Rika's TOKYO CUISINE: Zaru-soba (Cold Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce)

Buckwheat flour is made into soba, the buckwheat noodle, and loved in Japan. Zaru-soba, the chilled soba served with cold dipping sauce is the best way to enjoy its scent and texture simply. Let's get a taste of Japanese' favorite popular noodle with its apt side dish, tempura.

Chicken and Cucumber Salad [Ingredients] *Serves 2 300g chicken breast Salt 1 cucumber Cilantro leaves for garnish For sauce 5cm naganegi long onion (or leek) 1tbsp minced fresh ginger 1tbsp minced cilantro 1tbsp soy sauce 1tbsp sesame oil 1tbsp rice vinegar 1tbsp sugar [Method] 1. Remove the skin from the cut chicken breast and rub the salt on the chicken. Put them in boiling water, and turn off the heat. Check one of them 5minutes later whether they are cooked through or not. 2. Peel the cucumber into thin slices with the peeler. Soak the cucumber slices in cold water to make them crispy. 3. For making the sauce, chop the long onion and combine with minced ginger and cilantro in a bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar in the bowl and mix them well. Shred the chicken while they are still warm. Dress with the sauce. 4. Place the drained cucumber slices on the center of the plate. Mound the chicken on the cucumber slices. Garnish with the cilantro leaves. Shrimp & Mushroom Tempura [Ingredients] *Serves 2 4 jumbo shrimps, thawed if frozen 50g maitake mushrooms 1cup tempura flour 3/4cup (150ml) sparkling water, chilled Vegetable oil for deep-frying [Method] 1. Prepare the shrimps. Remove the shell and legs and devein them. After that, rub them with salt and rinse in order to remove the fishy odor. Cut off the hard spike on the tail. Put the small slices on the inside to prevent them from curling up when they are fried. 2. Tear the maitake mushrooms into chunks. 3. Add sparkling water to the tempura flour and mix. 4. Heat the oil to 170℃. Coat each shrimps and maitake mushrooms with the batter, and gently place them in the oil. 5. When the batter turns golden brown, remove them from the oil.