Mar 3
2010
Happy Hinamatsuri! I hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Happy Hinamatsuri Wishes

One of my guilty pleasures is reading オレンジページ (Orange Page), one of my favorite Japanese magazines.  I was recently flipping through the February 17, 2010 issue and saw a section on using yakisoba noodles to make a variety of dishes.

Yakisoba Noodles

One of the recipes caught my eye—a recipe called ピリ辛そばめし (Spicy Sobameshi).  Sobameshi is like yakisoba with rice–a combination of fried noodles and fried rice. “Soba” indicates “chukamen”–the noodles used to make yakisoba, and “meshi” means cooked rice is in the dish.  It looked so good.  A mixture of yakisoba noodles, leftover rice, kimchi, and pork all topped with a fried egg.  The recipe screamed total comfort food to me.  This past Sunday when I was at the height of the cold crud, I whipped up a batch of my own spicy sobameshi.  This dish is SO easy.  I got all of the ingredients at a regular chain supermarket.  The whole thing took about 10 minutes to make.

Meshi

To prepare the yakisoba noodles you take the block of noodles and cut it into 1-inch sections.

Cut noodle block into slices

The rest of the “work” consists of frying the ingredients in the pan, starting with some bacon, and then slowly adding in the other ingredients.  This tastes like a spicier version of the yakisoba I loved getting at the matsuri (festivals) in Japan.

Getting Yakisoba at the Azabu Juban Matsuri

Note that this will only be as spicy as the kimchi that you use.  So the spicier the kimchi, the spicier your finished dish will be.  The addition of a fried egg on top is an extra bonus.  I love breaking the yolk and getting a bit of the creamy yellow liquid in each bite.

Breaking into the sobameshi

Print This Recipe Print This Recipe

Spicy Sobameshi

Inspired by the Spicy Sobameshi recipe in Orange Page, February 17, 2010, p. 35

Makes 2 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 ounces (1/4 pound) bacon (I like thick sliced), cut into lardons (small strips)
3. 5 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup) kimchi, chopped
2 tablespoons beni shoga (thinly sliced pickled ginger)
1 package (5.6 ounces/160 grams) fresh yakisoba noodles, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup steamed Japanese rice (short grain white rice)
2 fried eggs

1. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, mirin, and oyster sauce together.  Set aside.

2. In a 10-inch frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat.  Add the bacon lardons being careful to shield yourself from splattering oil, and cook them until they are cooked through and starting to brown.  Add the kimchi and beni shoga, again being careful to shield yourself from splattering oil, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.

3. Add the yakisoba noodles and steamed rice, and toss to mix.  Then add the sauce to the frying pan made in step 1, and continue to stir fry the contents in the frying pan for about 2 minutes.

4. Divide the sobameshi between 2 plates and top each with a fried egg.  Serve.

{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

Nicole @ Making Good Choices March 3, 2010 at 2:10 pm

I love learning about new dishes, and this was def. a new one for me. I would love to give this a try – do you think you can sub other noodles for ones I have in my pantry? You included great pictures with this post.

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Fuji Mama (Rachael) March 3, 2010 at 2:22 pm

@Nicole @ Making Good Choices, You could substitute lo mein noodles, or even angel hair pasta. Just make sure the noodles have been cooked to al dente before you use them in the dish!

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Bob March 3, 2010 at 2:13 pm

Wow, that looks fantastic. I love soba.

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Fuji Mama (Rachael) March 3, 2010 at 2:24 pm

@Bob, Hey Bob, you could substitute regular soba noodles in the dish, but the name “sobameshi” is misleading! Just like “yakisoba” the dish doesn’t actually use soba noodles. The “soba” refers to chukamen–the type of Chinese noodle used in both yakisoba and sobameshi.

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sippitysup March 3, 2010 at 2:17 pm

When I was a youth, just out on my own. I used to live on that exact brand of yakisoba, and the horrid little packet of powdered sauce it comes with. I didn’t think I ever wanted to eat these noodles again. But you have changed all that… GREG

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Fuji Mama (Rachael) March 3, 2010 at 2:27 pm

@sippitysup, Wahoo! Glad to be of service.

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viviane bauquet farre / food & style March 3, 2010 at 3:37 pm

My oh my, does this look fabulous! You’re right, it does scream comfort food… with that gorgeous egg on top how can it not. Happy Hinamatsuri to you and your girls – hope you are having a fun day together!

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Lyndsey March 3, 2010 at 4:06 pm

It looks so good with the egg on top! What a great dish, nice and spicy (I wish my husband could eat it as spicy as I like). :)

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sugar plum March 4, 2010 at 2:12 am

wHAT A delicious delight with noodle….yeah i love the bonus of an egg too….

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Kitchen Monki Dan March 4, 2010 at 8:15 am

YUM… but why stop at the egg? I’m feelin’ a little bit of bacon would work well in this dish (Kimchi fried rice with egg and bacon is a staple in my home :)

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Fuji Mama (Rachael) March 4, 2010 at 1:39 pm

@Kitchen Monki Dan, Hahaha, beat you to it! It’s already got bacon in it! I hear ya…you’ve gotta have bacon. :)

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Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction March 4, 2010 at 10:22 am

Looks delicious! I can’t say I’m a fan of fried eggs, but I think I’d make it without and it would be wonderful! Yum :)

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Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite March 7, 2010 at 5:58 am

This looks great and I love that you can control the spiciness depending on what kimchi you use. YUM!

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Chaya March 8, 2010 at 7:52 am

It sure does look like comfort food. That has to be the best.

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Nina T. March 10, 2010 at 6:03 am

Oh my that looks YUMMY!!!! Will definitely have to give it a try! LOVE the egg on top!

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Mills June 20, 2010 at 2:40 am

reminds me of living in korea. fried rice with noodles and pork and kimchi, is a standard! yum! :)

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melvin November 10, 2011 at 7:30 am

I am looking for a vendor or store that sells the Fresh Yaki Soba noodles made by Maruchans (3- single packs 5.6 oz each in a pack) I live in Washington DC. If there is someone elsewhere that would ship that would also be appreciated.

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Jennifer December 10, 2011 at 4:08 pm

I’m having the same problem as Melvin, finding the noodles in a store. I’ve tried a couple of asian specialty stores, no luck. I live in Oklahoma City, or would love it if someone would ship.

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