Originally, we were heading to Umenoya, a tiny ramen restaurant that serves a Jiro Ramen that comes with a humongous amount of vegetables atop the ramen (which is rather rare since most ramen comes with just a few slices of pork and almost no vegetables).

However, at the last minute, I found out that it was closed on Tuesdays. So I had to quickly come up with another place near by since my companion was already on his way, hungry after an early morning fishing trip.

Soba Sojibo came to mind right away. The last time I was there was probably about 2 years ago. The place is not too big, but it is really comfortable and spacious inside. The waitress that was taking the order was sincerely helpful and refreshingly pleasant. She explained the menu to me in details, and I was delightfully satisfied with all my selections.

I ordered the special Bento Box with Sashimi for my companion while I chose the Cold Sansai Tororo Soba with a side of Pork Belly Don, and some fried mochi.

The Sashimi Bento Special had everything that one would want to eat at a Japanese restaurant. It came with probably the best and lightest tempura – with an extra thin, yet crispy and delicate batter, a small piece of cooked mackerel, at least 5 slices of sashimi, a side of salad, rice, a good size bowl of either hot or cold house-made soba, and a cup of Japanese steamed egg custard. It was a definitely a good variety for around $16.

My Sansai Soba was as good as I remembered it to be since the last time I had it. The cold soba tasted extremely fresh, and it balanced very well with the slightly salty mountain vegetables. The side of pork belly over rice was simple but totally delicious. I also enjoyed the texture of the fried mochi.

I was still a little hungry after my meal, and my waitress informed me that I could ordered extra soba next time, so that is what I intend to do the next time around.

Soba Sojibo – 1757 W. Carson St. Torrance, CA 90501  Phone: 310-782-7356