Soba from Sun Rise Mart Midtown 12-15-2010

Location: 12 E. 41st St.
Time: 12pm

Feelings: I usually make a weekly trip to one of the Japanese grocery stores in St. Marks area, but I no longer need to take a train to Astor Place. I can now take a long walk to the newly opened Sunrise Mart during my lunch break.

What I fancy about this Sunrise Mart:

1) Their Midtown friendly deli station.
2) Their bakery station by Panya, which offers superior quality baked goods than Zaiya.
3) Same vast selections of Japanese groceries and make up compared to St. Marks' location.
4) Not as crowded and infested by creepy men looking for single Japanese ladies...yet.

I picked up kaki-age soba without much expectation, but it turned out to be quite authentic Tokyo style soba with sweet soy broth. I traditionally prefer Osaka style dashi based broth, but the sweet flavor complimented the greasiness of the kaki age. Unlike other delis in Midtown, they properly grasped the concept of soba as a noodle dish, and the volume of the broth was small as it should be. Yes, soba, ramen or udon is a noodle dish, not soup. You're supposed to eat the noodles, not so much the broth. I witness this faux pas throughout the city, but I suppose that might be the New York way.

The only thing that bothers me about this Sunrise location is that their cosmetic section is behind the cashier creating an inconvenient and awkward staring competition. But aside from that small annoyance, Sunrise Mart Midtown will no doubt be my weekly Japanese staple.