A few months ago, HungryMan and I shared a midnight taxi ride home with Cousin Wack. Her apartment was the first stop on our trip, but our itinerary changed rapidly when we arrived at her building and said our goodbyes– it was then, over her shoulder that we spotted Soba Koh on the same block. Quicker than a flash, all three of us had abandoned the cab, and HungryMan and I stood peering into the windows of the darkened restaurant, smacking our lips and wondering aloud if the restaurant was any good. We knew, with both a relative and a soba restaurant on the same city block, we’d be back soon.

So this weekend, we accompanied Cousins Pluck and Wack to their local neighborhood buckwheat noodle house– I wish we all had one. Starting with a bowl of edamame, we sat in awe of the sheer variety of dishes served at Soba Koh. Almost half of the items on the menus were daily specials, printed very neatly in both Japanese and English on an insert. We find that in general, an abundance of specials tends to indicate the presence of a chef who believes in cooking what is freshest and in-season, and often one who isn’t afraid of a little improvisation. We ordered from both menus, just to get a sense of the interplay between the cameo players and the recurring characters, a dynamic that even very creative and competent chefs have a difficult time controlling.

But subtlety reigns at Soba Koh, so there are few clashes. One excellent illustration of this is the Chicken Wing with Sansyo Pepper appetizer special; it is extraordinarily juicy for a wing and seared with the floral exclamation points of the sansyo. Looking at the three wings, you could imagine thinking that three might not be enough, but somehow, they are plenty. These are not the sort of wings that you would make a meal of– they are accent pieces that prime the palate for something hearty and soothing to come. And of course, for that very reason, they fit in perfectly with the homey soba dishes that comprise the bulk of the main dishes here.

Another of our appetizer selections, the agedashi tofu special, was among the very best I have ever eaten– the tofu was creamy and supple inside, while the dashi was gorgeously rich without the overbearing fishiness of bonito that often mars this dish. Cousin Pluck commented that this was the most delicious fried tofu she has ever eaten. I’m not too far from making that statement myself.

Our Goma-ae appetizer special was beautiful and forest-dark, but tasted slightly too bitter. The sesame sauce might have been better suited to a sweeter vegetable, because with the leafy parts of the broccoli rabe there was a sharpness that never felt balanced. Had we been drinking wine, this would have killed it. As it turned out, the bitterness was very pleasant with the Sapporo I was drinking, so just proceed with caution.

HungryMan’s Ebi Ten Seiro Soba was a diptych of cold, hand-pulled and cut soba noodles on one plate, accompanied by a simple tempura of three large shrimps on the second plate. That, plus a cup of soy dipping sauce, rounded out an impressively artful presentation. The idea behind separating the pieces is that you can eat this dish however you choose. I saw a few patrons opting for the shrimp + noodle + sauce jumble approach, but just as many (including the off-duty waitress eating in the corner) chose to eat and dip items at random. HungryMan raved about the contrasting textures of the tempura batter and the firm, cold noodles, as well as the concentrated brininess of the dipping sauce. For someone who does not enjoy soup noodles, this seems like an excellent option.

Both cousins chose from the ‘Hot Noodle’ section of the permanent menu, with Cousin Pluck selecting the Vegetable Tempura Soba, a crunchy selection that included a fleshy and soft sweet potato that she insisted we mention. The green chili that features so prominently in the image here was not as fiery and threatening as it looks– it had a bit of a kick, but the dashi broth and warm noodles tempered it nicely. Cousin Wack ordered what I probably would have– the Kinoko Soba, another hot soba soup, but one overflowing with three varieties of mushrooms: enoki, shimeiji, and shiitake. This is the sort of dish that should only be eaten by people who love umami, but for those that do, it is loaded with deeply earthy flavors that contrast with the simplicity of the soba noodles. I plan to make a return visit to order this.

On this particular trip however, I chose one of the special main dishes: the Fried Tofu Balls with Eel and Hijiki Soba. I love the inky, peppery flavor of hijiki and imagined that it would work well with eel– another of my favorites. Combined in the tofu balls, the flavors did blend nicely, but I do wish that the tofu balls had been served on the side of the soup where they would not have absorbed as much broth as these did. Even still, this is a small complaint about an otherwise solid entrée.

Prices at Soba Koh range from about $4 to $9 for appetizers, and from $8 to $17 for mains, which makes it a relative bargain for the quality of food. There aren’t many places in New York City where you can watch buckwheat noodles being made from scratch, let alone order up a serving of them for about $10. There is also a set meal for $16 that includes an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert, but it is only for early birds (pre- 7:00 diners) on the weekends; during the week, the meal is offered until 10:00. If you’re not familiar with soba noodles, this might be the perfect way to sample a few of the unique specials and let the chef guide your meal. Regardless of how you order, just be sure to choose one or two of the inventive selections as well as something that includes a slurp or two of Soba Koh’s truly superb dashi.

Soba Koh, 309 East 5th Street (at 2nd Avenue), 212-254-2244