In April, I started The Dining Traveler Cooking Series, a video series in which I recreate dishes from my favorite destinations. With our travels coming to a halt, cooking global dishes became my virtual travel. This time we go to one of my favorite culinary destinations, Japan. Back in 2003, I spent a year in Okinawa as a young Marine officer. I fell in love with the food, the culture, and the people. Living in Japan was a transformative travel experience for me-it opened my palate and my passion for travel. For this episode, we are making Yakisoba, a delicious Japanese stir-fried noodle dish.
About the Yakisoba Recipe
I reached out to one of my favorite food people, Daisuke Utagawa, a partner of the Daikaya Group, one of the leading Japanese restaurant groups in Washington, DC. Inspired by the Yakisoba kits offered at one of his restaurants, Hatoba, I gave it a try at home. Based on Masaharu Morimoto’s recipe from the book “Mastering the Art of Japanese Cooking and the tips from chef Daisuke Utagawa, this Yakisoba recipe is easy to make.
Getting the Ingredients
You can probably get your Yakisoba ingredients at your local Asian supermarket. I am lucky to live in Washington, DC, since we have a big selection of Asian supermarkets in the metro area. If you’re in DC and feeling nostalgic for Japan, check out Hana Supermarket. Don’t be fooled by the size-this tiny space is filled with all sorts of Japanese ingredients to make your favorite dishes. Also, Washington, DC, Japanese restaurant Daikaya just opened a virtual Japanese mini-mart full of goodies. If you don’t live near a Japanese restaurant, no worries! You can get items like Yakisoba Sauce, Red Pickled Ginger, Bonito Flakes, Aonori, and Yakisoba noodles online.
Making Yakisoba
Making Yakisoba is pretty easy to make, especially when you buy the pre-made Yakisoba sauce. As Daisuke Utagawa, the Daikaya Group’s co-owner, mentioned in the video, you can also make your sauce at home mixing Worseschire sauce with molasses. This recipe is a go-to for me during the week when I don’t have much time to make anything else. It is also a great dish to introduce people to Japanese food.
Recipe: Making Yakisoba at Home
Yakisoba is a Japanese noodle dish, traditionally made with yakisoba noodles, vegetables, and pork belly. You can also replace the protein with tofu, chicken, or beef.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Japanese Food
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
The recipe below serves 1:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ounces pork belly, thinly sliced, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces (in a pinch, you can also use bacon. If vegetarian, you can replace with tofu)
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1/4 cup 2-inch-long matchsticks peeled carrot
1 cup roughly chopped (about two by 3/4-inch pieces) loosely packed white cabbage
1 (5 1/2-ounce) package yakisoba noodles
2 tablespoons jarred yakisoba sauce, preferably the Otafuku brand
1 tablespoon shredded beni shoga (red pickled ginger)
1 heaping tablespoon bonito flakes1/2 teaspoon aonori (powdered seaweed) or finely chopped nori seaweed sheets
Instructions
Step 1: In a wok or large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and onions, cook for 2-3 minutes until soft
Step 2: Add pork belly and carrots to the wok and cook for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked.
Step 3: Add the cabbage, cook 3-4 minute until wilted
Step 4: While the vegetables and pork are cooking, on another frying pan, add 1/4 a cup of water to the frying pan, then add noodles and loosen them up with tongs or chopsticks.
Step 5: Add noodles to the wok, integrate the vegetable pork mix to the noodles with tongs or chopsticks. Add sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes. Reminder: Yakisoba noodles are already pre-cooked, so there’s no need to keep them longer than a few minutes for the flavors to meld.
Step 6: Placed yakisoba on the plate. Sprinkle with aonori and top with bonito flakes. Add a small portion of pickled ginger on the side.
