold soba ‍ The broth changes flavor over time, with more bitterness from the rinds near the end! You order first and then sit down. Servers were attentive and friendly! I'd come back to try the hot soba and their corn tempura read more

Soba Ichi - Key lime soba - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

Felt bad about coming an hour before closing but people were still coming! Outdoor seating is perfect for the summer late sunsets. Service was really quick and friendly, we chatted about the local sake distillery that they source from. We ordered: - 2 types of sake- the sparkling canned one was light and very rice-fragrant. The orange sake was soo flavorful, pretty refreshing with hot soup. - corn fritters - yummy with the matcha salt, a wee bit greasy/heavy to have before the soba - duck breast soba - fire, wish there were more pieces but they were perfect bites - herring soba - fire , added a really good fishyness to the broth, sweet and salty fish balanced with the broth well 10/10 going to come again and again, but prolly earlier in the night so they can close up shop and get home read more

Soba Ichi - Kamo Nanban Soba (duck breast) Nishin Soba (herring) - Noodles Near Me - Oakland, California

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Super delicious! Tons of Japanese staff and an authentic ambiance and flavor profile to match. They care about all the details, presentation, quality, setting, etc. One of my favorite spots in the bay! read more

Love this place. Such a beautiful restaurant. The soba was so good. I had the cold soba with chicken which was perfect for a hot day. My wife got the hot soba with the tempura shrimp which softened the soba a bit but both were great. I had a glass of sake and the selection was nice read more

Came here for dinner with a group of 5 for dinner on a Saturday - the wait to order wasn't that long, but the wait for food must have been almost an hour. So taking off a star because of that because an hour is just too long for soba :') Otherwise the food itself was really good - soba was chewy and cooked just the right amount. Definitely order the corn fritters! So good. Anyways, not sure if I'd come back again just cause the wait is soooo long but would try at least once read more

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SUCH good food, a hidden gem in Oakland. The space itself is huge and largely outdoors on these beautiful wooden benches (plenty of heat lamps in case of the cold), but we were seated inside which was even more charming with its string lights and generously sized booths. It felt like we were in our own little bubble! You order & pay first at a kiosk and then seat yourself, but the service was still exceptional even after we had already paid. I'm not used to paying first for a meal like this, so I was surprised at how friendly and patient all the staff were. We each got a different soba dish -- all of them were great! These soba are made in-house and have such a beautiful flavor to them, and I appreciated how the simplicity of the dishes allowed the noodles to shine. The broth was also so lovely and warming and umami. YUM!! The appetizers were such a star too, so full of intrigue and high-quality ingredients. Beef tataki salad - 4.5/5. I really liked this one in spite of not usually having beef! it was dressed and cooked very well. Agedashi tofu - 4.5/5. A favorite among the table, but I found the breading to be slightly gummy. The tofu itself was great! Nishin Kanroni - 4.5/5. I got the Nishin Soba and found it to be basically the same thing, but nonetheless very delicious. Nishin Soba - 4.5/5. I wish there was some sort of vegetable that could have gone with this, since otherwise it was just the fish with soba and broth. Absolutely coming again. Loved how clean everything was (and I mean the food, but also the space too) and how intimate it felt. I definitely want to come back in warmer weather to try their cold soba too. read more

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The quality is very good, but the quantity could be increased slightly to make it even better overall.