Korean Street Stall Udon (Dashi Broth Fish Cake Noodle Soup)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
This street stall-style udon starts with kombu cold-steeped in water that is then brought to a gentle boil and simmered for eight minutes to extract its clean, mineral sweetness.
Read more
The heat is turned off before bonito flakes are added, left to steep for two minutes until the broth turns golden and faintly smoky, then strained clear. Soup soy sauce and regular soy sauce are used together so the broth achieves both the right color and a balanced savory depth, and a small amount of sugar smooths the sharp edge of the soy without making the broth sweet. Fish cake slices are added directly to the hot broth and simmered for roughly five minutes, releasing their own mild umami into the liquid while absorbing the dashi flavor in return. Cooking them much longer causes the texture to deteriorate. Udon noodles are blanched separately in a second pot to wash off surface starch, then transferred to serving bowls while the broth is brought back to a rolling boil. Pouring the hot broth over the noodles at the last moment rather than simmering the noodles in the broth keeps them springy and prevents the soup from turning cloudy. Sliced scallion and dried seaweed flakes go on top as the final garnish.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
Place 900 ml cold water and 5 g kombu in a pot, then heat slowly over medium-low heat.
When small bubbles gather at the edges, steep for only 8 minutes and remove the kombu.
- 2Step
Turn off the heat and add 10 g bonito flakes, leaving them undisturbed for 2 minutes.
Do not stir, then strain gently through a sieve so the broth stays clear instead of cloudy.
- 3Control
Return the broth to the pot and add 1.5 tablespoons soup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then taste once the sugar dissolves.
- 4Control
Slice 120 g fish cake into easy-to-eat pieces and add it to the boiling broth.
Simmer over medium heat for up to 5 minutes so it seasons the soup, then lower the heat before it turns mushy.
- 5Heat
Boil water in another pot and blanch 2 packs of frozen udon for just 1 minute.
As soon as the strands separate, drain and rinse briefly in cold water to remove surface starch.
- 6Finish
Place the noodles in bowls first, then bring the broth back to a strong boil and pour it over while very hot.
Add the fish cake, top with 20 g scallion and 2 tablespoons shredded seaweed, and serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Thick noodles boil separately before joining a clear broth of kombu and katsuobushi topped with tempura bits, fish cakes, green onions, and a seasoned egg.
- Finish cue
- Place the noodles in bowls first, then bring the broth back to a strong boil and pour it over while very hot.
- Avoid this
- Do not overcook the noodles; blanch briefly and serve right away.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
35min, 10 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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