Say “Japanese food,” and most people will think “rice” or “sushi.” After a moment, they might add “sashimi.” But noodles are also an important part of the Japanese diet.
Sōmen noodles are made with wheat flour. They are thin and white, and in the summer they’re served cold. Served nagashi style, they are poured into a flume that might reach across an entire restaurant. Diners snag the noodles with chopsticks and dip them into a light sauce before slurping them down. (Slurping is entirely acceptable.) At our restaurant in Mashiko, the chef expertly flipped the pan of sōmen into a circular trough where a small motor kept the noodles circulating as we ate.
It gives the phrase “grab a bite to eat” a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?