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Home ► Recipes ► Japanese Street Food

Yakisoba

Updated: 06.03.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 80 Comments

4.54 from 41 votes
Yakisoba noodles are a classic Japanese street food made by stir-frying vegetables, meat and ramen noodles with a sweet and savory sauce. My version retains the authentic taste of this festival favorite with a homemade Yakisoba sauce.
Recipe Video
A plate of homemade Japanese yakisoba (stir-fried ramen noodles) with pork cabbage, onions and benishoga (red pickled ginger).

What is Yakisoba?

Yakisoba (焼きそば) is one of the best known street foods in Japan, and the name literally means “grilled noodles.” It's thought to have originated from Chinese cuisine and became a popular fast-food meal in the black markets that popped up around Japan after the war. In an era when food was in short supply, and the country was busy rebuilding, the basic ingredients needed to make yakisoba, and the possibility of preparing it on large steel griddles called a teppan (鉄板), made it ideally suited for these makeshift outdoor markets.

Jump to:
  • What is Yakisoba?
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Japanese Street Food
  • Ingredients for Yakisoba
  • The Right Yakisoba Pan
  • How to Make the Best Yakisoba
  • Other Festival Foods
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Why This Recipe Works

  • Parboiling fresh ramen noodles for a minute less than the package instructions ensures they stay nice and chewy.
  • Using a large heavy bottomed pan ensures you have enough thermal mass to caramelize this ramen stir-fry. 
  • My homemade yakisoba sauce has just four basic ingredients, but it creates a marvelous umami-rich sauce with the right balance of salt, sweet, and sour tastes.

Japanese Street Food

These days, health regulations have all but obliterated outdoor food stalls, but yakisoba can still be found sizzling away in stalls everywhere from baseball stadiums to traditional matsuri (festivals) alongside other popular favorites like Okonomiyaki and Yakiudon. If you’ve ever been to one of these festivals in Japan, you probably remember the smell of the fruity, spicy sauce caramelizing on those giant steel griddles accompanied by the trademark clatter of the stubby metal spatulas used to stir-fry the popular noodle dish.

Ingredients for Yakisoba

While most street food versions of yakisoba are mostly noodles with a few scraps of cabbage here and there, I like loading my yakisoba up with veggies (and sometimes seafood or meat), turning it into a complete meal.

Yakisoba Noodles

Most people outside of Japan associate soba with buckwheat noodles, because soba literally means "buckwheat" in Japanese, but the word was historically used to refer to any long, thin noodle. In fact, ramen was originally known as chūkasoba (Chinese noodles).

In the case of Yakisoba, the noodles are Chinese-style ramen noodles made with wheat flour and alkali, or kansui(かん水). In Japan, these noodles are available in pre-boiled packs specifically for this dish. Although they're convenient, I'm not a fan of them because they're a pain to untangle, and they tend to get overcooked and soft when you stir-fry them. Instead, I like to use fresh wheat noodles like ramen noodles or chow mein, and I boil them myself. It's an extra step, but it's not that much more work, and the results are better.

Long Chinese-style noodles stir-fried with cabbage, carrots and onions.

Yakisoba is so good you'll likely end up eating the whole batch, so if you're concerned with such things as carbs and calories, there's a good alternative: Shirataki Noodles. These noodles made from the corm of a Voodoo Lily are very low in carbs and have virtually no calories. Go check out my Shirataki Yakisoba Recipe for all the details.

Yakisoba Sauce

In Japan, there are a wide variety of fruit and vegetable-based sauces such as usuta sōsu, chūno sōsu, and tonkatsu sauce, which are often abbreviated down to sōsu. They're sweet, savory, and spicy condiments poured on everything from Tonkatsu to cabbage salad, and they're used as a seasoning in dishes ranging from Hamburg Steak to Japanese Curry.

Yakisoba sauce is another condiment in the same category, and while you can buy it bottled, I prefer mixing my ownblend and using condiments available almost anywhere. Ketchup forms the fruity foundation while also adding a mild vinegary tang. Oyster sauce and soy sauce provide the salt and loads of umami, while Worcestershire sauce brings a complex variety of spices that gives the Yakisoba sauce its trademark flavor. If you want your yakisoba spicy, try addingyour favorite chili oil or chili sauce, like gochujang or doubanjiang. 

Meat

The most common type of meat used for yakisoba is thinly sliced pork belly. Not only does it add a ton of flavor to the noodles, but it also contributes some fat that helps keep the noodles from sticking together. If you have trouble finding thinly sliced pork belly in your area, American-style bacon is a good substitute; however, you'll need to reduce the amount of sauce you add a little as the bacon can be quite salty.
If you're not into pork, chicken or shrimp are both excellent options, and it's also okay to just leave out the meat altogether to make vegetarian yakisoba (make sure you use a vegetarian Worcestershire sauce).

Vegetables

The vegetables for Yakisoba are cabbage and onions, but you can honestly use any combination of veggies you like. In our home, this is one way we use up odds and ends from the veggie drawer, and I've made this with everything from carrots to bell peppers to snap peas and asparagus. Benishoga and aonori are the standard garnishes, but regular nori, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions will all work.

Overhead view of a summer scene in Japan with a plate of festival style yakisoba noodles.

The Right Yakisoba Pan

Yakisoba tastes best when made on a teppan, but most of us don't have a large high-output griddle in our homes, so here's the secret to getting that great grilled flavor at home.
The traditional teppan gives a large heated surface to work with, so cooks can constantly move the ingredients around to keep them on a hot part of the pan. This cooks the ingredients through quickly, retaining their vibrant color, and allows the ingredients to take on just a bit of char, which is where that wonderful flavor comes from.
To approximate this at home, I use my largest pan with a heavy bottom (cast iron or stainless steel both work well). The large pan gives you extra surface area to work with while using a heavy pan provides a high thermal mass which means the temperature of the pan won't drop as quickly when you add in additional ingredients.

How to Make the Best Yakisoba

First I like to fry up the pork belly, this gives the pork a chance to brown, developing a ton of flavor, and it also allows some of the fat to render out. If you don't use pork belly, you'll want to increase the amount of oil you use in the pan to 2 tablespoons.

Then I give the vegetables a quick stir-fry to give them a bit of color. You don't need to cook them through all the way here, as they'll continue to cook after the noodles get added.

Finally, the noodles are added in and tossed with the yakisoba sauce until it's caramelized around the noodles and the noodles start to brown.

The classic toppings for yakisoba are aonori(green nori flakes) and beni shōga (red pickled ginger), but I also like to top it with some scallions sometimes, and I've even heard there are people who put mayonnaise on it 😱.

Other Festival Foods

Here are some more delightful Japanese street foods to bring the summer festival vibe home! If you're craving more savory options, try your hand at Yaki Onigiri, crispy grilled rice balls with a delightfully crispy exterior glazed with caramelized soy sauce. For a hearty meal, whip up some Osaka-style Okonomiyaki, a customizable savory pancake that's a crowd-pleaser at festivals. On the sweeter side, Mitarashi Dango offers chewy rice dumplings glazed with a sticky-sweet soy sauce, while Daigaku Imo satisfies with its candied sweet potato goodness. And for dessert, don't miss out on Taiyaki, those adorable fish-shaped cakes filled with sweet red bean paste.

📖 Recipe

A plate of homemade Japanese yakisoba (stir-fried ramen noodles) with pork cabbage, onions and benishoga (red pickled ginger).

Yakisoba (焼きそば)

4.54 from 41 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 8 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 18 minutes mins
Yield 3 servings
YouTube video

Equipment

12-inch Non-stick Frying Pan
1 12-inch Non-stick Frying Pan
1 Small Glass Bowl

Units

Ingredients 

For yakisoba sauce

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

For yakisoba noodles

  • 260 grams fresh ramen noodles
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For stir-fry

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 100 grams pork belly (sliced and cut into strips)
  • 100 grams cabbage (chopped into strips)
  • 80 grams onions (sliced)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

To serve

  • aonori (green nori flakes)
  • benishoga (red pickled ginger)

Instructions

  • To make the yakisoba sauce, stir together 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce until evenly mixed.
    Mixing yakisoba sauce in a glass bowl with a spatula.
  • Boil 260 grams fresh ramen noodles for 1 minute less than what’s stated on the package directions.
    Boiling a pot of ramen noodles for yakisoba.
  • Drain and rinse repeatedly with cold water while agitating with your hand to remove excess starch. When the water runs clear and the noodles are cold, drain well and shake off excess water.
    Rinsing cooked yakisoba noodles in cold water.
  • Toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to coat evenly.
    Tossing yakisoba noodles with oil.
  • Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 100 grams pork belly and stir-fry until the pork starts to brown around the edges.
    Frying thinly sliced pork belly.
  • Add 100 grams cabbage and 80 grams onions and then season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked but still vibrant in color.
    Pork belly, cabbage and onions stir-fried for yakisoba.
  • Add the parboiled noodles to the pan and stir-fry to reheat them.
    Yakisoba noodles stir fried with cabbage, pork and onions.
  • Pour the yakisoba sauce over the noodles and toss to distribute evenly.
    Ramen noodles and vegetables in a frying pan with yakisoba sauce.
  • Stop tossing the yakisoba noodles for 20 seconds at a time to allow the sauce to caramelize.
    Yakisoba noodles in a frying pan.
  • Serve the yakisoba sprinkled with aonori with a mound of benishoga on top.
    Plating yakisoba noodles with red pickled ginger.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 669kcalCarbohydrates • 64gProtein • 14gFat • 40gSaturated Fat • 14gPolyunsaturated Fat • 8gMonounsaturated Fat • 16gTrans Fat • 0.1gCholesterol • 24mgSodium • 2644mgPotassium • 422mgFiber • 4gSugar • 6gVitamin A • 136IUVitamin C • 26mgCalcium • 65mgIron • 4mg

Comments

    4.54 from 41 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Rebekah says

    September 22, 2024 at 2:16 am

    Do you use Bulldog sauce for Worcestershire sauce? Which brand do you use, please?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      September 22, 2024 at 8:41 pm

      Hi Rebekah, I use Lea & Perrins. Japanese Worcestershire sauce is too salty for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Rebekah says

        September 22, 2024 at 10:58 pm

        Thank you Marc!

        Reply
  2. Elizabeth says

    July 20, 2024 at 7:52 am

    Greetings! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with the world.

    I hate to be a bother, but I am dying to try this recipe but do not have access to fresh yellow noodles, however, I can get dried.

    Any thoughts or insight on using dry noodles as a substitute, such as grams of dried equivalent to 230 cooked?

    Thank you greatly for your time!

    Stay wonderful!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      July 20, 2024 at 10:42 pm

      Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your kind words! 230 grams of fresh noodles is 2 servings of noodles. Dried ones will work, and you'll want to check and see how many grams it suggests per serving on the package. I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        July 22, 2024 at 7:40 am

        Hello Marc! Thank you kindly for your reply and suggestion.

        2 servings of dry noodles sounds like a perfect plan. I am beyond grateful for your help and I cannot wait to make this next weekend.

        Take care, be well, and smile big.

        Elizabeth

        Reply
        • Marc Matsumoto says

          July 23, 2024 at 11:18 am

          You're welcome Elizabeth! I hope you enjoy it, and have a great week!

          Reply
  3. Tatyany Mani says

    March 15, 2024 at 4:50 am

    Thank you for post this recipe Marc. I'm from brazil and our yakissoba here is made in a different way, with more sauce, but the concept is the same. I enjoy to read your post because I learned more about how the original Yakisoba is make.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 15, 2024 at 6:02 pm

      You're welcome Tatyany! Even in Japan there are many ways to make yakisoba (for instance some people season it with just salt and pepper while others use oyster sauce).

      Reply
  4. Christy says

    November 09, 2023 at 7:51 am

    Thank you for posting this recipe! I have been trying to find one since I lived in Japan. My husband and I love yakisoba! So many good memories.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 12, 2023 at 12:56 pm

      You're welcome Christy, I this is able to bring some memories back for you and your husband!

      Reply
  5. Jane says

    November 07, 2023 at 9:24 am

    Can I used table syrup (usually for pancakes) instead of honey? I ran out of honey and got tons of table syrup.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 08, 2023 at 1:55 pm

      Hi Jane, I'm not familiar with table syrup, but if it has a maple flavor it will make your yakisoba taste like maple (not that that's a bad thing). Otherwise from a sweetening perspective, it should work.

      Reply
      • Hope Baker says

        September 03, 2024 at 12:51 am

        Hello Marc, I am new to your channel and recipes but would like to try them. I have 2 questions: I read in the Comments a few people asking if they could substitute other sweeteners like table syrup, sugar etc for honey. However, I read your recipe for Yakisoba over and over and do not see honey being called for in the recipe. Am I missing something or did you omit honey in your written recipe? Is honey added to making the sauce in addition to ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce?
        My second question is from your video, it looks like you’re using a non-stick pan, and not cast iron. Is that so? Can I use a wok for this stir fried noodles? Thank you so much for your time and reply.

        Reply
        • Marc Matsumoto says

          September 04, 2024 at 8:33 am

          Welcome to the site Hope! This recipe was recently revised and I cut out the honey (there's additional ketchup in the recipe now which provides plenty of sweetness). As for pan, it's best to use a pan with high thermal mass such as cast iron or carbon steel. Unfortunately I don't have one that's large enough to hold the ingredients, so I went with the next best option which is a large aluminum pan with a thick bottom. A wok will work great if you have a wok burner that's able to heat the whole pan evenly.

          Reply
  6. Oliver says

    August 17, 2023 at 2:42 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe. It's difficult to achieve the roasted flavour at home. A local restaurant roasts the vegetables and pork-belly separately on a high heat teppan-yaki, and then caramelises the self-made noodles with sauce in a very high heat gas wok, before coming the ingredients. Still experimenting how to get close to that at home.

    Also want to try home-made Usata Sousu at home. Here two links I found (use google translate):

    https://web.archive.org/web/20140409170120/http://okonomiyakirecipes.com/komatsu-sans-traditional-okonomi-sauce-recipe

    https://coquinaria.nl/tonkatsu-saus/#sansho

    Reply
    • Marc says

      August 17, 2023 at 1:02 pm

      You're welcome Oliver! The trick to getting that roasted flavor is to use a pan that has a high thermal mass (something very heavy and dense) and preheating it. This will retain heat much better so it won't cool down when you add food to the pan.

      Reply
  7. Claudia says

    July 09, 2023 at 6:19 am

    5 stars
    Hi Marc, i am so glad I discovered your website. I gave up making stir-fries because no matter what I did, the veggies were always soggy. I was hesitant to try the yakisoba, but your instructions and video helped so much. I make it regularly now and .my husband loves it. Thank you so much
    We also love the teriyaki salmon. ☺

    Reply
    • Marc says

      July 09, 2023 at 12:06 pm

      Hi Claudia, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how my site has been helpful to you! My focus is on the techniques behind why recipes work, so I hope you're able to use the things learned here to level up your cooking across the board.

      Reply
  8. Ivan says

    April 30, 2023 at 11:28 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks, it was delicious! I have to try more of your recipes.

    Reply
    • Marc says

      May 02, 2023 at 10:23 am

      You're welcome Ivan, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this so much!

      Reply
  9. Liz says

    January 28, 2023 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent! We used dried ramen noodles from Japanese market and oyster sauce without msg. Delicious and easy to make; can see how flexible it would be to add other veggies, chicken, or a fried egg on top (thanks to the Netflix show, Midnight Diner). The sauce was just the right mix of savory and sweet. Loved it.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      January 30, 2023 at 11:57 am

      Hi Liz, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this, and yes, it's super flexible! We usually just use leftovers for the protein and whatever veggies are in the veggie drawer.

      Reply
  10. Karen says

    June 20, 2022 at 8:22 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Marc, I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      June 22, 2022 at 10:39 am

      I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it Karen, thanks for taking the time to let me know 😀

      Reply
  11. Patrick Hagerty says

    February 09, 2022 at 8:20 am

    5 stars
    Natsukashi!! I've made this about ten times and it keeps tasting better each time. Reminds me so much of my years in Japan so long ago. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      February 13, 2022 at 1:00 am

      You're welcome Patrick, I'm so glad to hear you've been enjoying it!

      Reply
  12. Danielle says

    July 26, 2021 at 3:56 am

    5 stars
    This recipe takes me straight back to my days in Misawa! I love it!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      July 27, 2021 at 12:19 am

      You're welcome Danielle, glad to hear this could bring back some memories!😀

      Reply
  13. Nadia says

    February 06, 2021 at 6:28 pm

    3 stars
    The recipe didn't really taste like yakisoba but it still tatsed good!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      February 07, 2021 at 10:05 pm

      Hi Nadia, I'm curious what you're using as a benchmark for yakisoba?

      Reply
    • Nikiwe Mwale says

      January 24, 2023 at 8:49 pm

      Hi Marc, I want to make this for dinner tonight, but I really don't like adding sweet things to savory dishes. Do you feel the flavor profile will be drastically altered if I omit the ketchup and honey? Or if I could omit one of the 2 which would you recommend please?

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        January 24, 2023 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Nikiwe, Yakisoba (along with most Japanese dishes) uses sweetness to balance salt and to enhance the taste of umami. When cooking I always encourage people to adapt recipes to suit their tastes, but just be aware that it will not be the taste of Japanese yakisoba if you leave the sweetness out. If you're going to leave just one of them out, I'd recommend leaving out the honey. This should cut back on the sweetness quite a bit.

        Reply
  14. Stella Rusli says

    November 17, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    5 stars
    Made yakisoba for dinner tonight, after playing your videos all day long in the background today, makes me crave for Japanese food ❤️❤️

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 17, 2020 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks for checking out my videos Stella! Hope you enjoyed this!

      Reply
  15. kashgirl4 says

    October 06, 2020 at 4:14 am

    4 stars
    Hi Marc,
    Thank you for the recipe, it was very tasty and easy to make but I think next time I will maybe only use 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper. I found that it overwhelmed the sauce. Just curious why you chose white pepper vs black pepper.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      October 06, 2020 at 9:33 am

      You're welcome! Regarding the white pepper, I prefer the taste of it for this dish, but black pepper will work as well if you're not into white pepper. You could also try reducing the quantity.

      Reply
  16. Bob says

    September 17, 2020 at 5:32 pm

    it sucks

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      September 17, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      Hi Bob, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it, but "it sucks" doesn't really help me help you. Can you tell me a little more about what went wrong or what you didn't like about it?

      Reply
  17. Mochan says

    August 11, 2020 at 3:22 am

    Your pronunciation if Sosu is wrong. It's not a long O like in soda.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      August 11, 2020 at 10:00 am

      Hi Mochan, thanks for the note, how would you pronounce it? I wonder if this is a regional difference as in the Kanto region we pronounce it with a long O. What area of Japan are you in? It's also typically written ソース which indicates the "so" is extended.

      Reply
  18. Keith S Lambaunas says

    August 04, 2020 at 10:11 am

    This recipe tasted amazing. I have a fussy 12 year old daughter so I had to make some weird subs (kielbasa) but honestly, it worked. Your video was worked perfect too.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      August 04, 2020 at 10:14 pm

      Hi Keith, I'm so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this! Yakisoba is great because it's so flexible. My 8 year old loves cocktails sausages in her yakisoba (not a traditional addition). I should try kielbasa next time 😆

      Reply
  19. sean wonderling says

    May 11, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    "ALI ANDERSON WILLIAMS
    Hi Marc, great post. If you were to guess, what do you think the ratios of Worcestershire and ketchup would be to make the alternative sauce? Would you still use oyster sauce?"

    I've Read and reread this over and over still missing the reference ... what "alternative" sauce is he speaking of ?

    Great looking recipe fully intend to try EVERY SINGLE VERSION very soon lol
    Thank you
    sean

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 11, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      Hi Sean, if you want to go simple, you can do a 50:50 mix of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, or here's my Tonkatsu sauce recipe that can also be used for yakisoba: https://norecipes.com/katsu-sandwich-recipe/

      Reply
      • sean wonderling says

        May 11, 2020 at 6:55 pm

        thank you very much
        looks like il be doing the Tonkatsu sauce i feel i may like the added fruity sweetness better and you can never go wrong with a little sake (wink) plus i don't mind more complex recipes (usually more flavor to be found there lol)

        Reply
  20. OaktownGrrl says

    April 24, 2020 at 1:11 am

    Made this last night, just left out the meat because I didn't have any on hand. Delicious! And so easy. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 24, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Hi OaktownGrrl, you're welcome. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  21. Magda says

    April 15, 2020 at 1:37 am

    Thank you.

    Reply
  22. Magda says

    April 15, 2020 at 1:36 am

    Thank you for your simple recipe but yet looks good. I’ll try to make it today.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 15, 2020 at 9:28 am

      You're welcome Magda, I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  23. Jose says

    April 14, 2020 at 1:00 am

    Great looking recipe. Question, I googled 230g of noodles and that came out to less than a cup (0.93). Is this correct? Is this recipe a single serving? Trying to get everything together in advance. Thank you

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 14, 2020 at 11:10 am

      Hi Jose, you can't measure noodles with cups as it depends on how tightly you pack them (i.e. if you were to smash them into the cup, you might be able to get 230 grams to fit, but that would ruin the noodles). 1 serving of fresh noodles is about 110 grams (i.e. a portion you'd get at a ramen restaurant), this will increase in weight and volume as you boil them as they absorb water. The other thing to take into consideration is the weight of the other ingredients (360 grams of veggies and meat). This should make enough for 2 comfortably and if you are lighter eaters it should be enough for 3.

      Reply
    • CS Odeen says

      July 18, 2021 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      Hey, Jose - it comes to 8 ounces. That's by WEIGHT, not by VOLUME. You're right - 8 oz is about 1/2 cup, but that's measuring for fluid ounces. With grams, you're talking volume, so it's weight. About 1/2 pound (8 oz) not 1/2 cup (8 oz) - English measuring system is so dumb! 🙂

      Reply
  24. Chris Spera says

    April 06, 2020 at 11:36 am

    This was an awesome recipe. Thanks for sharing this. This was especially welcomed during the COVID-19 pandemic as I was going through a Japanese food crisis. More like this would be very welcomed!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 06, 2020 at 1:39 pm

      Hi Chris, I'm glad to hear this was helpful! I have a ton of easy Japanese recipes you can check out here: https://norecipes.com/cuisine/japanese/ Stay safe and healthy!

      Reply
  25. Nina says

    November 20, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    Hi!
    Can I make this dish vegan? Or are there any popular vegan japaneese dishes I can try? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 21, 2019 at 8:29 am

      Hi Nina, it's pretty easy to make this vegan. Just replace the pork belly with a plant-based protein you like that's been seasoned. For the oystersauce you can use soy sauce, and for the Worcestershire sauce (which usually includes anchovies), look for one that's vegan-friendly. As for other plant-based recipes, I have a whole category of them here: https://norecipes.com/diet/vegan/

      Reply
  26. Dosia says

    May 15, 2019 at 7:32 am

    Hi Marc,
    Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! Love stir fry noodles and Japanese cuisine. However, not a big fan of pork... or beef. Any suggestions what bacon could be substituted with? "Tofurkey" bacon perhaps? I don't want to ruin this great recipe and would like to surprise my partner with nice Friday night dinner.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 15, 2019 at 8:35 am

      Hi Dosia, you're welcome! Thanks for stopping by to leave a note. There's two reason for adding the pork, the first is for flavor, and the second is that it adds a flavorful fat so we don't need to use as much vegetable oil. Although pork is the most common protein used in Yakisoba here in Japan, I've seen yakisoba made with other meats, or seafood, and it's also fairly common to see it without any protein at all. Some ideas are using chicken, or fried tofu (you can use fresh tofu too, but it will tend to fall apart while stir-frying). In either of these cases I'd recommend increasing the amount of vegetable oil for the stir-fry to 2 tablespoons to keep things from sticking together.

      Reply
      • Dosia says

        May 16, 2019 at 7:36 am

        Hi Marc,
        Thank you for the tips. I think I'll use faty pieces of chicken and seafood/fried tofu in the future for this dish! Can't wait until the weekend comes to try it 🙂

        Reply
        • Marc Matsumoto says

          May 16, 2019 at 8:28 am

          You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it!

          Reply
  27. Wendy says

    May 15, 2019 at 6:06 am

    This is the dish I miss the most from my days in Japan, when you could get it from the food carts. I had been trying to figure out the right mix of ingredients for years. Thanks for publishing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 15, 2019 at 8:40 am

      You're welcome, thanks for stopping by to leave a comment! I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  28. Eadgyth says

    November 04, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    Thank you! I have made this for my family three times now and last time I successfully made it with no recipe. Everyone loves this and even the picky eaters manage to eat their vegetables in this dish. I also like it because it is so quick to make. We buy a large 5lb bag of pre-cooked yakisoba noodles from our local restaurant supply store and divide it into three meals worth. I've also been adding leftover pork roast or roasted chicken to it at the end of the vegetable cook time so the meat can get thoroughly sauced and warmed up. Thank you again for your recipe, this chuno based sauce is much better than the "yakisoba sauce" I was buying pre-made before.

    Reply
  29. Sircnawsnaws says

    February 14, 2015 at 6:43 am

    Yeah, seems normal to me. Must be just the way her family eats it.

    Reply
  30. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 13, 2015 at 2:55 am

    Hi Sircnawsnaws, it's not as traditional of an ingredient to add as aonori, but you can reassure your wife that this recipe was made by a Japanese guy living in Japan and adding katsuobushi is not weird.

    Reply
  31. Sircnawsnaws says

    February 12, 2015 at 3:29 am

    You know, I put katsuobushi on there as in the recipe, and my Japanese wife thought that was weird. I liked it, tho. Like okonomiyaki, etc. Anyway, thanks for the recipe. I put green pepper on there as well.

    Reply
  32. kathleenditommaso says

    June 11, 2014 at 3:57 am

    Hot night for the SF bay area. Don't wanna cook. Draggin' my knuckles on the ground, it's 95+. Dinner...what to do? I thought what's that noodle dish, yakisoba -- that sauce is great. Raided the vege drawer, boiled up those noodles, tossed it all up w/the sauce. ~20 minutes what w/my slow prep time & "he's" fed. He says, good stuff.
    Next day, "hey those noodles were good stuff, will you make them again? Was that a recipe from that Matsumoto guy?"
    Dang, seriously? Busted.

    Reply
  33. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 17, 2013 at 12:30 am

    Great idea adding the pork! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  34. onecentinvegas says

    December 16, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Made this for dinner last night. I added some thin sliced pork which I stir fried first, and also added some sugar snap peas wih the vegetables. Left out the katsuobushi, since I addad meat. Increased the sauce a bit, as we like it saucy. This dish was DA BOMB! Fast, easy and really yummy.
    Thanks, Marc, for making my introduction to Japanese cooking so easy and tasty. Can't wait to try more things!

    Reply
  35. Robert Wimberly says

    October 28, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    Have you considered Pickapeppa sauce? I subbed it for the Chuno and was very happy with the outcome. Also, it's cheaper and you can get it in any grocery store.

    Reply
  36. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 31, 2013 at 10:23 pm

    Hi KKasper206, the chunou sauce is sweeter and more viscous, so it caramelizes better on the outside of the noodles rather than soaking into the noodles. Give it a try and see what you think.

    Reply
  37. KKasper206 says

    August 31, 2013 at 10:07 pm

    Hi Marc,
    I always use the Bull-Dog brand's Worcestershire Sauce - which is the way my mom showed me. How much of a difference in taste is there between their W. Sauce & the Fruit & Vegetable Sauce? I will have to pick up a bottle of this sauce, & do a comparison taste test w/mom & hubby!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  38. KKasper206 says

    August 31, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    Hi Marc,
    I always use the Bull-Dog brand's Worcestershire Sauce - which is the way my mom showed me. How much of a difference in taste is there between their W. Sauce & the Fruit & Vegetable Sauce? I will have to pick up a bottle of this sauce, & do a comparison taste test w/mom & hubby!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  39. Tokyo Terrace says

    August 13, 2013 at 4:26 am

    Awesome- I'll keep an eye out for it! Hope you are doing well!

    Reply
  40. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 13, 2013 at 4:18 am

    Hi Rachael, I'm working on a Chuno sauce recipe. Will post it when I get it right:-)

    Reply
  41. Tokyo Terrace says

    August 12, 2013 at 11:38 pm

    I love yakisoba! That was always one of the first foods I craved if I'd been away from Japan for a while and was just returning, usually in late August. I especially loved stirring the unusually bright pickled ginger into the noodles...that's probably my favorite part of the dish. I've been trying to recreate chuno sauce, but have not quite gotten it right. Maybe worcershire + ketchup will do for now...

    Reply
  42. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 04, 2013 at 10:37 pm

    Hi Ali, good question. Try a 50/50 mix, it should look like what's in the bottom left of this photo ( https://cdn.norecipes.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/07/yakisoba-1.jpg). Dark, and thick. In terms of taste, it's sweet, sour, and spicy (as in spices not chili peppers). Yep, you'd still want to follow the recipe as is (including the oyster sauce).

    Reply
  43. Ali Anderson Williams says

    August 04, 2013 at 9:51 am

    Hi Marc, great post. If you were to guess, what do you think the ratios of Worcestershire and ketchup would be to make the alternative sauce? Would you still use oyster sauce?

    Reply
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