I had this dish at a stall at the Tokyo fish market during a recent visit. It featured fresh shrimp with the heads still on, but we made do with extra-large shrimp here. This is my take on the recipe, as the people at the stall spoke no English. You can use chicken or pork in this recipe, which is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Bottled yakisoba stir fry sauce is available in stores, but my version comes very close to what I had and is easy to pull off.

Ingredients

Yakisoba sauce:

• ½ cup light soy
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, such as sambal oelek
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• Noodles and vegetables:
• 8 ounces (250 grams) Japanese dried noodles (called chuka soba)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped ginger root
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chili or 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
• 8 ounces (250 grams) extra-large shrimp, peeled
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots cut in matchstick pieces
• 3 cups sliced Napa cabbage
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons slivered pickled ginger

Method

Combine all sauce ingredients and set aside. Place noodles in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil and remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic, ginger, chili and shrimp and cook for 1 minute or until shrimp are beginning to turn pink. Add onions and carrots and cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add cabbage and stir fry until wilted. Add noodles to skillet and stir fry together with vegetables and shrimp for 1 minute. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in green onions and toss everything together. Reheat until very hot. Garnish with pickled ginger. Serves 4.