Yakisoba is the smell of a Japanese summer festival — sizzling noodles on a hot griddle, that distinctive tangy-sweet sauce, and a shower of pickled ginger and bonito flakes on top. It's fast food in the best sense: quick, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable.
The sauce is really the heart of the dish, built from a mix of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, soy and a touch of sugar to mimic the bottled yakisoba sauce sold in Japan. Cabbage, carrot and pork belly are classic, but this is a great one for using up whatever vegetables need eating.
Top with a generous drizzle of Kewpie mayonnaise, pickled ginger and a sprinkle of aonori (seaweed flakes) if you can find them — it's what turns a good stir fry into an authentic yakisoba.
