Hiyashi Chuka

cold ramen recipe

As a kid, one of my most favorite dishes to eat during the summer was (and still is!) hiyashi chuka. This is a Japanese cold ramen dish with Chinese influence; it also directly translates as “chilled Chinese!” It features cold ramen noodles covered with an array of different toppings such as cucumber, egg, ham, and tomato. It’s then drizzled with either a soy sauce-based dressing or a sesame dressing, which I prefer more. This dish is so refreshing and I would definitely recommend you to try it!

You can usually find packages of hiyashi chuka noodles in any Japanese grocery market. I found mine in the frozen section and kept the noodles in my freezer. I thawed the noodles in the refrigerator the night before I was planning on using them.

The package also usually comes with it’s own sauce. My family prefers to make our own sauce though as the sauces are usually filled with preservatives and such. But in a pinch, the sauce packets are delicious and makes things so easy!

The great thing about hiyashi chuka is that you can customize it according to your own preference. It can be made with so many other toppings. Some of which are:
-chasu pork
-bamboo shoots
-greens such as mizuna and lettuce
-pickled ginger
-shredded nori
-imitation crab

Ingredients

2-3 portions of ramen noodles, or any noodles of choice
1 chicken breast
1 knob of ginger, sliced into pieces
2 green onions, roughly chopped
Water, enough to cover the chicken
Sake
3 tablespoons sesame paste or peanut butter
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 cucumbers, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 tomato, cut into slices
2 slices of ham, sliced into thin matchsticks
Bean sprouts, handful
Canned corn
2 eggs
Sugar
Salt
Sesame seeds

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Directions

1. Chicken
   -Add 1 chicken breast, 1 knob of sliced ginger, and 2 green onions into a small pot. Then add enough water to completely cover the chicken (I added around 4 cups) along with a large pinch of salt and a big splash of sake.
   -Heat the chicken over medium high heat until it boils. Remove any foam and scum. Once it boils, lower the heat to low and cover loosely with a lid. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
   -After 15 minutes, remove the chicken and allow it to cool. Remove all the aromatics and save your broth for the sauce.

2. Sauce
   -Add 1-2 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons sesame paste/peanut butter, 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, and 1-2 tablespoons sesame oil to a bowl. Then add 1/3 cup of the chicken broth and whisk everything together until smooth.
   -Reserve and refrigerate this sauce until use.

3. Egg Omelette
   -Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and add a pinch of sugar and salt. Whisk everything together.
   -Oil a frying pan and heat it over medium heat. Add either half or all the eggs depending on the size of your pan. Spread your eggs out throughout the pan and cook until they’re mostly done. Flip and then remove the eggs from the pan. Allow to cool.

4. Toppings
   -Add a handful of bean sprouts into boiling water to blanch for 30 seconds. Remove from the boiling water and rinse the beans under cold water to cool completely. Gently squeeze any excess moisture out of the blanched bean sprouts.
   -Slice all of your toppings (2 cucumbers, 1 tomato, 2 slices of ham) and shred your chicken. Open and drain your can of corn.

5. Noodles
   -Cook your noodles according to package instructions. My noodles were reading after boiling for 2 minutes. Rinse the noodles in cold water to cool completely and gently squeeze the noodles to remove and excess water.

6. Plating
   -Add your noodles to a bowl. Cover with all the toppings. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Then drizzle as much of the sauce as you like.

7. Enjoy!