EAT: KITSUNE SOBA AT CHOPPED PARSLEY

We ducked into Chopped Parsley on 146th Street just west of Amsterdam Avenue on a cold night this week and discovered something culturally new at the tiny Japanese cafe.  A suggestion by the owner to try out the popular noodle soup options was met with a little less enthusiasm on our part since we are used to having this type of dish with a topping of fluffy fried tempura or other like protein portion.   From what could be seen from social media photos, some sort of poached chicken was part of this offering and we were questioning how that would come out.  The owner who is Japanese mentioned that people have been coming back several times a week for the soup items so we decided to give it a go.

The most deluxe option was the Kitsune soba or udon bowl which actually also comes with the fried tofu square that stuffed Inari sushi is made out of.  Kitsune was a familiar word since one of the current trendy fashion brands that we follow has the little fox as the logo.  So why is this dish just ordered called fox soba?   Basically it all centers around old lore about two foxes that protect the Inari temples in Japan. Fried tofu is apparently the favorite meal that the legendary creatures were fed and thus a single bowl always has two pieces so that each can have their own share.

As far as the $10 soba was concerned, we were pleasantly surprised. The light, home made dashi broth and the nutty soba were a refreshing alternative to the heavy ramen dishes that are so popular these days.  Each tofu piece had a sweet note to them and more flavor than the bland versions found on many menus.  Probably the most surprising discovery of the night was the marinated chicken in the soup since they were nicely seasoned throughout and were impossibly tender.  Those who want a little more heat should has ask for a side of shichimi pepper on the side but the dish is really great on its own.

Check out our past post on Chopped Parsley for more on this new Hamilton Heights eatery: LINK