The place is really cute! Lots of seating available. I personally enjoyed the cold noodles more than the hot ones. After placing your order, the food comes out quickly. We got there around 7:30ish, waited in line and by 9pm we had all our food. They're very good soba noodles but I don't know that I would wait again.

Love the vibe of this place. It is a cool hybrid of traditional Japanese and West Oakland, in all the best ways. Order at the counter, and pick your table. Not a huge fan of tipping up front, but their service lives up to it. We split the tamagoyaki, which was night mind blowing but a nice tasty starter. We followed that with the tempura soba and duck soba, with we're both super tasty and refreshing. The broths were both rich and light at the same time, and subtly different. Thankful to have this place less than 10 min from home, because we'll definitely be back before long.

pros: -everything we ordered was delicious -pro tip: get there early because there was already a long line before 5 pm -lots of seating inside and outside -friendly service -clean establishment cons: -nons

This place is worth tiptoeing through the worst potholes in Oakland, which you will surely encounter en route. After traversing the lunar surface of warehouse-land, you get to a very cute Japanese-inspired location that gently buzzes with vibrant conversation. Great for parties of 1 to 4 in size. The order taker is very Japanese, which is to say efficient and unemotional. If you want California warm fuzzies, get to the point and sit down. The menu of food is short but compelling. I had the agedashi tofu and tamagoyaki to start, and both were worthy of respect. The star of the show was the veggie soba, with toothsome noodles in a tasty broth, tender veggies, and a citrusy togarashi on the side if you want more heat and flavour. I'll definitely return. If you can't handle wheat in your diet, this is a good place to come to! (Can't promise it's okay for celiacs, though...)

They have a system and they have it down well! Get your order ready in line since it's order before you sit. The soup is perfect for folks who want noodle soup that is on the lighter notes over a bowl of ramen. We enjoyed our meal on Valentine's Day and now we want to come back for the cold soba in the summer. The mochi dessert was delightful and I'm still dreaming about the duck meatballs. A very nice vibe - very chill and traditional feel indoors and a beautiful atmosphere outdoors. Memorable meal worth coming back for another time!

Ambiance was quaint and located between businesses. There was a short line already prior to opening and as soon as I got it, the place was filled. Probably some of the best soba I've had. Did both sipping and broth (duck and tempura) also tried their in house made tofu and cucumber salad. The mochi was incredible (flavors change so ask about specials). A drinking soba will be served if wanted after you finish your food as well. A must try!!! Can't wait to go back and try more of their menu.

For my Pop's birthday dinner, he was in the mood for soba. It's not common to find soba in the area, but I had heard positive things about Soba Ichi, so suggested we go there. Soba Ichi is a casual spot located in an industrial area and in a very unassuming location. The shop is a bit hidden, so you have to walk down the entranceway between the gates. Once there, the layout and decor will transport you. There are a well-sized amount of tables outside plus heating lamps. Inside offers booths and dining benches. We sat inside, where noise transfers easily. I found the service to be fine. To order, you wait in line and order outside at the counter. A couple menus are displayed around--beware the line can get long. After ordering and paying, you select if you're dine-in or take-out and receive a number. Food and water will be brought to you and workers will check on you throughout the meal. Soba is something I grew up eating as a kid and don't romanticized. So I was looking forward to trying their specialties. Our family shared the Homemade Tofu, Tamagoyaki, Agedashi Tofu, and Ume Miso Kyuuri. Everything was light in taste and flavor--good but not outstanding. For dinner, we all ordered the Ebi Ten Seiro. A nice portion of chewy cold noodles and a salty and umami broth. I'm partial to cold soba, and I loved adding some daikon and wasabi in it. The tempura that came with it had a nice and light fry. I recommend this soba dish! If you're unfamiliar or craving soba, Soba Ichi is a pleasant spot to go to. As a Japanese gal who grew up eating this, I thought it was good albiet pricey for what you get. The restaurant is located off Magnolia St. where there's plenty of street parking around.

Had the hot soba twice. Very reasonable portion, awesome noodles, duck broth is clean and not rich. The massive green onions are a difference maker. Everything balances out nicely. I've had the croquette and filet of fish with teriyaki sauce and both are awesome Good for date nights. I need to try the cold soba next time For those that are loyal dessert, you'll have an appetite for it afterward

This is my second time back at soba ichi and my friend and I love their appetizers. The menu changes seasonally so check out their instagram. We ordered the agedashi tofu, persimmon salad, shrimp tempura with soba, duck miso, oyster confit, and tamagoyaki. The tamagoyaki was soft and refreshing with the radish. The shrimp tempura was perfectly fried. The duck miso and cucumbers kind of threw us off since we weren't exactly sure how to eat them but it was very salty and pungent. The favorites were definitely the oyster confit and persimmon salad. The persimmons gave the nutty salad a sweet taste with the fresh ingredients. The oyster confit was perfectly salty and umami with the toasted bread. My only complaint is I wish the portion sizes were higher for the prices. I loved the low light ambiance and would definitely come back to try their new seasonal items.

Went here on a Friday night for dinner and did not have to wait for an indoor table/seating (even though it was a bit packed). You order & pay first at the window, they'll give you a number and table, then you sit and they'll bring the food to you. Also, they prefer to take 1 credit card for payment. They also have outdoor tables with fire lamps too. We ordered the Agedashi Tofu & Kamo Nanban Sabo hot soup with Duck Breast. The tofu was super good and the sauce was really tasty - it also has mushroom, (and there's only two piece of it, I wish they had more)! The kamo nanban noodle had a good texture and the duck breast was thick and tender! The service was okay and I think it's a tiny bit pricey! There's only 1 restroom gender neutral stall and only street parking if you were curious.