Name: Yakisoba
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoon (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce (see Note); 4 tablespoon (60 ml) tomato ketchup; 2 tablespoon (30 ml) oyster sauce; 2 tablespoon (30 ml) soy sauce; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey; 2 tablespoon (30 ml) vegetable oil; 6 ounce (200 g) cabbage, thinly sliced; 1 small carrot, julienned; 1 onion, sliced; 2 clove garlic, minced; 14 ounce (400 g) beef, thinly sliced (see Note); 28 ounce (800 g) or 4 servings yakisoba, cooked (see Note); 4 eggs, fried; To Serve; Japanese mayonnaise; Scallions, chopped; Bonito flakes; Roasted seaweed flakes; (optional)

Yakisoba

Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles

By: Sha Jumari, excerpted from Effortless Asian Cooking

Yakisoba

By: Sha Jumari, excerpted from Effortless Asian Cooking

This Japanese noodle treasure never fails to spark joy. Sweet, savory and uniquely tangy, these stir-fried noodles are a symphony of umami-rich flavors. This recipe brings this mood-lifter to your table in under 30 minutes.

Yields4 servings

Preparation Time10 min

Cooking Time10 min

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce (see Note)
4 tablespoons (60 ml) tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons (30 ml) oyster sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
6 ounces (200 g) cabbage, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, julienned
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces (400 g) beef, thinly sliced (see Note)
28 ounces (800 g) or 4 servings yakisoba, cooked (see Note)
4 eggs, fried
To Serve
Japanese mayonnaise
Scallions, chopped
Bonito flakes
Roasted seaweed flakes
(optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

To a mixing bowl, add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce and honey. Whisk to combine to create the seasoning sauce. Set it aside.
To a large pan or wok, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the cabbage and carrot, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Spread the vegetables in the pan and cover with the lid. Allow the cabbage to steam and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened.
Once softened, take off the lid. Push the vegetables to one side and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, then mix them with the rest of the vegetables.
Push the vegetables to one side and add the beef. Add more oil, if needed. Allow the beef slices to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the beef with the rest of the pan mixture.
Add the noodles to the pan. Pour in the seasoning sauce. Stir-fry until the noodles are coated with the sauce and heated through. If needed, add a couple tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of water for easier combining.
Portion out four servings of the mixture. Top each with a fried egg. Before serving, drizzle over mayonnaise, scallions, bonito flakes and seaweed, if using.

Note: Worcestershire sauce is a key ingredient to add that signature umami tang to the noodles. Alternatively, you may use barbecue sauce!

Thinly sliced beef such as sukiyaki or shabu shabu beef slices work exceptionally well here. This type of meat will also have a layer of fat for extra flavor. You can also try this with pork belly or bacon—beef bacon is especially delicious in this recipe.

Despite the name “soba,” the noodles used for yakisoba are different! While soba is made from buckwheat, yakisoba noodles are wheat-flour based. If you can’t find yakisoba noodles, they closely resemble lo mein and hokkien egg noodles.