"The world revolves around buckwheat noodles at this Japanese restaurant, and whether you go for cold or hot, they’ll have the ideal chew and wheaty scent. All of the noodles are gluten-free, and we like to opt for the cold ones, which are served with a light and sweet dipping sauce that’s also made with a gluten-free soy base. You’ll need to wait in line for one of the 11 seats to open up, but once you’re in, it’s an efficient operation. Slurp up your soba in record time, then head to the nearby Japantown malls for a lap around Daiso." - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong