Classic Festival-Style Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)

If you've ever been to a Japanese summer festival, you already know yakisoba. It's the dish that fills the air with the most incredible smell! Sweet, tangy, and deeply savoury all at once — and draws a crowd to every street food stall it's cooked at. It's the Japanese equivalent of an everyday stir-fry, but with a flavour profile that is entirely its own. Rich, saucy, and satisfying without a trace of oiliness, this is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your weekly dinner rotation.

Serves: 2-3 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the stir-fry:

• 1 packet Yunion Japanese Noodles

• 300g pork belly, thinly sliced (or chicken thigh)

• 2 cups green cabbage, roughly shredded

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

• 1 carrot, julienned

• 1 cup bean sprouts

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Neutral oil for frying

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp Japanese Worcestershire sauce (usuta sosu)

• 1 tbsp Tonkatsu sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tsp sugar

To serve:

• Japanese mayonnaise

• Aonori (dried seaweed flakes)

• Pickled red ginger (beni shoga)

• Bonito flakes (katsuobushi) — optional

Method

Mix all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

• Heat wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add oil, then cook pork belly or chicken until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

• Add a little more oil to the pan. Fry garlic and onion for 1 minute until softened and fragrant.

• Add carrot and cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes until just tender.

• Add Yunion Japanese Noodles and pour the sauce over the top. Toss everything together until the noodles are well coated and glossy.

• Return the protein to the pan and add bean sprouts. Toss for a final minute to combine.

• Serve immediately topped with a zigzag of Japanese mayonnaise, a sprinkle of aonori, and pickled red ginger on the side.

Tips

• Japanese Worcestershire sauce and Tonkatsu sauce are available at Asian grocery stores across Perth and most major supermarkets. Together they create that signature yakisoba flavour that no substitute can quite replicate — it's worth tracking them down.

• The toppings are not just decorative. Japanese mayo adds creaminess, aonori adds a subtle oceanic flavour, and pickled ginger cuts through the richness of the dish. Use all three for the full festival experience.

• Pork belly is the traditional choice here and for good reason — its fat renders into the noodles and adds incredible flavour. Don't be tempted to substitute a leaner cut.

Find Yunion Near You

Our full range of fresh noodles, wonton skins, and dumpling skins are available at select supermarkets and Asian grocery stores across Perth. Click here to find your nearest stockist.