Yakisoba

Another of my favorite dishes from Otafuku is yakisoba (see yesterday's post Otofuku story). Yaki=Fried. Soba=Noodle. Unlike okonomiyaki and takoyaki, yakisoba is easy to find in New York. I have many restaurant options for ordering Japanese noodles, but I eat at Otafuku because there are no seats. I know, I'm weird, but... you see... yakisoba is Japanese street-cart junk food. Eating it is the Eastern equivalent of chowing on a hot dog and pretzel from a NYC vendor. It's a hot snack to be purchased impulsively and eaten on the go. This is probably smart because yakisoba is not the healthiest food on the planet and one should start immediately burning off the calories upon consumption. Below is a recipe from About.com Japanese Food.

--2 packages Steamed Chuka Noodles (150g/package)
--1/2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
--1/4 lb Boneless Pork Rib, thinly sliced (OR other meat/seafood. I recommend Shrimp and Squid)
--Salt and Pepper
--1/4 cup Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
--1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
--1/4 medium Onion, thinly sliced (or Green Onion)
--Other Vegetables to stir-fry
--2 Green Head Cabbage Leaves, chopped
--4-6 tbsp Yakisoba Sauce (or 2 packages of yakisoba seasoning in yakisoba kits, or 4-6 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce)
--Tempura Flakes (optional)

Lightly loosen the pre-steamed chuka noodles and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in medium skillet on medium heat. Stir-fry the pork (or other meat/seafood) until almost cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to season. Add carrots, onion, green bell pepper, and any other vegetables in the skillet and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add cabbage in the skillet and stir-fry for a minute. Add noodles in skillet. Pour 1/4 cup of water over the noodles and cover the skillet. Turn down the heat to low and steam for a few minutes. Remove the lid and add yakisoba seasoning powder or sauce. Add tempura flakes if you'd like (they add a nice crunch). Stir the noodles quickly. Divide yakisoba among two plates. To garnish, sprinkle with aonori (dried green seaweed) and beni-shoga (pickled red ginger).