All about Japanese Menu (Food)!!: November 2011

Menu Taste and Personal Experience:

I was surfing the internet, looking at various stuff until my eyes caught on something that greatly interest me. It was yakisoba pan!! I thought that it is a really unique kind of food. It’s kinda disappointing that I did not find any stall that sell yakisoba pan while I am holidaying at Japan couple years ago. I went to one of the New Year’s Eve festival but all I could find was yakisoba vendor. So I decided to research about it a bit. I tried cooking it myself several weeks ago. The hardest part was finding the required ingredients, especially the packaged chuka noodle, couldn’t find it anywhere except one store. Anyway making yakisoba pan is really fun, just scroll down to find the ingredients and directions on how to make it.

If we are talking about the taste, the yakisoba itself is sweet, savoury, a wee bit sour and salty. I can just enjoy the yakisoba itself since it taste so good. Now how about the yakisoba pan?? So when I put it inside the hotdog roll, top it with seaweed, katsuobushi and mayonnaise, I give it a bite and my brain was like…. OMG!!! Soo goodddd… really rich in flavour and I can’t even describe it!!! All I can say… YOU GOTTA TRY IT YOURSELF!!! So what are you waiting for, start making it and enjoy :D

Menu Description:

Yakisoba, literally "fried noodles", is a dish often sold at festivals in Japan, but originates in China. The dish was derived by the Chinese from the traditional chow mein, but has been more heavily integrated into Japanese cuisine like ramen. Even though soba (noodles made from buckwheat) is part of the word, yakisoba noodles are not made from buckwheat, but are similar to ramen noodles and made from wheat flour.

Yakisoba usually refers to sōsu yakisoba, flavored with yakisoba sauce, a sweetened, thickened variant of Worcestershire sauce.

Yakisoba is most familiarly served on a plate either as a main dish or a side dish. Another popular way to prepare and serve yakisoba in Japan is to pile the noodles into a bun sliced down the middle in the style of a hot dog, and garnish the top with mayonnaise and shreds of pickled ginger. Called yakisoba-pan, pan meaning bread, it is commonly available at local matsuri (Japanese festivals) or konbini (convenience stores).

Sometimes, Japanese white Udon is used as a replacement of Chinese style Soba and called Yakiudon. This variation was started in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture.

In Okinawa, Yakisoba is popular with Okinawans and U.S. servicemembers stationed on the island alike. Mess halls and other on-base eateries often serve yakisoba. Ham is a popular addition to yakisoba made in Okinawa, in addition to other meats such as chicken, beef, or pork.

Menu Ingredients:

(makes 2-3 servings)

Steamed chuka noodles packaged (~300gr)
3 Tbsp water
200gr pork meat, thinly sliced (chicken or beef or prawn meat can be used)
1 Tbsp mirin
1/2 Tbsp vegetable/olive oil
1/2 Tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 brown onion, thinly sliced
Cabbage, chopped
4-6 Tbsp yakisoba sauce or tonkatsu sauce or worcestershire sauce
Beni-shoga (pickled red ginger) thinly sliced
Japanese Mayonnaise
Dried seaweed thinly sliced
Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Boiled egg, cut in half (optional)
2-3 Hotdog Roll

Menu Directions:

Loosen packaged noodle and set aside
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat
Stir-fry meat until half cooked
Add salt and pepper to taste
Add onion and stir fry until golden brown
Add cabbage and stir fry for around 1 minute
Stir in noodle, add water and fry for around 2 minute until the noodle are properly loosen and mixed
Add in sauce, sugar and mirin; stir fry until the noodles are evenly coated
Turn off heat and set aside.
Take hotdog bun, open and fill in with yakisoba.
Spread mayonnaise on top of yakisoba, sprinkle with seaweed, katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and benishoga (pickled red ginger). You can also add boiled egg if you like.
Serve