LILYAN Singapore

Off their small selection of hot soba noodles, LILYAN’s Kamonan ($23) was uber savoury. A rich broth made with dashi, duck and a refreshing dose of zestiness from the use of yuzu; the traditional duck soup was lovely and not too salty for me. However, the freshly made 100% buckwheat soba noodles were a little soft in my opinion as it was probably still cooking in the hot broth as you eat. The succulent duck slices, while not plenty, were well-executed.

I really enjoyed the cold soba dish we ordered, the Toriten ($21) which was served with a side of grated daikon, tsuyu(soy-based dipping sauce), and chicken tempura. Texture-wise, the cold buckwheat noodles had more of a distinctive chewy yet delicate silky bite as compared to the hot variation. Love the cool punchy daikon-soy dip which added that oomph! The fresh-tasting chicken tempura was wonderfully fried as well, crispy on the outside, and soft-tender on the inside (wish there were more). But note to eat it quickly as the thin batter at the base turned a little soggy towards the end.