Featured Recipe

Classic Yatai-Style Yakisoba

Japanese Staple Festival Food

Serves: 2
Cook Time: 14 minutes

 

A Taste of Japan: The Story of Japanese Yatai Yakisoba

If you’ve ever walked through a Japanese festival, the sizzling aroma of freshly cooked yakisoba is impossible to miss. This classic noodle dish comes from yatai—small, mobile food stalls that pop up during festivals and special events across Japan. Yatai stalls are a beloved part of Japanese culture, offering quick, comforting meals served with a side of nostalgia.

Yatai-style yakisoba is all about simplicity and bold flavors. Instead of using a variety of ingredients like homemade versions often do, this festival favorite highlights just a few key ingredients: tender pork belly, crisp cabbage, and chewy noodles coated in a rich, savory-sweet sauce. The secret to its deep flavor? It's traditionally stir-fried in lard, which adds extra richness and aroma. At home, using fatty pork belly is the perfect substitute to capture that same authentic taste.

With this recipe, you can bring that festive street-food experience into your own kitchen—simple, satisfying, and perfect for sharing.

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 2 packs Sapporo Ichiban Yakisoba
  • 5 oz thinly sliced pork belly
  • 4 leaves cabbage
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • Pickled ginger (beni shoga) for garnish
  • 2 fried eggs (optional for topping)

Directions

 

 

STEP 1

Cut the cabbage into 1-inch squares and slice the pork belly into 1-inch strips.

 

 

STEP 2

Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat.
Add the sliced pork belly and cook until browned.

 

 

STEP 3

Add the cabbage and stir-fry until slightly softened. Add the bean sprouts and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
Once the vegetables are slightly tender, remove the pork and vegetables from the pan and set them aside.

 

 

STEP 4

In the same pan, add 1 cup of water and place the Sapporo Ichiban Yakisoba noodles into the pan.

 

 

STEP 5

Boil the noodles for 1 minute, flip the block over, and cook for another minute.
Break the noodles apart with a fork or chopsticks as they soften.

 

 

STEP 6

Add the cooked pork, cabbage, and bean sprouts back into the pan.
Stir everything together until well mixed and heated through.

 

 

STEP 7

Sprinkle the seasoning packets from the yakisoba packs over the noodles and stir until evenly coated.

 

 

STEP 8

Plate the noodles, garnish with pickled ginger and attached dried seaweed flakes,
and top each serving with a fried egg if desired.