Yakisoba

Namiko Hirasawa Chen’s yakisoba stir-fries pre-steamed wheat noodles with pork belly, cabbage, carrot, shiitake mushrooms and onion. A homemade sweet-savoury sauce coats this selected version of the Japanese noodle dish.

The pork is briefly chilled for slicing, while the vegetables are cut into small pieces. Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and sugar are whisked together before cooking.

The pressed noodle squares warm in oil on a large griddle or frying pan. Once they loosen naturally, chopsticks separate them gently and the noodles are moved aside.

Pork cooks in the same pan, followed by onion, carrot, cabbage, mushrooms and scallions in stages. The noodles return and are tossed with the sauce until evenly coated; the roomy cooking surface helps the vegetables retain texture.

Chen serves yakisoba immediately, describing it as best hot and crisp from the pan. Aonori and red pickled ginger are optional finishes. She recalls cooking it with her family around a griddle for weekend lunches.