I decided to try soba in Japantown to compare it to the soba I had in Tokyo, and honestly it was sooo good. My soba was around $30 with tax, but it came with tempura on the side plus complimentary scallop rice. I thought it was definitely worth it and I would come back next time I'm in SF. We chose to sit outside since the weather was beautiful with a nice little breeze, and it made the whole experience even better! The service was great too. They were super attentive the entire time even though we were seated outside. Highly recommend! My new fav soba place :) read more

Sora Dining Soba - Ten soba (with tempura) + cold soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

The hype of the new resturant got to me. I've been wanting try this for a while. There was a line but staff got to us quickly. We were all greeted by the staff with "Irasshaimase". Staff were friendly and treated us well. Interior reminds me of the a place where locals in Japan go after work. Very inviting atmosphere. Soba dining sora is renowned for its freshly crafted soba noodles, made entirely from 100% buckwheat imported from Japan. I opted for the zaru soba and accompanied it with a side of age dashi tofu. The soba noodles were undeniably chewy, and they even provided instructions for beginners who were unfamiliar with soba. The dipping sauce, however, was slightly salty. On the positive side, the tempura was light and fluffy. While the price of the soba noodles was a bit steep, it was still worth it. To enhance the savory soup, they provided hot soba water to add to the dipping sauce at the end. read more

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While delicious I have a hard time justifying the price point in my mind for soba. Between the search for parking and the wait outside, although I had a good experience I'm not sure I would return in the near future unless a friend wanted to try it! I thought the soba was a good texture and not overcooked, but the dipping broth was a smidge saltier and didn't come with a lot for the price point. I like the tempura, but I've also had better. The things I did enjoy were the ambience and the service! The greeting was fun with the percussion sound and welcomes when you enter. I also like the temperature that the restaurant was kept at. They were also kind enough to split up the check at the end. A side note: I'm used to soba coming with a dipping sesame sauce to add more flavor but this location didn't have the option to add it on when I asked. It seems like the sesame sauce is part of its own set! read more

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Between events and stopped in with the family and extended family for a late afternoon meal. Chosen by one of the cousins and it was such a GOOD CHOICE! Ended up sharing the Goma Zaru and enjoyed grinding our sesame to dip with our sauce. Also got the Seared Aigamo and Kushi 3-piece set. The duck was so tasty and tender! And the tempura was great with a delicious matcha dipping salt. Also grabbed an ice cold Asahi which went well with the meal. It was super busy and we just beat the dinner line and sat outside. Service was quick and helped us get in and out as we had to get to our event. Loved being outdoors on a beautiful SF day. Felt like being back in Japan! Would come here again and again if we lived closer! read more

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Yum!!! So delicious! The soba noodles tasted so fresh and tasty! We got the order with tempura and the tempura was sooo good too! Highly recommend! Will be back. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just when I thought Sobakatsu was the only soba bar in all of J-Town, we have Sora Dining Soba that satisfies every hungry and adventurous customers. Like Sobakatsu, we get to see the same hot bowl of buckwheat soba noodle soup and the same slices of duck meat prepared in separate ways. The interior compared to Sobakatsu is spacey, airy, and relaxing, which means shorter lines to none, and no reservations necessary. The moment you let the staff know you're dining in SDS, the hostess sounds the drum and say "irasshaimase". With that aside, I be waiting to have all the food and drink at my table so I can declare "let's eat" before I start digging in. I start off with Yuzu Uji Matcha Sparkler, a familiar drink from Best Boy Electric but with a different sweet earthy tone. Next up, Sukui Tofu with both the soy sauce and matcha powder on the side. Delicate, yet rich in umami flavors! Now comes the best part: Goma Zaru on a clean bamboo tray, a cold sesame dipping sauce, white sesame seeds to add a modified touch, and a bit of wasabi and green onions. With the chopsticks at my right hand, I pick up a long modest amount of soba noodle, dip and swirl. What a splendid texture! It's like taking a gorgeous ride towards the countryside so far from home! The soba noodle is as firm as it's chewy. Enhanced with a sesame dipping sauce, and I get this type of flavor profile like no other. An overall experience for Sora Dining Soba is nearly an outstanding achievement. No taste can be too overwhelming as long as they're done in well trained modest hands. I know there's so much I might yet to discover in Japan when it comes to clean eating and table manners. I now know through YouTube instructions that there was no tipping in any Japanese eateries. I feel that I'm still far from ready to visit Japan this year. Therefore having such a good experience without leaving the Bay Area is enough for me. read more

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A delightful lunch at Sora Dining Soba. We came here for a weekday lunch. There was a line, but the wait wasn't bad; given most diners were in & out, we waited only a short time, ~20 mins. Service was pleasant and helpful. The soba was tasty, as was the tofu appetizer, super refreshing. It's fun also that they provide the soba-yu here for diners to enjoy the remaining dipping sauce. My only complaint is the temperature control. We were here on a warm day, with a full room of diners. Either the air conditioner was busted or otherwise not turned on, it was slightly uncomfortably warm dining in that day. Given this experience, I would avoid coming here on warm days but would definitely return under cooler weather. read more

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Delicious!! My friend and I accidentally went here after mistaking it for a different soba place, but we were so pleasantly surprised! Service was top notch, and the inside of the restaurant was so cute and well decorated. The soba noodles were great. We both got the cold soba with tempura. Some of the best, crispiest tempura I've had. Definitely returning. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Well decorated inside - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I tried Sora Sat 4/11/26 for lunch, I didn't have to wait. They bang the drum when you dine there. I got free tab water in a bottle and a glass. Got the Kamo Zaru $24 - cold soba noodles, warm dipping sauce, 4 slices of duck. It was good, I liked the duck. Dipping sauce was good and salty. One unisex bathroom in the back, can be a wait. Charged my meal. There is a 5% SF mandatory fee for their healthcare. read more

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It's okay. We liked the hot soba better than the hot soba at another nearby place. However, we preferred the cold soba and tempura at another place nearby. We got the 6 piece tempura and I didn't like the offerings. They deep fried cherry tomatoes, brussels sprouts, fish - these were meh. I liked the scallop and shrimp tempura offering though. I suggest keeping an sauces from one dish in case you want to use it for the next dish. I liked the sauce from the chicken karaage better than the sauce for the tempura (too sweet). Luckily I was able to go on a weekday night so there wasn't a long line like there is on the weekend. read more

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Service was great. Vibes are great. Food is delicious!! Came here and got the kashiwa tamago. Friend got the Kamo namban. Kashiwa tamago- Noodle was deliciousss. The broth had soaked into the buckwheat noodles so well. Broth was light and still a bit savory with salt. Chicken was ok but all together the bowl was exactly what I was craving. 10/10 Kamo namban- similar dish slightly more savory broth - friend thought it tasted more like a beef broth base- duck was meh. Liked it so much came again with visiting friends the week after and they loved it too. Looks like they added a side of rice to the dishes ? It's a small bowl of brown rice that's seasoned like Chinese sticky lotus rice! Overall friends said it was the best soba experience they've had most similar to in Japan! read more

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We were in Japantown and my parents have been raving about soba noodles, saw there wasn't a long wait and decided to give it a try. First and foremost, I have to say, the customer service here is some of the best I've ever received at any restaurant. Everyone we interacted with were so cordial and accommodating from start to finish. It was easy to tell that they work well as a team together and it definitely shows! For the food, we ordered a couple of different dishes. The chicken karaage, Kamo Zaru Soba (cold), Ten Soba (hot). I never usually order cold noodle dishes but this was really tasty. The duck broth was tasty and rich. The noodles had a very nice bite to them, although I feel like the portion of noodles, I could've used more. The ten soba came with tempura and it was some of the best tempura I've had. I think I prefer the hot over the cold but that's just my preference. The chicken karaage was good, although I do wish it was a bit crispier. Either way, we didn't order a bad thing here. The interior and ambiance of the space is beautifully decorated. It was perfect for an impromptu date night. The space isn't large so definitely recommend coming with a smaller group of 2-4. For solo diners they do have some counter seats available as well. The food did take a while to come out but I was ok with it because you can tell they take a lot of time and care with the things they make. If you are interested in dabbling into the elevated soba world, this would be a solid place to start. read more

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My friend and I had a really outstanding Japanese meal at Sora. We had to line up for it (and we barely missed the first seating) but it was totally worth the wait. We shared the Karaage, tamago and tempura as appetizers and we both got the duck buckwheat noodle soup. I judge Japanese restaurants on the quality of their tempura and Karaage. The tempura here was excellent - very lightly breaded. We ordered the six piece and it came with two skewers of shishito peppers, one squid, one tofu, one scallop and one shrimp. The Karaage was crispy but not oily - perfectly executed. The tamago appetizer was also very tasty. The star of the meal was duck buckwheat noodle soup. The duck was really tender and it came with some really fresh wasabi. The dashi broth was nice and light. I loved the texture and "slurp" quality of the buckwheat noodles. This was just a great meal. Service was fast and efficient. We were in and out in less than an hour. The restaurant was nice and bright. We were seated in the bar counter and those were great seats. The line before they opened was long - we lined up 10 minutes before they opened and we barely missed the first seating. The restaurant staff were nice enough to give those in line some hot tea as well. It wasn't too bad though - the first people finished their meal in about 40 minutes. With tax and tip, this was about $65 per person - well worth the line for the great quality of food. Highly, highly recommended!!! read more

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This place is fantastic. Came by on a Saturday during lunch time and we were able to get seated right away. There was plenty of seating, both for small and larger groups. Loved the interior - lots of wood finishes, felt very cozy and clean. We ordered the following: - dashi-maki tamago: I was a little underwhelmed by this - the tamago was soft but it had very little flavor. the dashi sauce was interesting too, with how thick it was - ten zaru: dipping sauce was cold and refreshing, paired very well with the noodles. The tempura was perfectly fried - I really liked the tamago tempura, which was crispy on the outside but still maintained the fluffy egg inside - kamo zaru: this duck dipping sauce was by far my favorite - rich duck flavor, paired with duck slices that were tender and savory. also came with a small side of rice The soba noodles were chewy and delicious. Great service and staff were very observant and attentive - they also stepped in halfway through our meal to offer the soba soup. The portions were large but this is definitely on the pricier side. Regardless, would recommend a visit! read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Such a great try! I came here at 11:30am on a Friday, and it was full, but no line! The line started forming around 12. A quaint space with lots of tables and bar seating, so perfect for a lil solo date, too. Kamo Zaru: 9/10! Perfect amount of noodles, meat, and broth! I'm used to the broth being cold, and even though it was warm, it was still delicious! Pairs well with the tempura. Sukui Tofu: 10/10! So refreshing, love the soy milk taste in it! Great appetizer. Overall, great service and would love to come back especially on another hot day. read more

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The moment you walk into Soba Dining Sora, someone strikes a drum. Every guest gets announced to the room. It's a small theatrical touch, and it sets the tone for a restaurant that takes its atmosphere seriously. The space earns that seriousness. Clean lines, restrained Japanese minimalism, and at late lunch, a staff-to-guest ratio that borders on the absurd. Water never ran low. Empty plates disappeared immediately. The attentiveness was genuine, not performative. The Ten Zaru sold me on the place. The Aigamo duck was the real story - tender, savory, and seared until rosy in a way that showcased the bird rather than hiding it. The tempura was properly executed, not greasy. The soba itself had good chew and cold-served structure. It's a composed, thoughtful bowl. Then the bill arrived. Nearly $30 for a soba set that leaves you genuinely hungry is a hard ask, especially in a city where that same money buys a filling ramen or a loaded rice plate. The yuzu cheesecake was pleasant but unremarkable and not worth the upcharge. Walking out $60 lighter from a lunch spot stings. If you're looking for a precise, beautiful soba experience and you're not watching spend, Soba Dining Sora delivers the atmosphere and the duck. Just don't come in starving and expect to leave satisfied without spending well north of $50. read more

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We had been wanting to try this place for a while, but there would be a long line every time we passed by. However, when we walked by last Sunday at around 3:30pm, there was no line and no wait. We walked in and were seated immediately. The restaurant is modern, warm, and inviting. We were seated at a table next to the window in the back. The window was opened and a nice breeze came in. The ambiance was perfect. I ordered the Goma Zaru, which came with a sesame dipping sauce. My bf wanted the Kamo Zaru, but unfortunately, they were out so he ordered the Zaru instead. We also got the 6 piece Kushi-Tempura and Tori-Kara-Oroshi. The Goma Zaru was light and refreshing. I really liked the sesame flavor. It was fun grinding the sesame seeds, and adding them to the sauce was a nice enhancement. The tempura was crispy and good. I thought the Tori-Kara-Oroshi was okay - not the best karaage I've ever had. Overall, we had a good meal. It was simple and refreshing, especially on a warmer day. read more

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TL;DR: food was decent but prices are high. Enjoyed the tempura and soba. Came here on Saturday for lunch and had to wait about 20 mins for a table even though we arrived early-ish at 1130. I was amazed that the restaurant was already full when we got there. The menu is not huge, so you don't need to spend too much time pondering over your options. It reminds me of Japan where they offer a few dishes and do them all well. We ended up getting: Dashimaki tamago - this was interesting because I expected it to come warm (it was more lukewarm/cold) and it came with a kind of ankake sauce which I haven't seen before on this dish. I thought this was decently prepared but was not amazing. Duck dipping soba - it was pretty good, the dipping sauce had good flavor and I could also taste some yuzu. While it seemed like they only provided a few slices of duck on the tray, there were more duck chunks in the sauce which was nice and warm. My friend said the duck was just ok. The dipping sauce was a little on the salty side but it made good soup after with the sobayu that was provided. Tenzaru soba - the soba texture was pretty good, I liked it with the dipping sauce but I definitely wish there was more sauce! Especially since I used it for the tempura as well. The tempura was interesting as they did kushiten style with all the pieces on sticks. I'm not sure that improves anything but the tempura was fried well and light, not too greasy and was served with some matcha salt. That made it seem more fancy! Tempura hot soba - same comments for the tempura except it came with a separate dipping sauce with grated daikon. The soup had decent dashi flavor. Overall, the food was ok, I would rate it about a 3.5, but the prices are high which brings this overall down to a 3. The portion sizes were also not that big, even though I was full in the end. Service was also friendly but not particularly efficient. They were quite busy and tried to be as attentive as they could be within reason but managing all the customers was challenging I imagine. read more

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I had the pleasure of dining here with a friend on a Thursday night around 5:30 pm! It's a new addition to SF Japantown. It's super popular on social media and people were already lining up 20 minutes before it opened. We managed to get there early and fall in line. Since they're a newer restaurant, they took each party one by one at the door. The staff are enthusiastic, friendly, and warm in greeting their customers. Each time a party enters, they bang a drum for the staff to welcome them in. It's a beautiful interior that's spacious for groups, solo diners, or pairs. Great wooden furnishing that gives off an authentic atmosphere. Since it's SF, the menu can be pricey ($$$). Service was quick, attentive, and efficient. We ordered the: - Seared Aigomo: Tender slices of duck with minimal fat, with shredded daikon, and mustard sauce. It was an alright appetizer; we couldn't really taste the smoky flavor but the mustard did enhance the flavor. 3/5 - Kashiwa Tamag: This reminds me of chicken noodle soup and soup is always warming on a SF chilly evening. The serving was great with lots of egg and chicken, but the broth wasn't to my liking; it was underwhelming and needed more seasoning. 3/5 I would try this place again but try a different dish. read more

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I had been wanting to try this Soba restaurant for a while now, since my husband and I are fans of Hinodeya next door. I had a random Thursday off, and was happy to have finally dined here. Found great parking at lunch time, weather was perfect, and there was no line at all. In fact, the restaurant was almost empty except 1 other customer at 11:30am when I arrived. Wonderful! I got the Ten Zaru Soba ($26), which was the cold soba with tempura. I was able to order quickly, and my food came quickly too. Soba was good, tempura quality was really good. I really enjoyed the tofu tempura. I do remember the shrimp tempura being quite small. The variety of tempura was good, but I wish the portions were bigger for the price. The cold noodles were good and refreshing, but not as quite as great as the Sobakatsu up the block. I think not waiting in line beats waiting in line for just slightly better soba, though. My dish also came with complimentary scallop fried rice, which was just okay. My dish also came with freshly grated wasabi, which was SO good! Definitely took me back to Japan for a second. Ambiance was beautiful. All the furniture was modern Japanese, clean, and warm and inviting. I don't know what was here prior, but it seemed like they had gutted the whole thing and started fresh. Felt and looked so nice! Overall, good soba, but my entire bill came out to over $34.85 with tip. This just seemed kind of crazy being that it was just a lunch, and I had only ordered one item. I can't say I'm dying to return, but I'm really glad I tried it once and for all. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Ten Zaru Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's been on the bookmark list for some time. It's been over 4 months since my last visit to J Town. I was glad that my schedule worked to stop on a Tuesday afternoon. I actually planned on eating at a rotation spot but remembered that this place had not opened for business yet. Walking through the plaza, I was surprised that there was no line and, peeking in, the restaurant had a few available tables. My friend texted me that he just parked so I walked to the greeter who led me to two counter seats. There were only three other diners here as I sat and studied the menu. Being a warm day, my lean was towards the cold soba. After my friend arrived and I read the item descriptions, I knew what I would try. I ordered two items to share besides my meal. We started with the Dashi-Maki tamago (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=BZ6TskSueI5Cz-BaTpYyww), fluffy omelet made with rich Sora dashi broth. Served warm with a touch of refined dashi broth; this is a light starter that requires delicate chopsticks skills to eat. The green onions and bits of shishito pepper gave a pleasant contrast to the soft egg. We also tried the Umami Caesar salad, half portion (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=vZGS6lxZ1URPwvThF3_gZw), described as One of our most popular salads. Cheese-flavored dressing topped with bonito flakes and fragrant roasted buckwheat. The waiter offered to split the order prior to serving. I enjoyed this especially with the lack of greens in the other dishes. The bonito flakes work well with the Caesar's (think of it as the sub in for anchovy). The half portion was plenty as a starter. Originally leaning towards a cold soba (the traditional style), I pivoted to the Kamo Nanbam (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=k-C2p0MTsg34otJqPqiRMQ); hot soba served with juicy slices of seared duck and grilled green onions. A timeless soba classic. My 1st reaction was, wow, that's not a very big bowl. As I worked on it, alternating bites from the duck, with or without radish and/or wasabi, the bowl started feeling endless. The dashi broth was slightly warmer than lukewarm but it was clean and tasty. The portion is certainly filling even without the salad and shared app. Service was friendly and efficient as several staff members checked on us regularly. The dining room stayed pretty much full with an open table or two being available periodically. I would return and try other menu items and will recommend this to a friend who is a huge duck fan. Always nice to try new businesses and cuisines. read more

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Great visit while in Japan town! I would absolutely order the chips again, they are so fresh and the duck sauce pairs amazingly. I got the seared duck hot soba and also tried a cold dipping soba, both good! read more

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Alright soba spot, especially considering soba choices in SF are very limited. I was worried about the huge wait others have mentioned in reviews, but it was fine with going right when they open. I went as a solo diner, on a rainy Wednesday, and no one was in line at 5:15pm (15 minutes before they open). The first person hopped in line at 5:25pm and there was a small line of five of us by the time they opened their doors. There was still at least one empty table open nearby me, until 6pm. The staff were super nice and gave us hot tea while we waited in line outside. Interior is very much all a warm wood, modern vibe, with a mix of table and bar-style seating. Staff were friendly and attentive, with a rotating mix of servers stopping by my table throughout the meal. My order came quickly, maybe less than 10 minutes of me placing my order. I ordered the kake soba, the Sora chips, the three piece tempura, and a yuzu soda to drink. The yuzu soda is nothing special, but exactly what I wanted. The three piece tempura, surprisingly, was more than three pieces and fantastic tempura. The Sora chips came with a jelly-like dashi dipping sauce which was fun and delicious, but I feel other reviews had hyped them up too much. I do not recommend the Sora chips for solo dining as they are best for sharing. The kake soba was just okay. Not quite enough chew to the noodles and they mostly held together okay in the broth and I only had a couple break. The broth itself was good, and I'm really glad it was hot. Overall, considering Sobakatsu is around the corner, I'm glad Sora has far more seats. Sora has great ambiance and service, and almost hits the mark on the food. I'll have to try the cold soba next time and hope the noodles hold up better. read more

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I solo dined here on a Tuesday night and was very surprised, no line and several open tables during my meal! The restaurant is small but not like only-12-seats small, so there was still a decent amount of tables. It was cold out so I opted for hot soba. I wasn't in the mood for duck so I chose the tempura, but I heard duck is popular and I'dlike to come back to try it. The tempura had a really interesting mix of items - green beans, shiso leaf, eggplant, fish, scallop, and shrimp. The portion was just right for me to finish everything, so that may be small for others. I thought everything was good but a little pricey for the portion. I went to the restroom before my food came and when I got back, my food was waiting for me. I do wish they waited until I sat back down to give me my food. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Hot tempura soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

we waited about 1h15mins on a Sunday 7pm. I tried: - matcha beer (them whisking the matcha in front of us was nice) - dashi-maki tamago - kamo zaru soba (great flavor, loved that you could finish the dipping sauce with soup) while overall I enjoyed the food, I don't think it was worth the wait. it's also a slightly less authentic experience if you're looking for that read more

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We came on a Sunday 6:30pm, rainy day - it was a 35-40 minute wait to entry. Might be longer on a non rainy day. There is no sign in or Yelp waitlist. I was happy to see about 3x more seating in here compared to Sobakatsu around the corner, to help meet the demand of authentic soba noodles. the interior was new and clean. Space may feel tight for larger/taller people depending on your proximity preferences. Ten Zaru (cold): soba noodles were squishy, and the tempura was delicious especially when dipped in their special matcha salt. Kamo namban (hot): soba noodles were fragile, lost its squish/bounce, and was hard to pick up with the chopsticks, they kept breaking. The duck was okay. Cold soba had better noodle texture and flavor in the dipping sauce. Go for the cold! Sora chips appetizer: nice thick texture and crunch, just what I like! Comes with a light dipping sauce. Best to share this. Dashi maki tamago appetizer: yum in the form of soft omelette pieces. Would recommend. Total at the end was $96 for two or $48/person. The suggested tips at the end is calculated after tax + SF mandate, and the lowest selection is 20%. If you base it off the subtotal, their lowest option is about 22% - something to note in case you're wondering why the bill was higher than expected. The wait was a bit longer than expected but the tents provided coverage for the rain and the complimentary hot cup of green tea provided extra comfort. Servers were very nice and friendly. 5 for the service, 4.5 for the food, 3.5 for the portion size/value, or 4.0-4.5 on average. Would come back as long as the wait is under 30 min. read more

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Sora Soba has a clean, modern, chic ambiance that makes you feel transported to Japan. The staff greeted us courteously, and the service throughout the meal was attentive with great attention to detail. The soba (kake) had a very clean, delicate taste--simple ingredients elevated by a well-balanced bonito broth. Honestly, the hot bowl of soba could stand entirely on its own; it was that satisfying. I also ordered the dashi-maki tamago and three pieces of kushi tempura, which in hindsight was a bit too much for one sitting. Highly recommended. P read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came on sunday morning 30 mins after they opened. No line but a few parties have already been seated. Love how they have a page on the menu teaching you how to eat Soba because not a lot of people know it. Soba was good but the tempura that we ordered was not worth it. We are a party of 3 and ordered a large tempura on the side to share. Not only the presentation of the dish looks sad but also taste like those instant frozen tempura that you buy from supermarket. read more

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Food was delicious we got the tempura and duck soba set. Good portions and was very filling. Service was excellent Ambiance: casual dining, very clean I would go back again read more

We ordered the cold soba and tamago since we were not too hungry. The sauce in the tanago is hot, and its a weird texture. The tamago itself had not much flavor, not the sweet kind. Personally i don't like it. For the soba, the noodles are a bit chewy and the soup is lack of flavor. Not recommended. The tempura is pretty good. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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*3.75 / 5* STARS. Rating this a little harsher since I've tried both sobakatsu (around the corner) and soba ichii in Oakland and I've grown to love soba. In general, soba is a very light and refreshing meal, so the quality of the noodles is the biggest factor for me and while fresh and light - it didn't quite have the "bounce" or "chew" I was hoping for. Would come back for another try if the wait isn't too long Food 3.75/5 overall - Soba noodles - 3/5. The noodles were missing that springy bounce chew feel. I could tell they were fresh but seemed sort of slippery and almost too wet. Tempura: 4/5 I enjoyed the variety of tempura that came with the set and how light the batter is, however wish I got more shrimp/squid rather than egg(?) and fish Chicken appetizer - 4/5. I enjoyed how light the batter was and juicy the meat- but there were some really small pieces of chicken that just felt like I was eating a ball of fried batter with no meat. Ambiance 5/5 - brand new store space that is very spacious and larger. Saw at the kitchen counter and saw into the kitchen. Clean and modern/minimalist Service 5/5 - servers were very attentive and even had asked if I was ready to get the main soba entree after I finished my chicken karage appetizer. Noticed when I finished my meal and brought the soba-yu broth to mix with the dipping sauce without me needing to ask read more

Sora Dining Soba - Zaru ten - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It's worth the hype and worth the wait!!! Second weekend from opening and we only waited 1 hour under the tent in the rain. Got the duck soba and it was so so good. My daughter got the classic ten Zara soba to dip the noodles in and that was also good. The tempura was actually one of the best we had. I like the dining accessories - you know the wooden box with the togarashi. Walking in, the decor is sleek simple and modern with wood panels and all. I like the light oak furniture. Everyone was really polite and friendly staff. On the way out when I spoke in the little Japanese I know and told the chefs "totemo oishii desu", they smiled said thank you and responded to me to come back again. read more

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The food was delicious! Especially the tempura - it was light and not heavy at all as it should be. They even had a sweet egg (tamago) tempura which was one of my favorites from the fried bunch. Their tofu appetizer was fresh and tasted homemade, and the salad was a Caesar salad with a twist. Overall, I enjoyed the food and service was quick. read more

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Sora Dining Soba is unfortunately one of my first dining misses in 2026. I had high expectations due to how much social media content I've been seeing from Bay Area food influencers around Sora. My friends and I queued up at 5:00 p.m. on a Friday night and were the first in line. By 5:30 p.m. when the restaurant opened, a line had formed that wrapped around the side of the restaurant. I would definitely would recommend stopping by early to get in line if want to make first seating. After we sat down, we promptly placed our orders. My wife ordered the hot Kamo Namban while I ordered the hot Kashiwa Tamago. We also shared a 6-piece Kushi-Tempura set, Age-Dashi Tofu, and Tori-Kara-Oroshi. The meal started off strong. The tempura arrived first and it was absolutely amazing. The tempura is light and crispy, not oily, the the matcha salt on the side is fantastic. The agadashi tofu -- a dish I typically do not order at Japanese restaurants because I dislike the slimy texture coating the tofu, was amazing here: the outside shell of the tofu remained crispy despite sitting in a bowl of broth. The only miss from the appetizers was the Tori-Kara-Oroshi. The pieces of fried chicken were cut too small which ultimately resulted them in being on the drier side compared to your typical karaage. If you're looking for the moistness and juiciness of popcorn chicken, you'll be disappointed with this dish. Moving on to the soba, the soba I had was easily some of the most disappointing soba I've ever had in my life. The texture of the soba noodles was absolutely dreadful: the noodles was soggy and everyone's noodles were broken into small pieces measuring no longer than 1-inch. From other reviewers who have dined here, I see that noodle texture is a common criticism. The type of soba they make here is juwari soba, which is made of 100% buckwheat flour, as opposed to nihachi soba, which is a 80% mix of buckwheat flour and 20% of wheat flower -- the soba that most American diners are more familiar with. Juwari is far much more pronounced in buckwheat flavor, but because buckwheat is gluten free, the dough is delicate and isn't able to develop enough strength to stick together, making it easier for them to fall apart in the noodle making and cooking process. That said, doing a deep-dive across the Internet, I checked out many other videos and photos of juwari soba being prepared and confirmed that the small strands of soba I was served here is not normal. Juwari soba CAN be prepared in long strands like nihachi soba, but it takes a lot of skill. The texture was such a miss for me, I honestly found it difficult to finish my meal. The rich, bonito broth my noodles were served in were a bit on the salty side, and the "tender chicken thigh" described on the menu was misleading and nowhere to be found. The pieces of shredded chicken in my bowl had about the same moisture and texture of chicken breast. The chicken did not have the fattiness of your typical piece of chicken thigh. The advertised fluffy egg was also unremarkable for me. When I read "fluffy egg" in the entree description, I envisioned an egg prepared with the softness of a tornado egg. I blame myself for making this assumption, but the egg in the dish took on the texture of egg in egg drop soup that sat around longer in the broth before was stirred around. Last but not least, the tip situation is out of control. The mobile payment device you're presented with at your table when you pay starts out with 20% tip selected, and the other pre-set options are 22% and 25%. I honestly can't remember the last time I've seen 25% as a pre-configured option. Overall, Sora Dining Soba was a enormous miss for me. With so many other delicious noodle options nearby in Japantown, like Udon Mugizo or Marufuku Ramen next door to it, Sora really needs to step up in a massive way if it wants to attract customers with its soba. For me, it's a one-and-done until I see massive improvements on the soba texture. If you're on the hunt for the best bowl of soba in the Bay, venture across the Bay to Soba Ichi -- you won't regret it. For me, this place averages out to a 2.5, but rounds down to a 2. read more

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What did I just eat? So confusing Came in for lunch and was greeted nicely. Staff were very nice and attentive But why the 2 stars Because it was very expensive for what it was. Table of 4 seemed to have been forgotten. Food was mediocre at best. Ordered duck cold soba, duck warm soba, chicken and egg warm soba, tempura warm soba, tamago and caesar salad. Caesar, over dressed salad, romaine lettuce not of great quality. Tamago, warm, savory and not sweet, swimming in a pool of starchy sauce Duck cold soba, soba was very broken up, no noodles were longer than 3 inches. Duck was very thin, not so much flavor. Duck warm soba, same as above, just in large warm soup Chicken and egg warm soba, pretty poor Tempura warm soba, tempura were very disappointing. Likely because was fried at wrong temp. Batter on the eggplant tempura was soggy with oil and inedible. Appetizers came fast, but soba came very much behind. We sat at 1130, ordered at 1140, didn't get our soba until 1215 and it wasn't busy. Overall, will not return read more

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Sora Dining Soba is a fantastic spot for thoughtfully prepared Japanese comfort food in San Francisco, with welcoming staff and a relaxed vibe. I've heard that lines can get quite long so may have just lucked out as there was a table available immediately even though I arrived around peak lunchtime. Every dish we tried was well executed and genuinely delicious. The kushi-tempura was fried expertly so it was crisp on the outside without feeling oily and really let the ingredients shine, while the dashi-maki tamago was incredibly fluffy and packed with savory umami flavor in each bite. Of course, the star of the meal was the zaru soba, to which I added a side of the seared aigamo duck as part of the kamo zaru set. The noodles had that perfect, slightly firm texture you only get from 100% buckwheat, and they paired so well with the hot dipping sauce. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for excellent soba and classic accompaniments like tempura. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Kamo Zaru - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It was such a popular place; we waited around 45 minutes. The wait was really worth it though! I loved the freshness of the soba and how everything came out quickly. I ordered the Ten Zaru which came with soba, tempura, and a cold dipping broth. The dashi was light and refreshing and I enjoyed the unique tempura offerings like the brussel sprout tempura. We also got agedashi tofu and tori-kara oroshi chicken. They were both fried lightly, but the chicken could have used some more seasoning. This is a great soba spot, but the wait can be a little long. Also if you're going with anyone allergic to nuts or seeds, you should be careful with the soba. My friend has a seed allergy and we didn't realize that buckwheat is a seed. read more

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Sora Dining Soba is one of the newest additions in Japantown. I saw it on social media and had to check it out. I went during opening hour at 5pm for dinner. The line wasn't too long, I waited for around 20m before getting seated. We got a cold Tempoura soba and a hot duck soba. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype in my opinion. The soba noodles were short and and soggy texture. I was hoping for more of a chew but it wasn't the case. The tempura and the smoked duck were pretty mediocre as well. I couldn't taste the smokiness in the duck as it looked pretty bland and straight from the fridge. I had a very high expectation of this place but the quality of the food did not live up to the price. It was expensive too! I likely won't come back given the price and the quality of the food unfortunately. read more

Sora Dining Soba - Cold tempura soba - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Just had an incredible meal at their first US location! This spot brings a true Japanese atmosphere with delicious soba, especially their dashi specialty. We enjoyed the Kamo Nanban, a hot soba dish featuring tender duck in a light yet deeply umami dashi, followed by the Goma Zaru, a cold soba served with a rich sesame dipping sauce that adds a comforting, hearty depth compared to traditional dashi. Tip: Try both the hot and cold soba, paired with a fried appetizer, to create a well balanced meal with contrasting temperatures, textures, and flavors. The manager shared that the owners aimed to recreate the same experience as dining at their locations in Japan-both taste and visuals and they've done just that. A must visit for anyone seeking truly authentic soba noodles. I'll be back! Cheers! read more

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