Name: Stir-Fried Noodles With Pork, Cabbage, and Ginger (Yakisoba)
Yield: Serves 1
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 ounces pork belly, thinly sliced, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces; 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion; 1/4 cup 2-inch-long matchsticks peeled carrot; 1 cup roughly chopped (about 2 by 3/4-inch pieces) loosely packed white cabbage; 1 (5 1/2-ounce) package yakisoba noodles (a heaping cup); 2 tablespoons jarred yakisoba sauce, preferably the Otafuku brand; 1 tablespoon shredded beni shoga (red pickled ginger); 1 heaping tablespoon bonito flakes; 1/2 teaspoon aonori (powdered seaweed) or finely chopped nori seaweed sheets

Photo by Evan Sung

The most popular person at any Japanese street festival is the yakisoba guy. Standing at a small cart with a hot griddle, he wears a twisted hair band and holds two giant spatulas, one in each hand. With great energy and fanfare he stir-fries a heap of vegetables and pork with chukasoba noodles—the yellow, springy Chinese-style wheat noodles more commonly known as ramen. He finishes with a glug of the special bottled sauce that tastes like a spicier version of tonkatsu sauce, and customers walk toward him like zombies. At home, however, the dish is best cooked one portion at a time.

Cooks' Notes:

At Japanese grocery stores, chukasoba are sold in the refrigerated section in bags with sauce packets, and labeled “yakisoba.” I typically ignore the packets and instead use the tastier Otafuku brand yakisoba sauce. Why don’t I make my own? Well, then the stir-fry would be a chore (you wouldn’t make your own ketchup for a burger, would you?) rather than a quick lunch or perfect late-night snack.

Recipe notes

Stir-Fried Phở Noodles With Beef

This dish is not only a quick meal option but also a practical way to use leftover phở noodles when you’re out of broth.

Angel Hair Bibimguksu

Gochujang creates a sauce that delivers the perfect balance of spice, tang, and sweetness.

Mapo Tofu Salad

The pan-fried tofu is crispy yet pillowy, served with a punchy dressing that is made with the same bold flavors as mapo seasoning.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.

Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles)

Cool off with this easy zaru soba recipe: a Japanese dish of chewy buckwheat noodles served with chilled mentsuyu dipping sauce, daikon, nori, and scallions.

Smoked Mackerel Udon

Chewy noodles, tinned fish, and hardy greens in an umami broth.

Beef Stroganoff Ramen

This traditional dish of beef, sour cream, and mustard may have originated in Russia, but it’s about time for a version with ramen noodles, don’t you think?

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.