Yakisoba Questions

October 19, 2008 11:15 AM

Please tell me how to make delicious yakisoba.

What is the secret to really great yakisoba* dishes? I am specifically interested in tofu yakisoba, but am open to other types of meat/protein as well (not a vegetarian). I live in Seattle and have a huge Asian market to go to, so any ingredient is game.

I usually make noodle stir-fries like this: heat cast iron pan to high heat, stir fry onions, peppers, cabbage, and/or par-cooked broccoli, then add cooked-and-drained noodles with soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. This is often delicious, but it doesn't have that same sweet/sour, sort of unctous "I'm-sure-this-isn't-good-for-me-but-I-don't-know-why" quality that it has when I order it from my favorite teriyaki restaurant.

Specific questions:
-- exactly what kind of noodles do I want? Do I want the dried "chuka soba", which (as I understand) are not made of buckwheat? Or do I want the already-cooked ones in the coolers?
-- how much garlic and ginger should I use and when do I add it? I'm always paranoid about burning aromatics.
-- should I just be adding soy sauce, or are there other ingredients that I'm missing here? Mirin?
-- which firmness of tofu do I want? Do I need to cook it separately (fry?) and then add it to the stir fry later on?

* I am specifically interested in yakisoba, or other stir fried dishes involving soba noodles, but if anyone wants to give me delicious tips for pad thai, chinese stir-fried noodles, singaporean stir-fried noodles, etc, I will surely put them to good use.

posted by rossination to food & drink (13 comments total)

Critical ingredient...chopped green onions. Sometimes my mom makes great yakisoba just using the cheap noodles that come in those 1.00 packets. It really is more about how you cook it and what you add to it that matters...but I'll defer to other mefites re: those techniques.
posted by vito90 at 11:22 AM on October 19, 2008

A small amount of sesame oil also adds a lot to stir fry dishes and noodle soups.
posted by Jemstar at 12:18 PM on October 19, 2008

Skip the soy sauce and try worcestershire sauce -- specifically, Japanese Bulldog brand.
posted by (alice) at 12:31 PM on October 19, 2008

Some good tips.
posted by rhizome at 12:57 PM on October 19, 2008

If you have the time, here is how I always try to cook tofu.

1) buy firm tofu unless you want it to crumble like cottage cheese.
2) rinse tofu in hot running water (to rinse off all that gross water and to warm it up).
3) cut it into pieces.
4) pat dry the pieces to get as much water out of them as possible.
5) boil them (in broth or with spices or whatever) to firm them up some more.
6) remove from water once they've boiled a bit and pat dry again.
7) only when they are dry should you fry them and I'd only turn them five times (once for each side, just leave them alone in the pan to get good and crispy.

You could skip the boiling part, just make sure the pat them dry well so that when they go into the pan they are as dry as possible.
posted by pwb503 at 1:01 PM on October 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thanks for the tips so far -- this is exactly what I'm looking for. Worchestershire sauce! Who knew? Do I still use rice wine vinegar, or a "sour" element, or is that all taken care of with the worchestershire sauce?

Keep them coming!
posted by rossination at 1:05 PM on October 19, 2008

I was just coming in here to suggest Worchestershire sauce. It makes a huge difference.
posted by rhapsodie at 1:23 PM on October 19, 2008

I think you're talking about sauce yakisoba, right? From what I understand, traditionally, in terms of flavoring, east Japan prefers soy sauce while west Japan prefers sauce.

When I think of sauce yakisoba, I think of Otafuku sauce. This is the packaging I'm used to seeing.

Don't use buckwheat noodles for yakisoba. Continue buying chukamen. You can, however, use udon noodles to make yakiudon.

Regarding how to prepare tofu for stir frying, definitely buy the firmest type you can get. What I do is wrap the tofu first with paper towels, then with newspaper. Then, I put a heavy plate on top of the wrapped up tofu and wait for the moisture to get absorbed. For yakisoba, I would cook the tofu separate from everything else and add it just before you pour on the sauce.

Also, for me, yakisoba isn't complete without aonori.
posted by mixed greens at 3:25 PM on October 19, 2008

A little cornstarch thickens up the sauce quite nicely and makes it coat everything in an oh-so-delicious way. I usually put soy sauce and some combination of vinegar, honey, dijon mustard and lemon or orange juice in my stir-fry sauce... yeah, it's inauthentic as fuck but it's good. The honey with the vinegar/juice creates a nice sweet and sour vibe.

Agree with boiling the tofu before frying it. Really helps it stay solid and firm. Also agree with using scallions. Some toasted sesame seeds in the sauce are great too.
posted by DLWM at 3:31 PM on October 19, 2008

Just got back from Uwajimaya with tofu, green onions, cabbage, Bull Dog worchestershire sauce, "chuka soba" noodles, and a good deal of anticipation. I will post results tonight.
posted by rossination at 4:49 PM on October 19, 2008

a little sesame oil also gives it a nice flavor.
posted by gen at 8:35 PM on October 19, 2008

Also, be judicious with your use of water. Too much is worse than too little.
posted by gen at 8:39 PM on October 19, 2008

Followup: I'm getting there. The Bull Dog worchestershire sauce was a great suggestion, and I'm confident that I found the right noodles. I still have a hard time getting the flavors just right, but I guess that's just an excuse to eat out for "research".
posted by rossination at 12:49 PM on November 20, 2008