The name of the hip Lower East Side soba joint, Cocoron, is Japanese for heartwarming, and indeed this soba specialty restaurant has truly warmed my heart with the best quality soba in the City. For true soba lovers, cold soba is the only way to go, as hot soba inevitably becomes overcooked and soft in the broth it sits in. Cold buckwheat noodles are hearty and chewy, retaining their al dente texture. My current favorite is the chicken with burdock root tsukemen . Diners dip the cold soba into the hot broth of chicken thigh, burdock root and shiitake. Richly flavorful, it’s a good match for the wonderfully heartwarming homemade soba noodles.