This simple Yakisoba noodle dish features a whole head of iceberg lettuce and chicken. Iceberg lettuce is most commonly eaten as salads, but its crisp texture also works well in stir-frying. One whole head of lettuce seems like a lot, but it shrinks to about half of the volume when it’s stir-fried. Crisp texture somehow remains, and the lettuce leaves also soaks up the flavors from the chicken and sauce quite well.
Yakisoba is a popular Japanese stir-fried noodle dish, usually cooked with sliced pork, cabbage, and bean sprouts. While Worcestershire-based Yakisoba sauce seasoned version is most well known, Yakisoba noodles that are simply seasoned with salt and soy sauce such as Shio Yakisoba are also popular. While ingredients are super simple, we added sweet and salty oyster sauce for adding richness and umami to the dish.
Curry Yakisoba is stir-fried noodles flavored with curry powder. The spicy curry aroma stimulates the appetite at any moment. Here, beef is used as protein in the dish, but it can be easily replaced with chicken or pork. And that’s the same for the vegetables. Cabbage, broccoli, and onions work very well too. Curry Yakisoba is a great simple lunch perfect for one or two people. Or multiply the recipe, and make this as dinner to serve the entire family!
Omu Soba (Omusoba, オムそば) is Yakisoba noodles wrapped with a thin egg crepe, looking like an omelette. It’s found at a lot of Okonomiyaki restaurants in Japan that also serve Yakisoba noodles. At a restaurant, skilled Okonomiyaki cooks make noodles and thin round eggs, wrap noodles with the egg on the hot griddles using two Okonomiyaki spatulas right in front of you. That may be hard for us to imitate at home. However, it is not hard to make Omu Soba yourself with a frying pan.
Shirataki Yakisoba is stir-fried noodles using Shirataki noodles instead of regular Yakisoba noodles, but still having the usual Yakisoba flavorings. Shirataki, also called Ito Konnyaku, is a form of Konnyaku which is a gelatinous food made from Konnyaku potatoes. Shirataki is shaped like thin threads (ito), as opposed to regular Konnyaku, which is usually a slab or block form, and is often seen as one of the vegetables in Sukiyaki, the most famous Japanese hot pot dish.
Yakisoba is stir-fried egg noodles with roots in Chinese Chow Mien, although it has evolved on its own path over a long time. Japanese Yakisoba is better known to be seasoned with a Worcestershire Sauce-like Yakisoba sauce. However, there is another popular kind: Shio Yakisoba. “Shio” means salt in Japanese, and salt is of course used in Shio Yakisoba along with other seasonings, but the name “Shio Yakisoba” is used to differentiate from “sauce” Yakisoba. Shio Yakisoba is less rich and strong flavored compared to the other kind, but it is quite tasty and possibly more habit forming for its simpler taste.
Having lived in Kansai areas where Okonomiyaki is famous (which uses a sauce similar to Yakisoba sauce), Yakisoba with sauce is a more typical and familiar kind – or even the only kind – for us. But, there are a lot of different versions of Yakisoba and Shio Yakisoba all over Japan. Many regions have created their own Shio Yakisoba using local seafood and vegetables, but it seems like the dish is gaining more attention nationally in the last decade or so. When you make it at home, because there are so many varieties, there is no right or wrong for what ingredients to use. We wanted it to be very simple here and used only a few things – pork, bean sprouts, and green onions. If you like more vegetables, however, go ahead as you wish! Just adjust the amount of salt and other seasonings because more ingredients means diluting the taste.
Chuka Men for Yakisoba is usually sold as packages of fresh noodles in the refrigerated section at Japanese or some Asian markets. Each package of noodles (often one square) is for one serving, and sometimes comes with Yakisoba seasoning powder. The seasoning powder is a convenient thing and doesn’t taste bad, I admit, so you may opt to use that as your Yakisoba sauce. For people who do not have access to any Asian markets at all, dried spaghetti can be used instead of Chuka Men. Similar to what we did in Ramen, boil dried spaghetti in boiling water (2L) with baking soda (2Tbsp), and cook according to the package. You may not want to use fresh pasta because it may be too soft to stir fry after boiling. We know it is not exactly the same as Chuka Men, but it can be a pretty good substitution for those who cannot get Chuka Men. Get all the ingredients ready, fry them together, and enjoy your own Yakisoba! (When you are using spaghetti or other kind of fresh noodles which doesn’t require water to loosen while cooking, omit water in the recipe.)
(Also, we recommend using a non-stick pan to make Yakisoba to avoid noodles getting stuck on the pan.)
Cut sliced pork into bite size pieces. Wash sprouts and drain well. Slice green onions diagonally. Set aside.
In a wok or frying-pan, heat oil at medium high heat. Add garlic and pork and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add sprouts and stir. Then add noodles and water in the pan, cover, and cook for 30 seconds. Loosen the noodles and stir. Season with salt, pepper, Soy Sauce, Sake. Add sliced green onions and Sesame Oil in the end and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Modanyaki (Modern Yaki) is a kind of Okonomiyaki that also contains Yakisoba. It is a regular item on the menu at any Okonomiyaki restaurant in Japan. Because Modanyaki is a combination of 2 starchy dishes, it is quite hearty and filling, especially when drenched with sweet and savory sauce and mayonnaise.
Yakisoba is Japanese stir fried noodles. It is served with Yakisoba sauce, similar to Tonkatsu or Okonomiyaki sauce. Yakisoba is usually fried with sliced pork and vegetables like cabbage and bean sprouts. It is a very popular casual food (or snack) everyone likes in Japan. You can find Yakisoba at many places like Okonomiyaki restaurants, festivals, supermarket delis, and of course, home.
