YAKISOBA

Yakisoba

YAKISOBA

#SIAintheKitchen

I can remember the last time I had yakisoba. I was in highschool and eating at the all-you-can-eat restaurant, Sui Sha Ya. At that time, it was the go-to place to dine because I mean, who can deny yourself ALL YOU CAN EAT!? I’m happy to say that my dining choices and tastes have evolved since then and I don’t eat at those types of establishments anymore unless forced (my boyfriend can attest to this).

But I wondered…how come no one ever makes yakisoba? And how come I never see it in other Japanese restaurants? It’s all still a bit of a mystery to me…

Mystery aside, I had two packs of yakisoba noodles hidden in my freezer that were leftover from when I had made Hiroshima Okonomiyaki. The only reasonable thing to do was to make yakisoba which was fairly simple to do! It comprises of some thinly-sliced pork belly (also leftover from the freezer), choice of vegetables (namely cabbage, onion, and carrot), noodles and yakisoba sauce. That’s it! But it’s very important to have your toppings: Japanese mayo, aonoir, and sliced pickled ginger. I didn't have any bonito flakes or eggs in the fridge to make an egg crepe but it still worked! Yummy in my tummy.

YAKISOBA - serves 2 - 4 (adapted from Just One Cookbook)

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 onion, sliced

  • 200g pork belly, thinly-sliced

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 carrot, julienned

  • 2 1/2 cups napa cabbage

  • 3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 1/2 bunch chives, chopped into 2” segments

  • 2 pkgs yakisoba noodles, frozen

  • 1/4 cup yakisoba sauce

  • freshly-ground black pepper, as needed

  • japanese mayonnaise, aonori, and pickled ginger to garnish

  1. In a large wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

  2. Add the onions and sauté until some colour begins to appear on the onions.

  3. Add the pork belly and lower the heat to medium. Cook the pork belly until cooked, about 3 minutes. Add in the minced garlic.

  4. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the carrot, cabbage, mushrooms and chives. Stir fry for 5 minutes.

  5. In a separate bowl, separate the noodles in boiling water until loosened. Drain the water and add to the wok.

  6. Add the yakisoba sauce and toss together until everything is well-mixed. Add the pepper to taste.

  7. To serve, drizzle Japanese mayonnaise, sprinkle with aonori and sliced pickled ginger.

ASIAN, JAPANESE, PLANT-BASEDStephanie Siayakisoba, Japanese food, yakisoba recipe, sia slurps, sia in the kitchen, yakisoba from scratch, japanese cookingComment