Is yakisoba same as ramen?

Yakisoba is made with similar noodles to ramen however, I wouldn't categorise yakisoba as ramen because yakisoba is not served in a broth. It's more of a stir-fry dish.

When do you eat yakisoba noodles?

This is a typical dish that people would eat for lunch in Japan or a festival/event. It's common to eat at home or in a bento (lunchbox) too.

How do you eat yakisoba?

In Japan, most people eat Yakisoba with chopsticks. Sometimes it's served in hotdog buns as well (Yakisoba pan)

What's the difference between yakisoba and yaki udon?

Yakisoba uses Chinese style noodles, whereas yakiudon uses thick and chewy udon noodles. They also typically use different kinds of sauce. Check out our garlic and butter soy sauce yakiudon here !

What do you serve with yakisoba?

It's one of the rare Japanese dishes that is mostly served on its own. It's commonly enjoyed for lunch (festival food) too.

Authentic Yakisoba (Japanese stir-fried noodles with pork)

Description

Make classic Japanese street food from scratch in your own kitchen. This yakisoba is made with noodles, pork belly and stir fried vegetables cooked in a delicious homemade yakisoba sauce. Perfect for a quick lunch.

Ingredients

Scale

Yakisoba Sauce

1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Ketchup
½ tbsp Sake (or white wine)
½ tsp Sugar
1 pinch Black pepper
1 tsp Sesame oil

Yakisoba

120g (¼lb) Pork Belly thinly sliced (see note)
¼ (30g) White onion sliced
3 leaves (⅓ cup) White cabbage roughly chopped
200g (7oz) Fresh Chinese style wheat noodles (if using dry noodles 100g/4oz - boil them first)
1 tbsp Oil (vegetable or sunflower)
Pickled ginger (optional)
Bonito flakes (optional)
Aonori (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Start by making the sauce. Add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp ketchup, ½ tbsp sake, ½ tsp sugar, a pinch of black pepper and 1 tsp of sesame oil to a small bowl and mix well. Set aside for later.
If you are using dried noodles, cook them for a few minutes less than the instructed time and pour them into a cullender, rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly so that're not too wet when you fry them.
Heat the wok or frying pan on a medium high setting and add 1 tbsp of oil (vegetable or sunflower).
Add the noodles to the wok and cook until both sides are slightly browned and crispy but not burnt.
Once they're done, transfer the noodles to a bowl and set aside.
Next, add the thinly sliced pork belly into the same wok and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry until crispy.
Add the cabbage and onion into the wok together with the pork belly. (If adding other vegetables, add them in order of firmness. E.g Carrots first, mushrooms last etc.)
Once the vegetables are slightly softened, push everything to one side and add the noodles back in.
Add the sauce to the noodles.
Mix the noodles only, making sure they're evenly coated in the yakisoba sauce.
Mix everything together and fry for a 1-2 more minutes. (If you want to add beansprouts, add them here.)
Dish up and sprinkle generously with bonito flakes, aonori and pickled ginger.
Enjoy!

Notes

If the taste is not strong enough, add a little more oyster sauce. 1/2 tsp at a time and taste test.

If you can't thinly slice the pork belly, unsmoked bacon is a great substitute. Pork is the most traditional choice of meat for this dish, but you can try it out with chicken or for a delicious vegetarian option you could use fried tofu!

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Category: Noodles
Method: Stir fry
Cuisine: Japanese

Keywords: Yakisoba,soba,stirfry,Japanese,street food,Japanese street food,stir-fry,stir fry, Japanese cooking,Yaki Soba,Yakisoba sauce,Yakisoba recipe, how to make Japanese yakisoba from scratch, Japanese yakisoba sauce recipe, how to make yakisoba sauce from scratch, easy yakisoba recipe, authentic yakisoba, Japanese yakisoba, festival yakisoba, matsuri yakisoba, traditional yakisoba, traditional Japanese yakisoba, authentic Japanese yakisoba