Zaru Soba 日式蕎麥涼麵

Let’s slurp the simplicity of chilled soba noodles with just a handful of ingredients and minimal cooking time. It’s a light and refreshing delight that’s simply delicious!

Curious about the term “Zaru (ざる)”? It’s a nod to the traditional bamboo tray or strainer used to serve these chilled noodles. This handy tool allows excess water to drain away, ensuring your noodles stay cool and perfectly textured. (While I may not have a bamboo soba strainer, I’ve found an easy-cleaning alternative that helps me recreate this perfect cold soba dish.) And stay tuned for more refreshing cold noodle content! ✨

INGREDIENTS
- 1-2 bundles of soba noodles
- Seaweed flakes for garnish
- Ice cubes to serve (optional)

TO MAKE DIPPING SAUCE
-3 tbsp soy sauce
-2 tbsp mirin
-1 tbsp sake (or cooking wine)
-12 tbsp cold water

OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR DIPPING SAUCE
- Grated ginger
- Spring onion
- Sesame seeds

METHOD
1. Cook soba noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes (according to packaging instructions). Once cooked, drain and rinse under running cold water to get rid of the excess starch.

2. Transfer the rinsed soba noodles to a large bowl of iced water and let them chill for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Prepare the dipping sauce by combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, and cold water.

4. Serve soba noodles with dipping sauce on the side. Add ginger, spring onion, and sesame seeds to the sauce. Dip soba noodles into the sauce and enjoy!

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Natto Rice Bowl 納豆蓋飯

Have you tried Natto?

 

Natto is famous Japanese superfood, made from fermented soybeans and is often eaten for breakfast in Japan. Some people might find natto unappetizing at first glance due to its pungent smell and weird texture, it’s just like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. I remember my first time trying natto was when I had a traditional Japanese breakfast in Japan, since I have seen it a lot on many Japanese food/cooking shows, I was quite familiar with natto and just loved it on my first bite! Yes, the texture is slimy, stinky, sticky and maybe with a bit funky smell (However, strong-flavoured cheese is smellier to me.) but at the same time the taste that fermentation brings is unique, natto is also super nutritious loaded with vitamins, probiotics and rich in protein.

 

If you are interested to find out how it tastes like, you can get prepacked natto from Japanese or some Asian grocery stores. Best to eat it with a simple bowl of rice first. I love mixing natto with spring onion and raw egg, this is also a very classic mixture to enjoy natto with rice. So just being open mind to give this iconic taste a try, you probably would get addicted like me!

 

INGREDIENTS

-Steamed rice

-Store bought pack natto (thawed)

-1 egg yolk

-Finely chopped spring onions.

-Sesame seeds to garnish

 

SAUCES (Optional)

-Soy sauce

-Mustard

-Sesame oil

 

PREPARATIONS

1. Open natto package, stir in the included soy sauce and mustard, mix thoroughly with chopsticks.

2. Stir in chopped spring onions.

3. Add more sauces if you need more flavour.

4. Serve over rice with an egg yolk and more spring onions, garnish with sesame seeds.

 

 

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Watermelon Onigiri 西瓜飯糰

I know summer in London is unlike any other in the world but this year…the heat was on for one week only and the autumn is coming, can you believe that? And I have been wanting to make this Watermelon Onigiri, not sure if I still have chance for summer picnic but I do need to get my hands on it, otherwise this post would be set for next summer…in 2022.

 

INGREDIENTS

-Cooked short grain rice

-Pink vinegar mixture from radish pickles

-Aonori seaweed 

-Roasted black sesame seeds

 

The ingredients are simple. I use pink vinegar mixture from my homemade radish pickles to colour the onigiri. (Add less water than usual when cooking the rice to avoid watery while mixing with the pink vinegar.) Alternatively, you can mix the rice with Mentaiko明太子(cod roe), kimchi, or salmon seasoning to give it a shade of red. Shape it in triangle and leave the bottom with white rice. (Onigiri mold just made my life easier here!) Cover the bottom part with dried seaweed and decorate some black sesame seeds on top in the end. Aren’t they just looking so lovely?

 

Hope these onigiri cuteness would bring the summer back. At least once before autumn kicks it off.

 

Also here is the Reels to show you how I made it!

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Quick & Easy Marinated Sashimi (with Korean Style Mayak Eggs Sauce) 麻藥生魚片

I’ve made Korean Style Marinated Eggs/Mayak Gyeran 마약계란 a couple of times before, it was divine and so addicting that I really wanted to make it again recently. This time, however, I would like to do something differently, no eggs…but sashimi raw fish!
⁠⁠
Not going to lie the idea is coming from Japanese ‘Zuke-Don’. (If you’ve heard about it) When the recipe of Korean Mayak Egg requires to marinate the eggs in the fridge for at least 6 hours, THIS just needs to rest sashimi in marinade sauce for 10 minutes and that’s done. How simple, isn’t it? No cooking required.⁠⁠

If you love the alluring flavour of Mayak eggs, you have to try this as well. This is also dangerously addictive to have you craving for more.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
INGREDIENTS⁠⁠
-Assorted sashimi.⁠⁠
-Shredded Daikon radish and lemon slices. (Optional, these are coming with sashimi box, so I soak them in the sauce as well.)⁠⁠
⁠⁠
MARINADE SAUCE⁠⁠
-1 tbsp chopped onion⁠⁠
-1 tbsp chopped garlic⁠⁠
-1 tbsp chopped spring onion⁠⁠
-2 tbsp soy sauce⁠⁠
-1 tbsp white vinegar⁠⁠
-1 tsp sugar⁠⁠
-1 tbsp still water⁠⁠
-1 tbsp sesame oil⁠⁠
-1 tbsp white sesame seeds⁠⁠
⁠⁠
METHOD⁠⁠
1. Combine marinade sauce ingredients together and stir until everything well mixed. I use this sauce mixture to marinate 16 pieces of sashimi.⁠⁠
2. Soak sashimi, shredded Daikon radish and lemon slices (if you have) in marinade sauce for 10-15 minutes. (No more than 15 minutes.)⁠⁠
3. Enjoy it with steamed rice and don’t forget to pour the sauce over it. SO GOOD!⁠⁠
⁠⁠

⁠⁠
⁠⁠and watch my easy tutorial on Reel!

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Easy Flower Sushi for Bento Idea 小花壽司

 

Creating a decorative bento box might be time-consuming but making this flower sushi roll (or ‘norimaki’のりまき) is easier than you thought, and I think even a bento making beginner can easily achieve with this tutorial!

 

I first saw this idea from mamatastv It’s a Japanese account which offers many useful tips especially for those mums/dads who desperately need fun things to do with kids at home but it’s also an informative platform for easy recipes or food idea inspiration. Even you don’t understand Japanese, you can easily learn from watching their short videos.

 

And to make this adorable flower sushi roll, the ingredients are just simple:

-Egg sheet

-Frankfurter or sausage

-Edamame beans

-Nori sheet

-Vinegared sushi rice

 

Method

-Wrap frankfurter with egg sheet, set aside.

-Lay on a bamboo rolling mat, place plastic wrap (optional) and nori sheet shiny-side down, spread a thin layer of vinegared rice on the nori sheet with a gap on the edge.

-Place two rows of edamame beans over the rice, put wrapped frankfurter egg roll on top.

-Lift the edge of mat and roll firmly, then unroll to let it rest for 5 minutes.

-Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into pieces.

-Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger if you like.

Watch my Reels to see this easy tutorial!

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Creamy Tuna Mayonnaise Udon Noodles 鮪魚美乃滋烏龍麵

 

This is my quick udon noodles recipe ready to slurp in less than 15 minutes when I feel lazy at cooking. Just whip everything together and it’s no brainer. To upgrade, top with trout caviar, egg yolk, or grated cheese. Recommend to use Kewpie mayo as it’s creamier.

 

INGREDIENTS

-1 pack of udon noodles

-80g tuna in olive oil

-1 tbsp Japanese Kewpie Mayo

-1/2 tsp sugar

-1 tbsp soy sauce

-1 small piece of butter

 

TOPPINGS (Optional)

-Nori seaweed

-Trout caviar

-White sesame seeds

-Salad cress

As the method is very easy, you can watch my Reels to see how I make it:

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Mentaiko Butter Pasta 明太子奶油義大利麵

Have you ever tried Mentaiko Pasta?

 

Mentaiko Pasta 明太子パスタ is my favourite ‘Wafu’ (Japanese Style) cod roe pasta loaded with rich flavour. It’s a classic household stable in Japan and also a very popular Wafu pasta dish in Taiwan. You might have seen some premade Mentaiko sauce packets from Japanese grocery stores, but if you can get fresh, high quality Mentaiko fish roe from fishmonger, you would be surprised how easy to handle this ingredient. The cooking method is simple as well, just need to whip it up and you would get a savoury, soul-satisfying pasta dish in 15 minutes. This is a Must-try recipe if you haven’t had it before!

 

INGREDIENTS

-120g spaghetti.

-3 tbsp vegetable oil.

-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.

-50g salted cod roe

-20g unsalted butter

-Spring onion curls and nori seaweed to garnish.

(Use shiso leaves if you have)

 

METHOD

1. Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan, fried chopped garlic until crispy, drain and set aside. (keep garlic oil)

2. Boil spaghetti in salted water until al dente.

3. Meanwhile use spoon to remove mentaiko/cod roe from skins. (leave some to garnish.)

4. Mix drained spaghetti with mentaiko and butter, add 2 tbsp spaghetti water and give it a good stir.

5. Sprinkle with fried garlic, spring onion curls and nori seaweed.

6. Drizzle with some garlic oil to give it additional aromatic flavour.

Shoyuzuke Egg Yolk / Soy Sauce Marinated Egg Yolk 卵黄の醤油漬け

 

If you are a fan of egg yolk, you must try this supper easy Japanese pickling recipe which is extremely simple and absolutely flavourful over rice. Shoyuzuke Egg Yolk means to soak raw egg yolk into soy sauce-based mixture, the yolk would firm up with jammy texture when marinating over time, it tastes full of rich umami and just look at this lush amber colour! You would be surprised how simply delicious this could be.

 

Ingredients

-Egg yolk @clarence_court

-Soy sauce

-Mirin

 

The ratio of soy sauce to mirin is 3:1.

Make sure to use fresh, good quality of egg as it’s safe to be consumed raw.

 

Method

1. Gently place egg yolk into a container, pour soy sauce and mirin mixture.

2. Cover with a lid and store in the fridge to marinate overnight or after 2 days.

Enjoy it with rice, noodles, or salad.

Watch my Reels tutorial here to learn how to make it:

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My toppings

-Spring onion

-Trout caviar

-White sesame seeds