The Last Slurp of 2009: Your SFoodie Lunch Planner

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Here's to a long life -- in this case, mixed up with shrimp and egg.

In Japan, oomisoka -- New Year's Eve -- is a chance to slurp the buckwheat noodles called soba. The long noodles symbolize long life. They're called toshikoshi soba, literally "passing the year noodles."

Of course, we're still two days out from 2010, but it never hurts to get a jump on luck. Get yourself to Mifune in Japantown for a bowl of toshikoshi soba, like the version with shrimp and egg. Think of it as a way of making up for all those bad lunches of 2009, the nuked Lean Cuisines, vending machine Cheetohs, and pre-made supermarket sandwiches. Make a vow to do better next year because, despite the length of the soba in your bowl, life's just too damn short.

Mifune 1727 Post (at Webster), 922-0337