Omu-Soba (Yakisoba wrapped in an Omelet)

I am a big fan of noodles.  Spaghetti, ramen, soba, you name it, there is not a noodle out there that I don’t like.  Near the top of the list of my all time favorite noodle dishes is Yakisoba, a stir-fried noodle dish made with meat (usually pork) and an assortment of vegetables in a delicious brown sauce.  Yakisoba just screams Summertime to me and reminds me of the little neighborhood festivals held in Japan when the hot weather arrives, usually around August.  When you visit these Summer festivals you will notice there are always a variety of food stalls and that the stall selling the Yakisoba is usually the one with the longest line.  I know it was always the first one I ran to when I was a child.  I will never forget the amazing smell and sound of the Yakisoba sauce sizzling on the hot griddle calling out to me.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

There are so many variations of Yakisoba out there and Omusoba is one with a very delicious twist.  Omusoba is a dish that takes the already yummy on it’s own Yakisoba and blankets it inside a fluffy omelet.  My first experience tasting this delicious creation was at my favorite Okonomiyaki restaurant in Yokohama when I was in High School.  Egg wrapped around Yakisoba, that had to be good right?  After that first bite, I was instantly hooked.

I recently made Omusoba for the first time after seeing a photo of the dish in one of my favorite Japanese cooking magazines. Looking at that photo brought back so many lovely Summer memories of Japan that I just had to make it immediately!  Well, I’m happy to say I was very pleased with the results of my first Omusoba experiment and I’m excited to share the recipe with all of you.

Note:  My favorite Yakisoba sauce is the Otafuku brand which you can now find in many Asian supermarkets.  If you have a difficult time finding the Otafuku brand the Bulldog brand or any Yakisoba sauce will be fine.  This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 4.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 packages pre-steamed yakisoba noodles (6 ounces each)
1/2 Tbl vegetable oil
1/4 lb. Chicken breast, thigh or pork thinly sliced and cut into 1 1/2 inch length pieces
2 cups bean sprouts
2 scallions chopped or 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 head green cabbage cut into 1-inch squares
4-6 Tbl Yakisoba Sauce
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1/4 cup water or sake

toppings:

Yakisoba Sauce
Kewpie Mayo
Aonori (dried nori flakes)

Preparation:

Lightly loosen yakisoba noodles and set aside.  Heat vegetable oil in medium skillet on medium heat. Stir-fry chicken or pork until almost

cooked.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to season.  Add scallions or onion to the skillet and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.  Add the cabbage and bean sprouts to the skillet and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the noodles to the skillet.  Pour 1/4 cup of water or sake over the noodle and meat mixture and cover the skillet. Turn down the heat to low and steam for about two minutes.  Remove the lid to let the remaining liquid evaporate, about 2 minutes.  Add the yakisoba sauce. (adjust the amount of sauce to your taste)  Stir-fry the noodles quickly so the sauce is mixed evenly.  Shut off the heat.  (if you prefer to just have the yakisoba without the omelet you can stop here)

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a large skillet.  Beat an egg in a small bowl and pour the egg in the skillet. Quickly spread the egg and make a thin round omelet.  When it’s almost cooked, stop the heat. Place 1/2 of yakisoba noodles in the middle of the omelet and fold sides of omelet over the noodles.  Gradually tilt the skillet and invert the omusoba on a plate.  Repeat this process to make another one.  Top omusoba with more of the Yakisoba sauce, kewpie mayo & aonori.

*Makes 2 servings