Okazuya-Style Okinawan Yakisoba
沖縄焼きそば·(Okinawa yakisoba)
Base Food & The Diaspora Plate: Okinawa Meets America
If you walked into a Hawaiian okazuya in the 1960s, you’d find glass cases packed with the ultimate diaspora comfort foods, built by immigrants adapting the flavors of their Okinawan homeland for a new world. This isn't mainland Japanese yakisoba with its thin noodles and sweet sauce; this is a brilliant, pragmatic masterpiece of thick wheat noodles, Spam, and fish cake. The grandmother's secret lies in the pan: you don’t just fry the noodles, you steam them in a savory dashi broth until they drink up every drop of umami, resulting in a plump, intensely flavored dish that tastes exactly like a first-generation childhood.
Ingredients
- fresh Okinawa soba noodles14 oz
- Spam6 oz
- kamaboko3 oz
- cabbage2 cup
- carrot1 med
- scallions3 med
- celery1/2 cup
- hot water1 cup
- Hondashi powder1 tsp
- soy sauce2 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- pickled red ginger1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Mix the steaming liquid.
Whisk together the hot water, Hondashi powder, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.
- 02
Sear the proteins in a hot wok.
Heat a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. Once shimmering, add the Spam matchsticks and let them sit undisturbed for a minute to get a caramelized sear, then toss in the kamaboko and the white parts of the scallions, cooking for another 60 seconds.
- 03
Stir-fry the hearty vegetables.
Toss the julienned carrots, cabbage, and celery into the wok, stirring continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until the cabbage begins to soften but retains a bit of crunch.
- 04
Steam the noodles in the dashi broth.
Push the meat and vegetables to the sides of the pan and place the fresh noodles directly in the center. Immediately pour the steaming liquid over the noodles, which will begin to vigorously boil. Keep tossing continuously with tongs or chopsticks for 3 to 5 minutes until the noodles have drunk up every drop of the broth and become plump and tender.
- 05
Garnish and serve immediately.
Turn off the heat, toss in the green parts of the scallions, and plate the noodles with a generous pinch of bright red pickled ginger.
Notes
A note on noodles and soup packets.
Sun Noodle brand is the gold standard for Okinawa Soba in US Asian markets and usually comes with a flavor packet. If you have the packet, simply mix it with 1 cup of hot water and skip the Hondashi, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. If you cannot find Okinawa soba, fresh or frozen thick udon noodles are an excellent textural substitute.
The ketchup variation.
For a post-war mainland Okinawa variation, skip the steaming liquid entirely. Instead, dry stir-fry the noodles with 3 to 4 tablespoons of standard American ketchup and a pinch of salt and pepper for a sweet, tangy comfort food.
From Cook Okinawan in America.