Daruma-ya (CLOSED)

In New York's great noodle pantheon, ramen is the undisputed king. But this 40-seat izakaya—taking over the space atop Sushi Azabu—spotlights ramen's high-maintenance cousin, soba. Noodle master Shuichi Kotani turns out fresh tangles every 30 minutes, grinding imported Japanese buckwheat by stonemill and boiling it for exactly 20 seconds. The resulting strands are deployed in eight dishes, topped with roasted duck, Japanese bottarga or grated yam. Beyond the noodle bowl, Nobuhito Dosei (of L.A.'s Michelin-starred Mori Sushi) dispatches sushi and small plates: live scallops with smoked salt and yuzu juice; deep-fried tofu with nameko mushrooms in dashi; and kobe beef with wasabi and oroshi-ponzu sauce.