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).

Okonomiyaki

I went on a date with someone I met on the internet once (and ONLY once). I wasn't looking for a date, but the girl seemed cool, so I decided to give my internet date a try. It was awkward and uncomfortable and we never hung out again, but I will always remember her as "The Girl Who Introduced Me To My Favorite Restaurant In New York City." The "restaurant," Otafuku, little more than a hole in the wall, is only large enough to accommodate two standing people ordering at a counter. The only seating is a bench outside the door, next to the long line. It's usually occupied. But it's the only place that I've ever found that serves Japanese comfort food. You can order any combination of Yakisoba (noodles), Okonomiyaki (a savory eggy pancake thing, a "Japanese Pizza" of sorts), Edamame (soy beans), or Takoyaki (little round doughy balls filled with octopus or cheese. If it didn't require a special grilling device, I'd make these every day). It's indescribably delicious food. Here's the recipe (from About.com Japanese Food)for 6 Osaka-style okonomiyaki:

--2 cups All-Purpose Flour
--1 1/4 cup Dashi Soup Stock (or water)
--6 Eggs
--1 head of Cabbage (1 and 1/4 lb), chopped finely
--6 tbsp Green Onion, chopped
--2/3 cup Tenkasu (Tempura Flakes)
--Peanut Oil
--Topping (12-18 strips of thinly sliced Pork or Beef, or perhaps some Shrimp or good Bacon. Otafuku has a Corn and Scallion option)

Toppings:
--Ao-nori (Dried Green Seaweed Flakes)
--Okonomiyaki Sauce (My approximation: mix 1/4 cup Ketchup, 1 1/2 tbsp Worstershire Sauce, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce, 1 teaspoon Honey, 1-2 tablespoons Brown Sugar, perhaps some Sake or Mirin or Ground Ginger. Simmered in saucepan, then cooled)
--Mayonnaise (I wish I knew what made this mayonnaise different. It just is somewhat more flavorful than Hellman's)
--Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes)
--Beni-shoga (Pickled Red Ginger)

In a bowl, mix the flour with the soup stock. Refrigerate the batter for an hour. For one pancake: In a small bowl, mix about 1/2 cup of the batter, 1/4 pound of the chopped cabbage, 1 tablespoon of the chopped green onion and 2 tablespoons of the tempura flakes. Make a hole in the middle of the batter and add an egg. Mix the batter (at Otafuku, they use chopsticks to mix). Heat a skillet on high and add some peanut oil. Pour the batter into a pancake shape and cook 5-7 minutes. To the side of the pancake, cook your meat (or other choice of toppings). Place the topping on top of the pancake and flip the whole thing. Cook for 5-7 more minutes on the other side. Serve with Okonomiyaki sauce and a little mayonnaise (these sauces really round out the dish). If desired, sprinkle green seaweed flakes and bonito flakes over the top and place a little red ginger on the side.

Tomoe Bean Sprouts

For 10 years I've observed the ever-present line outside the tiny Tomoe Sushi in Greenwich Village, NYC. I'd always heard that it serves some of the best sushi in New York, but could never bring myself to stand in line (impatient New Yorker that I am). Last fall, my friend Jessi and I passed by the restaurant on a slow night and stepped inside for dinner. Now we'll happily wait in a very long line to eat there.

After seating you, the waiter brings a hot rolled-up towel for your hands and a tiny plate. Here is my version of what's on the plate (a larger portion, of course):

--2 cups of fresh bean sprouts, well rinsed and shaken dry
--4 tbsp rice vinegar
--1 tbsp light soy sauce
--1 tsp sesame oil
--1 tbsp fine sugar

Poach the bean sprouts for 1 minute by putting them in rapidly boiling water. Strain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.

Whisk rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar together. Toss mixture with the bean sprouts and serve.

Andy's Sliced Roast Pork

When my childhood friend Andy May comes to town, we head over to Rai Rai Ken, an East Village Ramen Noodle joint. When I say "Ramen Noodle," I'm not just talking about Oodles-of-Noodles. This place serves up the real deal, a hearty soup for the body and soul. But Andy and I have been obsessed with another item on the menu: the sliced roast pork. Andy, a budding chef, has been trying for some time to figure out how it's made. Here's his version:

-- A pork sirloin roast, the back part of the loin, near the hind leg
-- Sesame Oil
-- Dark Soy Sauce

Sear the pork roast. Then roast at low heat (275 degrees) for 4 hours, basting often in its juices. Remove from oven and cut the roast into 1/4 inch slices. Re-sear these slices with a marinade of sesame oil and dark soy sauce*. Then eat it all in one sitting.

*Rai Rai Ken also includes coursely chopped scallions in this marinade.