Reiwa Soba Kappo (Killiney)

Reiwa Soba will probably appeal to those who prefer milder, cleaner and healthier tastebuds.

For those who prefer a 'punchier' flavour, you should check out their spicy sancho mazesoba. Their handmade soba is topped with spicy minced pork, alfafa sprouts, leek, nori, tenkatsu and Japanese Sansho pepper. It is then paired with a sweet, tangy and savoury sansho pepper sauce.

There is a nice hint of tongue numbing mala flavours but overall the dish is really well balanced with a harmonious bland of savoury and refreshing flavours.

I think Reiwa Soba willl appeal to those who prefer their food more 'bland', mild and 'healthier' tasting. If I had to describe their food, it's akin to classical music. Timeless yet soothing and pleasing to the palate.

Reiwa Soba's signature dish is their pork Soba.

Fresh handmade buckwheat soba is topped with organic Spanish white pork and served with their signature dipping sauce which comprises a blend of chilli oil, bone broth, kombu seaweed and fish stock with a dash of honey.

We really liked the buckwheat soba. Freshly made, it has a subtle earthy and nutty flavour and packed a good chewy bite. It can taste a little bland on its own but tastes great paired with Reiwa Soba's signature dipping sauce.

The Spanish white pork though was bland and tough. I like the soba but am not a fan of the pork!

I have heard a lot about Reiwa Soba Kappo since they first started out as a hawker stall in the Jalan Besar area just before or during the Covid outbreak but never got a chance to check their handmade soba out until recently.

For starters, we had their maguro tatsutaage or deep fried tuna. The marinated tuna chunks are lightly coated with rice flour, deep fried, topped with grated daikon and served in a tangy ponzu sauce.

We loved the tender marinated tuna chunks. They were sweet and juicy and paired really well with the grated daikon and tangy ponzu sauce. It's great as a starter or paired with their buckwheat soba!

It has only since been not too long ago that we had dropped by Reiwa Soba’s outlet — we had made our visit there when they had just opened their doors at Trengganu Street back then. A little over a year has past and Reiwa Soba had moved out of the premises, only to find themselves settling at yet another new spot. Moving away from Chinatown, Reiwa Soba has found new digs at the fringe of Singapore’s well-known shopping belt — Reiwa Soba had recently moved into the ground floor of a shophouse located along Killiney Road; the establishment is now neighbours with the likes of Fook Kin and 87 Just Thai, which are both just walking distance away and is also easily accessible via Somerset MRT Station on the North South Line. With its move, it seems that Reiwa Soba’s space at Killiney Road is somewhat bigger than that of their former location at Trengganu Road, though it has lost somewhat of its hidden vibes considering how it used to be located at the back of a backpacker’s hotel. That being said, the its new location comes in an all-familiar interior decor; one that is clean and minimalistic, featuring white walls and wooden furniture and fittings — minimal distractions whilst being also welcoming and brightly-lit. Branded as Reiwa Soba Kappo 令和蕎麦烹, the menu at their Killiney Road outlet features items spread across categories such as Mains, Chef Recommendations, Soba & Toppings, Sushi & Sashimi, Salad & Appetizers, Grilled and Fried, as well as Rice Dishes. Reiwa Soba also does serve up a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at their Killiney Road outlet — this includes various cocktails, as well as their signature Homemade Umeshu and Homemade Honey Ume Soda; just to name a few.

Having been to their some of their previous locations including that of their original location situated within the coffeeshop at Kelantan Lane which has since closed, as well as the outlet branded as Reiwa Soba Honten 令和十割そば本店 at Bedok Reservoir which is still currently in operations, we had decided to opt for something a little different from the REIWA Pork Soba and the REIWA Chicken Soba that we have previously had. We found ourselves going for the Oroshi Tempura Soba this time round — the menu describes the Oroshi Tempura Soba as an item which features elements such as Assorted Tempura, Grated Daikon, Leek, and Nori coming with their signature 100% Buckwheat Flour Soba served cold in Chilled Homemade Soy Dashi Sauce. Reiwa Soba prides themselves over their 100% Buckwheat Flour Soba ever since the days when they had first started out at Kelantan Lane; the 100% Buckwheat Flour Soba is one that they dedicate much effort in making from scratch and it shows — the soba here comes with a good chewiness, yet being especially easy to eat. In fact, we found out that it was more appetising being served chilled here in the Oroshi Tempura Soba than in the usual REIWA Pork Soba and the REIWA Chicken Soba which we typically would go for. Coupled with just the Daikon Oroshi (i.e. grated Japanese white radish), as well as the Nori (i.e. dried seaweed) and Chilled Homemade Soy Dashi Sauce, it was all umami with a fluffy texture from the Daikon Oroshi — the bowl of soba being good to have on its own. The Assorted Tempura comes with prawn, sea eel, pumpkin and eggplant pieces — there is no denying in how the seafood pieces comes with fresh seafood, though it is worth noting how all tempura items at Reiwa Soba features their 100% Buckwheat Flour Batter. This also means that the tempura pieces comes in a fried batter that looks smoother than the usual; the batter still being light and crisp, though definitely felt a lot “clean” in terms of flavour whilst also being free from grease.

Reiwa Soba is a name that we have been following since quite a while. Being an establishment that had first started out in a coffeeshop, it is pretty unthinkable that it has expanded to such a scale that they are now. We still recall the days where they were still situated in Kelantan Lane serving up their 100% Buckwheat Flour Soba that is made from scratch with limited production daily — the queues forming up at the coffeeshop just waiting to give their handmade soba a try. While there was a period of time where their operations were based within coffeeshops, which also includes their now-defunct outlet that we had never managed to visit at Clementi, they had since progressed into a establishment with restaurant operations these days, which includes both Reiwa Soba Honten at Bedok Reservoir, and Reiwa Soba Kappo at Killiney Road. Indeed, Reiwa Soba has been through quite a lot over the years, yet managing to constantly improve on its offerings by being at least consistently good with their handmade buckwheat soba — something that they had stayed true to with all these while. They have also not been resting on their laurels as well, offering patrons with a wider variety of choices by introducing items such as sushi rolls and other cooked dishes on their menu. One thing that patrons should not miss during their visit to Reiwa Soba apart from their offerings featuring their signature 100% Buckwheat Flour Soba would be the Homemade Umeshu for those who drink — those whom do not consume alcohol can also opt for their Homemade Honey Ume Soda as well. The Homemade Umeshu has always been a must-order for us ever since we had given it a go for the first time at Reiwa Soba Honten at Bedok Reservoir; it is sufficiently boozy, yet well infused with the naturally sweet and slightly tangy notes from the honey and plum — a very refreshing drink to go with the food here. It has always been a joy to visit Reiwa Soba and it is pretty much the same with their newest location of Reiwa Soba Kappo at Killiney Road; definitely looking forward to give their Sansho Spicy Mazesoba a go when we plan for our return visit some day!

Zaru Soba 3/5
Dango 4/5

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Sansho Spicy Mazesoba - $15
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Back at Reiwa Soba to makan of their 100% buckwheat flour soba. The Sansho Spicy Mazesoba is served cold, topped with spicy minced pork with a mild kick! Accompanied with leek, Alfalfa sprouts, tenkatsu and nori. Mixed with homemade sesame sauce for the classic wafu flavours. Definitely prefer this over their classic soba with pork slices
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Reiwa Soba
@reiwasoba.sg