Hot and humid weather means it's "cold noodle" time in our household. Growing up, I'd venture to say we ate this dish no less than eight times in a summer. Japanese people eat these when the heat is so unbearable you don't feel like eating anything but you must. In Japan these noodles are called somen and is usually served only in homes instead of restaurants. When eating out you can get the buckwheat version called soba.
Things I learned (a long time ago) from this recipe:
Always portion out noodles into appropriately sized clumps for the individual bowl. When serving soba, it is 100% acceptable to just have one large heap of noodles. I think this is mostly due to the fact that somen sticks together and it would be hard to eat if you didn't portion it out while buckwheat doesn't have this problem.
You cannot eat these noodles without thinly sliced green onions.
One bunch of noodles is barely enough for one person (in my opinion) so I often serve three bunches for two people along with gyoza or another small side item to make a more complete meal.
Finely grated ginger or wasabi is optional.
Would I make this recipe again?:
For a lifetime.
The recipe
My simple recipe:
Somen noodles - boil three minutes, drain, rinse until noodles are cold. Transfer to a communal bowl that has a strainer on top to keep draining water. You can serve them with ice cubes to keep them cold.
Sauce - I use Memmi Soup Base for many different broth bases in Japanese cooking.
Cup - A shallow dipping cup is necessary to dip the noodles into the broth w/green onions.