Combine all the marinade ingredients in a container, bowl, or sealable bag.

Then, cover the beef and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

The 30-minute marinating time allows the ginger’s protease enzymes to break down the protein structure, making the meat more tender – just be careful not to let it marinate too long, it can make the meat mushy.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the julienned ginger and stir-fry it for about 30 seconds, just until it’s fragrant.

Then add the marinated beef and marinade along with roughly cut maitake (or shiitake) mushrooms, and stir-fry it until the beef is cooked through. Take it off the heat and put it to the side.

Cook your soba noodles according to package instructions, using a large pot with plenty of water (at least 1 liter per 100g of noodles) to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.

Use a larger pot than you think you need. The extra space prevents boil-overs and maintains a consistent water temperature, essential for achieving the perfect texture.

In a medium saucepan, mix together dashi stock, salt, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and oyster sauce. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer.

Remember to adjust the seasoning at this point. Once the sauce is thickened, it becomes harder to incorporate seasonings evenly, so it’s always better to get the taste right before adding the slurry.

In a small bowl, mix potato starch with cold water just before use. Turn off the heat completely under the soup. Pour the slurry in a thin, steady stream while stirring constantly, then return to medium heat while continuing to stir.

Starch begins to thicken at 70°C (158°F). Turning off the heat before adding prevents instant clumping, while stirring during reheating ensures even thickening throughout the soup.

Bring the thickened soup back to a gentle boil. Beat two eggs thoroughly in a separate bowl.

Add the eggs in thirds, allowing the soup to return to a simmer between each addition.

This technique prevents the temperature from dropping too dramatically, ensuring the eggs form delicate strands rather than dissolving into the broth.

Rinse the cooked soba thoroughly under cold water to get rid of excess starch, then quickly pour hot water over them to reheat.

Divide the warm soba between two bowls. Ladle the egg-enriched soup over the noodles, then top with the reserved beef and mushrooms.

Add your garnishes – green onions, grated ginger, and tempura flakes – just before serving.

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Put the dashi stock in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a rolling boil.

While you wait for that, mix together 50 ml of milk, 1/2 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon of dashi granules, 1/2 tablespoon of lard, and 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce in “EACH” bowl.

This step helps prevent the milk from curdling later when I add the hot dashi.

Turn off the heat when the dashi reaches a rolling boil. Then, divide the hot dashi equally between the prepared bowls.

Give each bowl a gentle stir with a spoon until everything’s mixed in.

Add your cooked and drained noodles to each bowl of soup.

The noodles should be cooked separately according to the package instructions or your preferred recipe. Add your garnishes right away while the soup is still hot.

Serve right away to enjoy the best temperature and texture.

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i. Pour the dashi, prepared vegetables, and glass noodles into a medium pot and bring it just to a boil over medium-high heat, then drop to a gentle simmer-about 85-96℃ (185-205°F).

i. While the soup base heats, combine all the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a spoon or your clean hands to gently fold everything together until just combined. You’re aiming for a cohesive mixture, not an overworked paste.

ii. Maintain that simmer (just a few lazy bubbles should pop at the surface) and slide in the meatballs one by one. Use two tablespoons (one to scoop, one to nudge) to form the meat mixture into roughly one-inch balls, then carefully lower each one into the simmering broth.

Work quickly but don’t rush. Dropping them from too high can splash hot liquid or cause the meatballs to break apart on impact.

iii. Cover and simmer gently until the meatballs are opaque and springy, about 5-7 minutes.

i. Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso using a mesh strainer or a ladle, pressing until no lumps remain. Keep it below a boil to preserve aroma and complexity.

I used a 50/50 blend of red and white miso, sometimes labeled “yellow miso” in English.

i. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each bowl gets a fair share of meatballs, vegetables, and noodles. Finish with chopped green onion, a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil, and a twist of black pepper; serve steaming hot.

In a medium saucepan, mix together the dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat down low and let it simmer for about a minute to burn off the alcohol.

Right after you’ve simmered, add about 3-5 ice cubes to the broth. This quick cooling method brings the temperature down to a point that’s neither cold nor warm, which is characteristic of Koro Udon.

Let the broth sit while you prepare the noodles.

Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Just be careful not to overcook, because the noodles should still have a little chewiness.

Once they’re cooked, drain them in a colander.

While the noodles cook, boil another small pot of water with a pinch of salt and blanch your spinach for 1 minute.

After a minute, transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop them from overcooking and maintain their bright green color.

Rinse the cooked udon under lukewarm water.

This step is important because it gets rid of the extra starch, stops the noodles from becoming gummy, and gets them to the right temperature for Koro Udon.

Once you’ve rinsed them, shake the colander well to get rid of any excess water.

Put the prepared udon noodles in individual bowls. Just pour the cooled broth over the noodles, making sure you get an even amount in each bowl.

Now, add your choice of toppings, such as blanched spinach, toasted sesame seeds, and finely chopped green onions.

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Mix all the broth ingredients together in a bowl.

Boil some water and add a little to the bowl, stirring to make sure all the granules, sugar, and other ingredients are completely dissolved.

Set it aside to cool.

Just soak the dried wakame in water, following the instructions on the package. You can do this while you’re preparing the other components.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.

Drain the cooked noodles in a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, then place in a bath of ice water. (Note that this is not the measured jug of ice water from earlier, that one is to mix with the base sauce!)

Add a handful of ice to a measuring jug and fill it up to 400ml with cold water.

Mix the ice water with the cooled broth mixture, and you’ve got the final chilled soup base for your dish.

Divide the cooled noodles between serving bowls and pour the chilled broth over the noodles, making sure to distribute it evenly.

Top each bowl with the rehydrated wakame and any other toppings you like.

Enjoy the dish at its freshest and most refreshing.

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Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add minced pork, salt, and pepper.

Cook until the pork starts to change color. Add Japanese leek, chili bean paste, and miso paste.

Stir fry to combine.

Continue cooking until the pork is fully cooked and the mixture is well incorporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, mix all the sauce ingredients with a little water. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until the chicken bouillon powder and sugar have completely dissolved. Remove from heat immediately after ingredients are mixed.

Mix the cooled sauce base with chilled soy milk.

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preparing the soup ahead of time ensures a thoroughly chilled base for your ramen.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles for a tiny bit longer than the package says. This extra cooking time makes sure the noodles stay nice and texture after chilling.

Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer the noodles to a bowl of ice water to cool completely.

Once the noodles have cooled, put them in a bowl or on a deep plate. Pour the chilled soup over the noodles. Top with the prepared minced meat mixture and your choice of fresh summer vegetables.

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Combine all broth ingredients in a pot.

Place over low heat, stirring occasionally. Keep a close eye on it and remove from the heat once warmed through.

While the broth heats, prepare ramen noodles in a separate pot according to package instructions.

Once cooked, drain the noodles in a colander.

Divide cooked noodles among serving bowls. Ladle hot broth over noodles, distributing evenly, then customize your ramen with desired toppings.

And that’s all there is to it!

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i. Combine dashi stock, Japanese soy sauce, and mirin in a pot and bring to a steady boil at 100℃ (212°F). Let it bubble 1-2 minutes to burn off the alcohol of mirin. You’ll notice the alcoholic aroma fade to mellow.

ii. Turn off the heat and add salt. Mix until dissolved and leave on the warm stove for later. Reheat right before serving if necessary.

i. Heat a skillet on medium, lay the bacon slices in a single layer and flip once edges are deep mahogany and begin to crisp up.

ii. Reduce the skillet to medium-low and crack in the eggs. Cook until whites are just set and edges lightly frilly, 2-4 minutes.

iii. For set whites with tender yolks, you can cover the pan for the last 30-60 seconds so trapped steam finishes the tops. If browning races ahead, nudge the heat down.

i. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling 100℃ (212°F) boil. Boil udon per the package until bouncy with no hard core, then drain and briefly rinse under cold running water to wash off excess starch and restore snap.

ii. Dip back into hot water about 90℃ (194°F) for 10-15 seconds to rewarm without diluting the broth.

i. Slice two 7-10 mm pieces of kamaboko per bowl. Along the pink rim, cut toward the center without severing.

ii. Open the flap, cut it down the middle to form “ears.”

iii. Then fold both under and tuck the edge into the center slit so they stand.

iv. Press in a black sesame “eye” and dot a chopstick in ketchup for a tiny blush.

i. Reheat the broth to a gentle 95℃ (203°F) simmer, then divide hot noodles and broth into bowls. Top each with two strips of bacon, one sunny-side-up egg, two kamaboko rabbits, chopped green onion, and a small handful of tenkasu (crispy tempura flakes).

ii. Taste the broth. If too salty to your liking, add a splash of hot water, if too light, finish with a few drops of soy.

Mentaiko is sold in sacs, so make a horizontal incision with a sharp knife, open it up and scoop out the roe using a spoon. Set aside about 1 tbsp of mentaiko per portion for garnish at the end.

Whisk the egg in a bowl, then add the mentaiko and mix well.

Add the dashi, sake, mirin, sugar, light soy sauce and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium heat.

While you’re waiting for the broth to boil, cook the udon noodles separately following the instructions on the packaging. Mix the potato starch and cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry. This will make the soup thick and glossy.

Making the slurry in a separate bowl will prevent lumps of potato starch in your broth!

Once the broth is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the slurry. Heat for a few minutes or until the broth has thickened slightly and then pour in the egg mixture.

Simmer with a lid for 30 seconds.

After 30 seconds, take off the lid and turn off the heat.

Rinse the cooked udon with hot water to remove any excess starch and divide them into serving bowls.

Fill each bowl with an equal amount of broth.

Top with sliced perilla leaves and the mentaiko you saved from earlier.

Enjoy!

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Cut the chicken thigh into bitesize pieces.

Thinly slice the aburaage (twice-fried tofu) and cut leeks into 5-6cm pieces (approx 2 inches).

Place the bonito flakes in a small heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 500W. This will dry it out more and make the texture crumbly.

Crush the flakes with your fingers until it becomes a fine powder.

Set aside for later.

Take a large pan and heat it on medium. Once hot, add a drizzle of oil. Place the chicken with the skin side facing down and add the leeks.

Once the chicken is golden, turn over and cook on the other side. Rotate the leeks from time to time to brown the surface evenly.

Once the chicken is cooked through, pour the dashi into the pan and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer.

Season the soup with chicken stock powder, light soy sauce, sake, mirin and salt. Mix and then add the abuurage and bonito flake powder.

Simmer for a few minutes to warm the tofu through.

Make a weak slurry by mixing 1 tbsp of cold water with 1 tsp of potato starch. Pour the slurry into the pan and heat for 1-2 minutes or until the soup is slightly thickened.

Be careful not to cook for too long or let the soup become too thick.

Place cooked udon noodles into serving bowls and divide the soup, chicken, tofu and spring onion into each bowl.

Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili pepper) and enjoy!

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