A few weeks ago, I decided to go to Pantai Indah Kapuk and had lunch at one of the infamous eateries there, and it’s Yamatoten. I know I know, you’d probably ask where I had been or argued whether I was living in the cave or something else, but really, I just never actually have time to venture for food as much as many other foodies (let alone writing about it!). So, trying out the Abura Soba there was one of my must-do things.
Some of you might have known that I’m an avid fan of noodles. I eat noodles like ever since I was 1 year-old. It’s a little tradition thing in my family, having noodles as our breakfast especially on Sunday. Soba is definitely a part of the noodle family.
I heard a lot about the abura soba by Yamatoten, but I should be honest to say that I couldn’t really imagine the taste of abura soba. I ate some soba before this, but never actually liked it, mostly due to its blandness. Then, I heard many good reviews about the soba at Yamatoten and its way of enjoying it, especially with the chili oil and the vinegar, and that intrigued and excited me. So, there I was a few weeks ago, I came there on Sunday at 11 AM where no other patrons were present yet. Of course I picked a good seat by the window. 😉
I read the menu and found that there were actually not many options to choose from, only 6 selections of main courses – 4 types of abura soba and 2 types of donburi. However, there were more side dishes to choose from. Chicken Karaage, Wasabi Potato Salad, and Handmade Dumpling were some of the interesting ones.
Before deciding on what to order for my breakfast/lunch (=brunch), I asked the waitress’s recommendation for the soba, and she confidently pointed out Abura Soba. Okay, I guess, of course. It’s Yamatoten’s signature after all. But then, I saw the picture of the other nice abura soba with half-cooked fine-looking egg yolk named Karami Ontama Abura Soba and I realized that I just met the ‘love’ of my life. I asked the waitress again about the difference. But then she explained that the Karami Ontama Abura Soba had a creamier texture and spicy miso sauce which the original Abura Soba did not have. I went with my gut and ordered this along with the tempting Chicken Karaage.
# Chicken Karaage (IDR 36 k)
Let me tell you something, the chicken karaage here is slightly different than the one we normally encounter. Instead of the ordinary deep-fried chicken karaage with crispy outer layer, Yamatoten serves some sort of pan-fried chicken kaarage with thin batter. It was a bit oily, but with delicious seasoning, and the texture was really tender. To kick it up a notch, squeeze some lemon and the fresh acidity actually added some very refreshing taste to the karaage. Real goodness!
# Karami Ontama Abura Soba (IDR 68 k) – Abura Soba with spicy miso sauce, served with half boiled egg, spring onions, bamboo shoots, sesame seeds, dried seaweed, and tender roast pork
Note: You can choose a spicier version with chopped chili with the price of IDR 72 k)
As explained by the waitress earlier, I expected this Karami Ontama Abura Soba to be really good, with creamy texture and spicy note. I love miso, so I expected a gorgeous miso flavour as well.
Before starting my camera ritual, the waiter who served the bowl on my table asked whether I had known how to enjoy it, which I answered “No, sorry, can you explain it?”. Well, to be honest, I read the instruction on the table, but I wasn’t sure, so he briefly explained to me that the main things to do were pouring out the chili oil around my soba in circle twice, do the same with the vinegar, and stir the soba while it’s still hot until everything on the bowl comes blending together. Good advice, and that’s the instruction in default mode. We could actually add more chili oil or vinegar as much as we like. In fact, I added 1 extra circle of both chili sauce and vinegar to bolder the taste. And it was PERFECT for me. I really loved it. It had this very creamy texture around the soba and a very nice yet rich spicy miso note with a good subtle vinegar freshness. Bloody foodgasm, I should say!
Oh, did I mention how good the roast pork was?
Okay, it’s official that this bowl, is my bowl of happiness! <3
I am really glad I finally managed to visit Yamatoten and it really lives up to its reputation. I really loved their abura soba and will definitely come back for more. The next visit, I will definitely try the original Abura Soba, though I am unconvinced that it will be able to beat the Karami Ontama Abura Soba. It will really taste like wine after whiskey, once I tried the strong one, so I might not be able to settle for less. Or perhaps not. Let’s see when I try it later then!
Oh, I heard that that Yamatoten will have some new exciting menu coming up! 😉
A selfie won’t hurt, I guess? 😛
YAMATOTEN ABURA SOBA | JAKARTA
Ruko Garden House A/12
Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta, 14470
Phone: +6221-29704981 ext:115
Instagram: @yamatoten
Operational Hours:
Weekdays: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM & 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Weekends: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
