Those who frequent Sunnybank will have no doubt heard of the recently opened Soba Shimbashi, opened by a Japanese couple, they source their buckwheat from Tasmania and make the soba on site.
The display window allowed for passers by to watch as the noodles are made too.
A booking is definitely recommended as the restaurant isn't too big and there are a lot of people who want to dine here. Bookings were allocated into two slots, 5.30pm and 7.15pm. We opted for 7.15pm as the other was too early for dinner.
As expected, the menu was very much soba based, split into hot and cold sections. Other than that, there are some rice dishes, entrees and sides. Prices were fairly steep, especially for noodle dishes.
We got two entrees to share, the Nasu Dengaku and Chicken Karaage, these came relatively quickly. Both were fairly small but well executed. The eggplant was fairly crisp and had a delicious umami miso sauce to it and a soft supple interior. Speaking to some friends after, their portion sizes were definitely not consistent, with other people reporting considerably larger portions. The chicken was also executed well with a thin and light batter as well as a deliciously marinated meaty centre that was still able to retain its moisture.
It was super lucky that we had actually ordered entrees, because it took 45 minutes for me to get my main meal. By the time it arrived, I was super hungry. Like the entrees, the portion sizes were a bit disappointing. The soba was fresh and was very textured, it was served wonderfully al dente in a delicious dashi broth. I liked the addition of seaweed adding to the fragrance of the dish. I just wish the portions were larger. The tempura was also delicious, I note the menu said that it was vegetarian, but it contained at least one prawn and a whiting fillet. These had a light batter and were very fresh and crisp. I also wish there was more.
Overall I enjoyed the food at Soba Shimbashi, but the time it takes to get a table, the time it takes to wait for food and the actual value of the food makes it not really worth a return visit.
Taste: 8/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 6/10
Environment: 7/10
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