How To Make Tenzaru Soba (Chilled Soba Noodles With Assorted Tempura)
Tenzaru Soba is a popular dish at Soba specialty restaurants, consisting of two parts: Tempura and Zaru Soba (cold Soba served on a Zaru). The freshly deep-fried Tempura pairs perfectly with the Soba noodles, making Tenzaru Soba a favorite among people of all ages.
Even if visiting Japan to try Tenzaru Soba might be difficult, you can make it at home! In this recipe, we’ll show you how to prepare Tenzaru Soba, so be sure to read through to the end!
As we’ve already covered how to make Tempura and Gluten-Free Tempura in previous recipes, so this time, we are focusing on how to enjoy Tenzaru Soba, whether you’re at a Soba specialty restaurant or at home, to help you avoid any confusion.
While there are no strict rules for enjoying Tenzaru Soba, following these ideal steps can enhance the experience:
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Tasting the Soba itself. Start by savoring the Soba noodles on their own. When eating Tenzaru Soba, you’ll have a plate of Soba and a plate of Tempura in front of you. Begin by tasting the Soba without dipping it in Mentsuyu or adding garnishes. This allows you to fully appreciate the pure taste and texture of the Soba.
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Enjoying the Soba with Mentsuyu dipping sauce. Take a bite-sized portion of Soba noodles with chopsticks and dip the bottom half into the Mentsuyu dipping sauce. Enjoy the combination of the Soba noodles and the Mentsuyu.
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Enjoying the Soba noodles with garnishes. Add any garnishes that come with Tenzaru Soba, such as Wasabi paste and sliced leek, for extra flavor. Avoid dissolving all the Wasabi paste into the Mentsuyu at once.
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Eating the Tempura. Use the Mentsuyu dipping sauce for Tempura as well. Feel free to add garnishes like grated Daikon and ginger directly onto the Tempura, rather than dissolving them in the dipping sauce, and then dip the Tempura into the sauce.
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Enjoying the dipping sauce with Soba-yu. You can also enjoy the Mentsuyu dipping sauce with Soba-yu, the water used to boil the Soba noodles. Soba specialty restaurants often provide this. Add Soba-yu to the dipping sauce and dilute it to your liking, enjoying the mixture like a soup. If you have any Wasabi paste left, you can add it for an extra kick.
These steps are ideal for enjoying Tenzaru Soba, but feel free to enjoy it however you prefer. Try Tenzaru Soba both at specialty restaurants and at home!
Overview
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Total servings: 2
Difficulty: Difficult
Ingredients
- 160 g Dried Soba Noodles
- 4 Shrimps
- 2 Shiso Leaves
- 2 Slices of Kabocha (1 cm thick)
- 4 Shishito Peppers
- 1 Small Eggplant
- 160 ml Mentsuyu Dipping Sauce (divided into two portions of 80ml each)
- 10 g Japanese Leek
- 50 g Daikon Radish (peeled)
- 10 g Ginger (peeled)
- Wasabi Paste, if you prefer
- Cooking Oil, as needed
- 100 g All-Purpose Flour (for tempura batter)
- 26 g Beaten Egg (for tempura batter)
- 200 ml Cold Water (for tempura batter)
- *extra All-Purpose Flour, as needed (for dusting the tempura ingredients)
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