This is rapidly turning into my favorite summer meal.  Hiyashi Chuka basically means cold noodles.  I buy this package at my local H-mart and it comes with its own sauce and a little packet of spicy mustard if you like.  The noodles take about 4 minutes to cook and the rest is just the assembly of whatever vegetables and/or protein you like.  Ham is traditional (at least in my family).  My favorite part is the Japanese omelette.  This time around I added peas, broccoli trunks, green beans, corn, orange bell pepper, ham, scallions, and omelette.  Julienned carrots and cucumber are traditional, but I didn’t have any on hand.

Confession:  I’ve never made this all by myself.  This is a Mom-made meal that I adore and am sous chef for (I julienne the veggies).  So I’m not sure how she gets the omelette just right (I also just learned how to make a normal omelette this year, so I’m not sure I’m ready for fancy Japanese omelettes just yet).  Here’s my understanding of what goes into a Japanese omelette.

Japanese Omelette

• One egg per person
• Splash of mirin (rice wine)
• Smaller splash of toasted sesame oil

Whisk together the egg, mirin, and sesame oil.  Pour into a hot nonstick pan.  As the omelette sets, attempt to roll it.  When cooked through, remove from heat and slice.

After  the noodles have finished cooking, rinse them in cold water to cool them.  Pourthe dressing packet on (if serving immediately) and then arrange the toppings on top.