Duck soup soba @ Cucuchi Cafe , Yufuin, Oita

 

A hot bowl of noodles is always a welcoming sight when the weather is cold and frosty. But when the noodles are this good, a special mention needs to take place. 

Good to know its warm inside, well somewhat...

Cucuchi Cafe is a dessert and soba shop located in the infamous  Yunotsubo Kaido (湯の坪街道) which attracts locals and foreigners alike due to its vast array of eateries and shops. Having said that, most of the food here have been street food which although are really good, you still need something more substantial to properly fuel you. Like a proper sit down meal. Fortunately, me and my folks found this place during our long walk around the area. 

Hot and steamy!

The menu is relatively simple, where there is the option of either local free range chicken or duck. Seeing that duck is something of a rarity in noodles in general, it would be a mistake not to order it. And of course, we got the chicken as well. The chicken soup based soba stood at a modest 490 but the duck based one was for a humongous 780 yen. With the huge price gap, it better be good. 

Quack quack. But honestly, pretty good. 

And despite such a price difference, the duck was pretty enjoyable. The noodle was topped with broiled pieces of duck which gave it a roasty flavour. Being a red meat, the flavours in the soup was more deep and earthy. Intense was the key word, despite being a clear broth. It was chewy but tender at the same time. The same goes with the fresh buckwheat noodles. They had a good bounce but at the same time, were very easy to take down. The broth held onto the soba very easily, making each slurp an intensely flavourful experience. 

Also pretty good. 

The chicken was not bad too. It was not as deep and savoury as the duck broth. However, it was still comforting and had a lot of flavour. The broth was clean and sweat, with some slight saltiness. the broiled leeks that it has gave it some nice spiciness. And a fish cake slice help to add more variety and texture to the overall bowl. 

Toasty

Being such a cold environment, the stove in the center of the eating area was such a godsend. So we were able to defrost both inside and out. The wooden interior gave off comforting vibes as well, while at the same time provides a pleasing aesthetic. 

Front of the house

Is it the best soba I had? Probably not, but it was sure very delicious. And if you are somehow in this part of Yufuin, it may be a good idea to check it out. So if you fancy a go, the address is as follows:

3001-1 Yufuincho Kawakami, Yufu, Oita 879-5102