Tantanmen Noodles

I owe a lot of my awesome experience in Japan to my best friend, Tina. I'm pretty sure she showed me something new on a weekly basis, whether it was clothes shopping or good eats. Somehow she always knew the hidden spots out in town. One of my favorite things to do with her was grab some Chuhai and head to Chula-U for some sunbathing. My memories with her are some of the best I have.

One of the great spots she introduced me to was Ichibante. It's a little noodle shop that serves some of the best noodles and gyoza ever. We would meet up for lunch, go out to dinner with the husbands, and start off ladies night there. When she left the island (far too long before I did!), she told me she really wanted the recipe. Lucky for me, I made some amazing Japanese friends while I was out there as well, and I was able to get it.



Tantanmen Noodles
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

(I make this recipe X2!)

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot chili oil (I add a little extra for heat!)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon white sesame paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon doubanjiang (Chinese spicy bean paste)
2 teaspoons tenmenjan (Chinese sweet miso)
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallion, for garnish
About 1 cup of pasta or noodles for each bowl

1. Heat the sesame and chili oils in a pot. Add garlic, ginger and doubanjiang then fry until fragrant.

2. Next add sesame paste, tenmenjan and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer.

3. In a separate pot, cook pasta or noodles until done. Drain.

4. Combine noodles and broth in serving bowls and sprinkle with scallion garnish. Eat hot.



I could seriously eat this every day of the week. As it is, I think I've made it weekly since we got all the ingredients. The spicy bean paste and the miso won't go bad for a very long time, so we always have some on hand. It never fails to hit the spot and make me miss Tina more than I already do!