Relax on the Soba Ichi Patio With Noodles, Tofu, and Sake

Tempura soba at Soba Ichi in Oakland | Dianne de Guzman/Eater SF Soba Ichi is a temple to buckwheat noodles, set in the West Oakland O2 Artisans Aggregate compound that supports artists of all kinds, including ceramicists, bakers (Grand Opening and Studio Estepan), and more. Koichi Ishii is the artisan behind Soba Ichi and its soba, making the dough and cutting each strand by hand, ready for customers to slurp up in the evening. Soba Ichi is the sister restaurant to Ippuku, the popular Berkeley izakaya serving skewers of all kinds. Ishii first made soba for lunch there after apprenticing with soba makers in Yamagata, Japan. But Ippuku didn’t have the space to support the ambitious soba program. The West Oakland space gave Ishii room to fully codify his soba operation. A glass room serves as a stage forIshii, who turns buckwheat into flour and, eventually, soba noodles there, daily. The vibe Soba Ichi has a transportive quality; diners can easily pretend they’ve left the Bay Area