Matsugen

We had a delightful meal at Matsugen in Tribeca last night, which is owned in part by Jean-Georges Vongrerichten, but run in fact by others.

Complaints first - overmuch staffing, little coordinated. We were left menu-less for 10 minutes. A little expensive, if you venture outside the soba. A slightly "too cool for you" feel.

But none of that distracts too much from the food, which for us included some freshly made tofu (like night and day, in terms of texture, when compared to store-bought stuff) topped with a soy and dashi sauce, and soba soup with fried tofu and scallions. The broth was both sweet and complex, and the noodles we had (the flour for which is ground in the back) have a satisfying bite and flavor. Altogether delicious - I could have eaten at least another bowl.