THE RYOKAN COLLECTION

Yamaguchi’s take on Japan’s ubiquitous soba noodles is quite a unique one. Inspired by a story about soldiers in the 1877 siege of Kumamoto Castle cooking meals on pilfered roofing tiles, kawara soba is a communal pile of matcha-flavored noodles, egg, green onions, and thinly sliced beef served atop a sizzling hot ceramic tile. Lemon and grated daikon is added to cups of dipping sauce. Diners then dunk each bite in that tangy mix as they progress from the softer, chewy noodles on top to crunchier ones fried on the tile below.