Miso & Me

Alessa Alluin
1 day ago
4 min read

Updated: 1 hour ago

Throughout my life, my food obsessions have come and gone. Sometimes I would be obsessed with trendy foods like dragon’s breath or just have a non-stop craving for chicken nuggets, but my love for miso soup has remained constant. Especially in college when I eat too much barely-edible dining hall food or homemade dishes, I don’t see my favorite miso soup in either. I have tried making miso soup at home because it’s really just hot water and broth, how hard can it be? Turns out that no matter how many times I try, my soup is never as good as it is in restaurants. So for now, I’ll stick to ordering my miso instead of failing to recreate it. My order has remained the same for 15 years: plain miso soup, white rice, and edamame. Here is my list of the places that do miso soup best and the stories of how I found these places in one of the largest cities in the world.

Soho Sushi

231 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

After being deprived of miso for so long, Soho Sushi truly hit the spot. I went because they had a fundraiser with an NYU club, and I wanted to support them and finally reunite with miso soup again after being without it for so long. It was simple and classic and Soho Sushi’s miso soup was just what I needed that day. The service was quick and friendly, prices were fairly cheap, and the food was a sight for sore eyes. The edamame was also nice and warm as well as perfectly salted.

Jin Noodle & Sushi Co.

49 E 8th St, New York, NY 10003

I had passed by Jin Noodle & Sushi Co. dozens of times, every time telling myself that I would eat there one day. When I finally went, it was in search of a cure following a food poisoning spell that I never want to relive. Jin Noodle & Sushi truly caters to every sort of person, the decor is relaxed if you want to chat in a large group and separators that allow more privacy to eat alone if that’s more your style. Consuming food that put me through hell made me want something that’s hard to mess up: miso soup. As my comfort food, miso soup was the only thing that made sense that day, since soup is nice, warm, and endearing.

Saketumi Asian Bistro

118 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

It was a rainy summer day, then it was sunny, then it rained again. Between the downpour, my friend and I found Saketumi. The quaint and quiet atmosphere was perfect for warming up, and it just had a certain ambiance that drew us in. While my friend ordered Thai and Malaysian food, I got my usual miso soup and its partners in crime: white rice and edamame. They had extra broth in the soup and bigger bowls so despite being hungry all day, after Saketumi, I was delightfully full.

Iron Chef House

92 Clark St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

When you’re hungry, you’re hungry, so I could not wait another second when it came to ordering miso soup from Grubhub. I searched for miso near me and Iron Chef House popped up. Though I’ve never had the pleasure of sampling this lovely soup in person, I enjoyed having it delivered—and eating it—in the comfort of my dorm. So when delivery is your only option as a college student, remember that Iron Chef House’s miso travels well.

Akimoto Sushi

187 Church St, New York, NY 10007

If you ever find yourself in Tribeca, Akimoto Sushi truly hits the spot. Whether or not you put rice in your miso, or edamame in your soup with rice, this place is perfect for a quick pick me up to get you out of your semester slump. It may not be earning Michelin stars anytime soon, but it was the perfect thing I needed after the first few weeks of classes. Even if it was a brief moment of happiness, my delightful trifecta was the best end to a stressful day.

Teppan Territory

1 DeKalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Out of all the miso soup I’ve had in New York City, this is by far the best one. Located within the beautiful chaos of Dekalb Market, which also houses a wide range of cuisines, Teppan Territory’s miso soup was the most flavorful and most delicious soup. I don’t know what they do differently, but nothing I've ever had quite compares to their miso soup.

In hindsight, though each miso soup tasted unique, they are probably from the same company and it’s only an illusion that they taste different. Despite this, I think that the effort and care put into food can change how good it is, and miso soup is no exception. Miso soup is and will probably always be a comfort food for me.