noun
evening noodle vendor; nighttime noodle cart; noodles sold by a nighttime vendor
Refers to a traditional ambulatory vendor who sold soba or other noodles in the evening or at night, often from a cart with a distinctive whistle or call. The term can also refer to the noodles themselves. This is a historical/cultural term; such vendors are rare in modern Japan.
昔は夜になると夜鳴きそばの屋台が町を回った。
In the old days, nighttime noodle carts would go around town in the evening.
夜鳴きそばの笛の音が聞こえると、子供
When they heard the whistle of the nighttime noodle vendor, children would grab some coins and run outside.
Compound of 夜鳴き (yoru naki, 'night crying/singing', referring to the vendor's call or whistle) and そば (soba, 'buckwheat noodles'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it evokes the image of a vendor calling out at night.