When it comes to soba and yakitori, Soba Totto does them best. Located a short walk from Grand Central, Soba Totto is a Midtown gem specializing in these two Japanese staples. A narrow doorway leads to a well-stocked sake bar and semi-private dining spaces, after which you enter a long room dominated by a yakitori bar. You get a distinct taste of Japanese aesthetics through a wall of rugged black tiles. The rest of the room is decorated in stained wood, dark and elegant.

The in-house soba master was born in Himeji in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture. He went to Tokyo and there learned the techniques of soba making. After 10 years of experience in restaurants and catering, he came to NYC and brought to Soba Totto the technique and flavor of traditional Japanese soba.

Young, full of energy and creativity, Shuichi Kotani meticulously mixes the buckwheat flower not only traditionally but also adding a variety of ingredients, bringing the best balance and new flavors. The tsuyu broth is specially prepared, starting with the water and a secret only the master knows, enhancing the umami of the soba.

Appetizer Chef Katsuya Tanikoshi, born in Hokkaido, traveled to Kyoto to pursue his passion in the culinary arts. He worked there for 15 years before coming to NYC. Now Tanikoshi adds elegance, simplicity and art to Soba Totto’s team with his knowledge of Kyoto-style cuisine.

Couples should opt for the yakitori bar, where there’s plenty of elbow room and the opportunity to watch the cooks tend to the skewers. Groups can sometimes score private rooms behind paper doors, pleasant places to spend a sake-soaked evening.

You can have soba cold with a dipping sauce, or deposited in a broth with other ingredients. Typical options include duck, pork, deep-fried tofu, or vegetable and seafood tempura.

The menu has both the classics and more offbeat dishes. Desserts include the soba by-product called “soba seeds”—also known as oats—with vanilla ice cream. Sake and shochu choices are extensive. The service is gracious and accommodating, and the largely Japanese staff are quick and conscientious.

Have a stop at Soba Totto for the stunning house-made soba and fresh yakitori before your Grand Central commute; it's a pleasure to sit at the bar sipping sake as you watch the robatayaki masters work their magic.