How a Michelin Soba Master Makes Soba Noodles

Quick Overview

Chef Manabu creates world-class soba noodles at Muku in New York, detailing the entire process from sourcing 100% buckwheat flour imported from Yamagata, Japan, to the precise kneading, rolling, cutting with a 20-year-old family knife, and preparing the accompanying dipping sauce (kaeshi and dashi), culminating in an exceptional dining experience that earned the restaurant a Michelin star in just two months.

Key Points: Chef Manabu of Muku earned a Michelin star in NYC in just two months for his artisanal soba. The soba dough uses 80% imported buckwheat flour from Yamagata, Japan, mixed with 20% AP flour, requiring a specific water percentage adjustment based on whether the buckwheat is new (57%) or old (47%). The dough is kneaded using the traditional Japanese pottery technique called Kiku-neri to remove air bubbles and achieve a bouncy texture. The dough is rolled out to 1.5 meters thick using traditional wooden rollers, ensuring no dough is wasted by rolling it into a square shape. The soba is cut using a 20-year-old, heavy, inherited soba-kiri knife, which relies on its weight rather than excessive force. The dipping sauce (tsuyu) is made by combining a kaeshi (a seasoned soy sauce base made with dried sardines, bonito, shiitake mushrooms, and Japanese sugar) and dashi (made from Rishiri kombu steeped at 60 degrees for over an hour). The recommended way to eat the cold soba (zaru soba) involves three steps: tasting the noodles alone, then with the sauce, and finally adding grated wasabi and green onions to the sauce.

Context: The video follows the process of making artisanal soba noodles at Muku, a highly acclaimed Japanese restaurant in New York City, helmed by Executive Chef Manabu. The chef, who is self-taught and has been making soba for 20 years, explains the meticulous, step-by-step traditional methods passed down through his family, emphasizing ingredient quality and precise technique to achieve the best flavor and texture, which contributed to the restaurant earning a Michelin star rapidly.