Sakura Soba: Cherry-flavored Noodles at Sobajin

March and April are the best months for viewing cherry blossoms. Oh wait, that’s in Japan. Not to worry – a few Japanese eateries are offering Beijingers edible compensation for Beijing’s lack of sakura action.

By mixing cherry flowers and powdered leaves into a quality buckwheat dough, Sobajin is serving lovely pink buckwheat soba noodles (RMB 35/70 for small/large portion). As with other restaurants, Sobajin’s soba is available both chilled on a bamboo tray, or in a warm soup. However, to best savor the subtle floral aromas and unique textures of this hand-made cherry soba, we strongly recommend the chilled variety – the hot soup would turn the noodles soggy and ruin their gentle cherry fragrance.

The chilled soba is served along with a traditional tsuyu dip – a mixture of dashi stock, sweetened soy sauce and mirin. Wasabi and scallion are served on the side; mix these with the tsuyu according to your preference. Finally, combine the tsuyu with soba-yu – the broth that the noodles are boiled in before being chilled – and drink the mixture.

Sobajin also serves green tea-flavored soba (RMB 35/70 for small/large portion), or for RMB 70 you can dine on a trinity of plain, green tea and cherry soba. Be warned, though: The supply of cherry soba only lasts until March 14, so get down and try it this weekend or you’ll be waiting for another year.

Finally, Sobajin isn’t the only restaurant taking up the cherry theme. Just south of Chaoyang Beilu, Geba Geba is also serving cherry rice nigiri. Now all I want is some great cherry blossom ice cream – anyone?