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I like the mix of flavours between those tiny sweet dried shrimps and the heady truffle oil. Then, there is the briny salty crunch of the tobiko (caviar) and the crunch from the cool cucumbers. If you like truffle oil, this noodle dish will suit you just fine.
These noodles are very similar to one that is served at a Japanese eatery that I frequent. They are getting increasingly popular and it is no longer easy securing a reservation on short notice. At my last visit, I watched very carefully as this dish was being prepared. My rendition comes close to what they serve but mine will never be as good as theirs. Why? There is nothing like someone else preparing the food for you and the only thing expected of you is to put noodles into your mouth and perhaps to say "oishii".
I just returned from a 4 day 4 night Tokyo trip. What did I do? Nothing much. Ate far too well for lunch and dinner and had dessert not once but twice a day. What person has dessert twice a day for 4 straight days? Me!
Clearly the food got past my lips into my mouth faster than my brain could process the word 'no'. How incorrigible can I get? Very!
Not only did I have dessert twice a day - after lunch and dinner, it was not uncommon for me to order 2 plates of dessert per sitting. I know. There is no excuse. I am greedy. It helps that Japanese wait staff are nonjudgmental. None of them ever batted an eyelid whenever my dining partner and I ordered 4 desserts between the 2 of us.
I have attached pictures of some of my favourite desserts for you to drool over. Excuse me now, while I go back on the treadmill to lose the extra weight. You drool on.
Update: Want to view a few more drool worthy pictures from my latest food trip to Tokyo, click, Green Tea Cookies With Citrusy Yuzu Peel & A Sampling Of My Latest Tokyo Food Excursion.
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| The Japanese have such wonderfully marbled beef. So good. |
Clearly the food got past my lips into my mouth faster than my brain could process the word 'no'. How incorrigible can I get? Very!
Not only did I have dessert twice a day - after lunch and dinner, it was not uncommon for me to order 2 plates of dessert per sitting. I know. There is no excuse. I am greedy. It helps that Japanese wait staff are nonjudgmental. None of them ever batted an eyelid whenever my dining partner and I ordered 4 desserts between the 2 of us.
I have attached pictures of some of my favourite desserts for you to drool over. Excuse me now, while I go back on the treadmill to lose the extra weight. You drool on.
Update: Want to view a few more drool worthy pictures from my latest food trip to Tokyo, click, Green Tea Cookies With Citrusy Yuzu Peel & A Sampling Of My Latest Tokyo Food Excursion.
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| Henri Charpentier cafe at Nihonbashi Takashimya. Crepe Suzette. So silky. The caramelised sauce had just the right amount of Grand Marnier and sweetness -I so wanted to pick up the plate to lick it all up. |
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| Henri Charpentier cafe at Nihonbashi Takashimya. It is chestnut season now. Their Mont Blanc had the best taste of chestnuts yet it was the lightest of all the Mont Blanc I had had in Tokyo. |
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| Henri Charpentier cafe at Nihonbashi Takashimya. Mille Crepe. Perfect. Sometimes too much of a good thing can make you feel ill. Not this. It is almost as light as a feather. |
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| Toraya is a well established producer of traditional japanese confections. It was established in the 16th century so they do know how to make their sweets. It was the only sweet shop I had to make a return trip to. I was at their cafes in Ginza and the basement food hall of Isetan Shinjuku. Doesn't that look like a bowl of jewels (anmitsu)! Each crunchy coloured agar (jelly) is flavoured differently. Then there are the beans which were barely sweetened. The white mochi balls (shiratama dango) are so smooth. The red bean paste (anko) even smoother. Finally, those pink rectangular shaped confection (gyuhi) were a softer and less glutinous version of mochi. It was so good, I hunted them down and bought 3 boxes! The whole dessert is drizzled with a black sugar syrup (koromitsu). Then, you wash it all down with a well whisked, frothy matcha green tea. I have to show you my 3 boxes... |
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| Takashimaya Patissieria at the basement food hall (of Shinjuku store only). Let your eyes roll over 100 cakes, chosen from some of the best Tokyo patisseries. How convenient and all sized down to fit your plate! That orange concoction had a base layer of biscuit, then a light sponge, a lightly flavoured and textured orange cream with a smidgen of chocolate in its centre. It was brushed with an intensely orange flavoured glaze. Loved that! |
JAPANESE INSPIRED TRUFFLE NOODLES WITH TINY SWEET DRIED SHRIMPS, TOBIKO, CUCUMBERS AND CHIVES
Ingredients
1 large pot of water
1 Tablespoon of salt
250g somen either dried or fresh
Very narrow-width japanese wheat noodles. Often sold dried, tied up in little bundles. Available in Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets.
I use gluten free somen made with rice floor. The brand I use is very good. It is made in Japan by Kobayashi Noodle Co. Ltd., and is sold under the label 'Gluten Free Meister'. It tastes like the real thing. You should try their gluten free ramen noodles! Refer to photograph of ingredients. I bought mine from a gourmet supermarket but I noticed that Amazon sells them.
OR
250g angel hair pasta (capellini)
This very fine pasta, thinner than spaghetti, is a good substitute and is probably more familiar to most. Hence, you would probably find this easier to cook.
1 small seedless cucumber
I use cucumbers labelled as 'Japanese or Kyuri Cucumbers'. They are about 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter and about 10" (20.5 cm) in length. Skins and seeds which are underdeveloped can be eaten and are ideal for salads and sandwiches.
If you don't have access to these, you would mostly likely have to peel your cucumbers and if the seeds are large and unpalatable, get rid of the seeds as well.
Prep:
|
20 minutes
|
Cook: | 10 minutes or less |
Inactive: | - |
Level: | Moderately easy |
Serves: | 2 |
Oven Temperature: | - |
Can recipe be doubled? | Yes |
Make ahead? | No |
Just the ingredients
1 large pot of water
1 Tablespoon of salt 250g somen either dried or fresh OR 250g angel hair pasta (capellini) 1 small seedless cucumber 3 Tablespoons (10g) finely chopped chives 4 Tablespoons tiny dried japanese shrimps (sakura ebi) 50g japanese flying fish roe (tobiko) OR 50g Japanese ebiko OR 50g european caviar OR 50g lump fish roe 6 + 1.5 Tablespoons truffle oil 1.5 Tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce 3 Tablespoons of furikake (any flavour) |
1 large pot of water
1 Tablespoon of salt
 |
| Dried somen |
Very narrow-width japanese wheat noodles. Often sold dried, tied up in little bundles. Available in Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets.
I use gluten free somen made with rice floor. The brand I use is very good. It is made in Japan by Kobayashi Noodle Co. Ltd., and is sold under the label 'Gluten Free Meister'. It tastes like the real thing. You should try their gluten free ramen noodles! Refer to photograph of ingredients. I bought mine from a gourmet supermarket but I noticed that Amazon sells them.
OR
250g angel hair pasta (capellini)
This very fine pasta, thinner than spaghetti, is a good substitute and is probably more familiar to most. Hence, you would probably find this easier to cook.
I use cucumbers labelled as 'Japanese or Kyuri Cucumbers'. They are about 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter and about 10" (20.5 cm) in length. Skins and seeds which are underdeveloped can be eaten and are ideal for salads and sandwiches.
If you don't have access to these, you would mostly likely have to peel your cucumbers and if the seeds are large and unpalatable, get rid of the seeds as well.
3 Tablespoons (10g) finely chopped chives
Japanese dried shrimps are not at all 'fishy' tasting. They have a clean, salty flavour with a clear 'umami' taste and a touch of sweetness. Most often use as a topping over rice, fried rice, in okonomiyaki (japanese savoury pancakes often filled with cabbage, ...), fried noodles,... Available in Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets.
Do not substitute with any other Asian variety of dried shrimp. They are too salty and too large.
These crunchy little fish roe are pleasantly sweet and salty. I like it better than european caviar. Often orange in colour but it does come in black, green.. depends on what they use to flavour and dye it. Often used in sushi. For instance, California Rolls.
OR
50g Japanese ebiko
Japanese prawn roe which is a slightly cheaper alternative to tobiko. It's a little smaller in size and the next best substitute. I do find tobiko a tad more flavourful.
OR
50g european caviar
This would be expensive and I would rather use lump fish roe (below).
OR
50g lump fish roe
A cheaper alternative to caviar.
6 + 1.5 Tablespoons truffle oil
From white or black truffles, it does not matter.
1.5 Tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce
OR
50g Japanese ebiko
Japanese prawn roe which is a slightly cheaper alternative to tobiko. It's a little smaller in size and the next best substitute. I do find tobiko a tad more flavourful.
OR
50g european caviar
This would be expensive and I would rather use lump fish roe (below).
OR
50g lump fish roe
A cheaper alternative to caviar.
6 + 1.5 Tablespoons truffle oil
From white or black truffles, it does not matter.
1.5 Tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce
The Japanese brand of soy sauce, Kikkoman, is my pantry staple. Use your choice of light soy sauce but you might have to adjust the level of salt.
3 Tablespoons of furikake (any flavour)
This is a japanese dried pre-mix seasoning used to flavour cooked rice by sprinkling over it. It is salty and the dried pre-mix seasoning comes in a myriad of combinations. Typically, it would have seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and then, comes the variation, perhaps, tuna, salmon, cheese, green tea, ... .
I use this as it adds that final touch of seasoning and saltiness to the noodles. I like that it has seaweed and sesame seeds.
Available in Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets. Even if you do not read Japanese, you can easily spot it on the supermarket shelves. There will inevitably be a nice picture shot of a bowl of rice and some kind of furikake sprinkled over it. Refer to the photograph above.
I have 4 yummy suggestions for using up any remaining furikake. Scroll down to 'Tips'.
This is a japanese dried pre-mix seasoning used to flavour cooked rice by sprinkling over it. It is salty and the dried pre-mix seasoning comes in a myriad of combinations. Typically, it would have seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and then, comes the variation, perhaps, tuna, salmon, cheese, green tea, ... .
I use this as it adds that final touch of seasoning and saltiness to the noodles. I like that it has seaweed and sesame seeds.
Available in Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets. Even if you do not read Japanese, you can easily spot it on the supermarket shelves. There will inevitably be a nice picture shot of a bowl of rice and some kind of furikake sprinkled over it. Refer to the photograph above.
I have 4 yummy suggestions for using up any remaining furikake. Scroll down to 'Tips'.
Method
Fill a pot with plenty of water and get it to a rolling boil.
In the meantime, slice the cucumbers into very narrow, short matchsticks, ~ 3/4"(2 cm) long. Refer to the photograph above. Blot off excess liquid gently with kitchen paper towels. Do not squeeze the cucumbers dry. You need 1 cup worth. Set aside.
Cut the chives into 1/4" (0.63cm) lengths. Set aside.
Mix 1.5 Tablespoons soy sauce with 1.5 Tablespoons truffle oil. Whisk to mix. Set aside.
When the water comes to rolling boil, add 1 Tablespoon salt and wait for the water to come back to a rolling boil. Then, cook the somen/angel hair pasta (capellini) according to package directions.
If you are using gluten free somen, plunge them in cold water to loosen and to prevent them from sticking. Drain just before your are ready to use it.
Assembling
Whilst the somen/pasta is cooking, pour 2 Tablespoons truffle oil into a mixing bowl. Keep the remaining ingredients within easy reach.
I use 2 pairs of chopsticks for tossing as I find that it does a more efficient and gentler job than a pair of tongs. If you do not mind getting your hands oily, use your cleaned hands.
Add the drained somen/pasta into the mixing bowl and toss to coat the somen/pasta with truffle oil.
Add the tobiko, sakura ebi, chives and drizzle 2 Tablespoons of truffle oil over it. Toss gently to mix in with the somen/pasta.
Add the cucumbers and 1 Tablespoon truffle oil and mix gently.
Season with the truffle oil soy sauce mix.
Finally, quickly mix in the furikake.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more of any one or more of the ingredients to suit your taste. I tend more often than not to have to adjust the quantity of sakura ebi and furikake as the saltiness/sweetness level varies across brands. Furikake can be particularly salty.
Plate and drizzle 1/2 Tablespoon of truffle oil over each plate of noodles.
Serve immediately. This is not a hot pasta. It is served at room temperature. Goes well with a bowl of hot japanese soup. Recipe --> Dashi Stock for Japanese Clear Soups Or Miso Soups.
Tips
What to do with the remaining furikake?
For a super quick side dish. Sprinkle over some cold tofu.
Sprinkle over boiled or steam vegetables. I like it over potatoes and cauliflower. It does not taste good over green leafy vegetables.
My favourite way to use up furikake! Cook some pasta. Bring some whipping/cooking cream to a boil, add some salt, toss pasta into the cream. Plate and then sprinkle over the furikake.
Use it the conventional way. Sprinkled over cooked rice. For instructions on how to cook japanese rice, view my post, Salmon On Rice. You will find instructions for cooking over a stove top and in a rice cooker.
I can get this pretty quickly on the table. 12 minutes, from start to finish. Garlicky Mushrooms Seasoned With Balsamic Vinegar.
Fill a pot with plenty of water and get it to a rolling boil.
In the meantime, slice the cucumbers into very narrow, short matchsticks, ~ 3/4"(2 cm) long. Refer to the photograph above. Blot off excess liquid gently with kitchen paper towels. Do not squeeze the cucumbers dry. You need 1 cup worth. Set aside.
Cut the chives into 1/4" (0.63cm) lengths. Set aside.
Mix 1.5 Tablespoons soy sauce with 1.5 Tablespoons truffle oil. Whisk to mix. Set aside.
When the water comes to rolling boil, add 1 Tablespoon salt and wait for the water to come back to a rolling boil. Then, cook the somen/angel hair pasta (capellini) according to package directions.
If you are using gluten free somen, plunge them in cold water to loosen and to prevent them from sticking. Drain just before your are ready to use it.
Assembling
Whilst the somen/pasta is cooking, pour 2 Tablespoons truffle oil into a mixing bowl. Keep the remaining ingredients within easy reach.
I use 2 pairs of chopsticks for tossing as I find that it does a more efficient and gentler job than a pair of tongs. If you do not mind getting your hands oily, use your cleaned hands.
Add the drained somen/pasta into the mixing bowl and toss to coat the somen/pasta with truffle oil.
Add the tobiko, sakura ebi, chives and drizzle 2 Tablespoons of truffle oil over it. Toss gently to mix in with the somen/pasta.
Finally, quickly mix in the furikake.
Plate and drizzle 1/2 Tablespoon of truffle oil over each plate of noodles.
Serve immediately. This is not a hot pasta. It is served at room temperature. Goes well with a bowl of hot japanese soup. Recipe --> Dashi Stock for Japanese Clear Soups Or Miso Soups.
Tips
What to do with the remaining furikake?
I can get this pretty quickly on the table. 12 minutes, from start to finish. Garlicky Mushrooms Seasoned With Balsamic Vinegar.
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