I wanted soba for lunch but was too lazy to drive out to a restaurant, so I made it myself. Prepackaged soba noodle should be boiled in boiling water for about 6-8 minutes, and rinse repeatedly in cold water to wash off the salty taste and starch. I like to stuff it in the freezer for two minutes so it is refreshingly cold when I eat it:) Soup base? Again came from a bottle in Japanese supermarket. Look for soba noodle soup base, I know you can make the stuff at home but why bother if you just want something quick and easy?