Japanese Cold Summer Noodles aka Hiyashi Chuka (cold ramen)
A refreshing Japanese dish of bouncy noodles with ribbons of egg, ham and cucumber all dressed in a sweet and tangy soy-based dressing — a perfect summer dish or make-ahead lunch.
Japanese Cold Summer Noodles, or Hiyashi Chuka in Japanese, is a cold ramen dish made with fresh ramen noodles topped with a variety of toppings. You can switch up the toppings! The Japanese pickled ginger and hot mustard paste are optional accoutrements, but try to add them if you can — they both elevate the dish to another level.
My toppings are inspired by a specific version that my husband and I used to eat at a Japanese restaurant around the corner from our downtown Toronto condo, the very place I was introduced to (and fell in love with) this dish. It was simply called “summer noodles” and would only appear on the menu in the summer months in limited quantities because it was served with their own hand made ramen.
🎥 Watch video for Japanese Cold Summer Noodles
This dish is great for making ahead, for meal prep, potlucks and picnics. Keep components chilled in the fridge and mix together when ready to serve.
Eat well and be well,
Sonia x
Tips & FAQs:
Types of noodles to use:
Traditionally, fresh (not instant) ramen is used (left image above). These can be found at well-stocked East Asian grocery stores, usually in the freezer. If you have access to it, definitely use fresh ramen for the authentic taste and that unique chewy, bouncy texture. However, a pretty great substitute is asian dry wheat noodles (right image above). I’ve even heard of people using pasta in a pinch! In that case, I think a thin noodle like spaghettini would be ideal. These two noodle alternatives will have a different mouthfeel, obviously, but the resulting dish will still be refreshing and satisfying!
2.Optional condiments:
If you can find either or both of these two following accoutrements, I highly recommend! They really elevate this dish by adding dimension.
Gari Japanese pickled young ginger: Many conventional grocery stores now have a little sushi stations that sell sushi or ingredients to make your own. Jars of gari are usually sold there.
Hot mustard paste: A little bit like wasabi with that addictive horseradish bite. East Asian grocery stores sell these in tubes (like toothpaste) or in powder form to mix with water into a paste.
Japanese Cold Summer Noodles aka Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen)
Japanese Cold Summer Noodles aka Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen)
A refreshing Japanese dish of bouncy noodles with ribbons of egg, ham and cucumber all dressed in a sweet and tangy soy-based dressing — a perfect summer dish or make-ahead meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: Whisk sugar with hot water until sugar is fully dissolved. Add remaining sauce ingredients and set aside. 3 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp hot water, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Prepare egg crepes: Heat a non-stick pan over low to medium-low heat. While that is heating up, whisk eggs with sesame oil, salt and water. Once the pan is heated, cook eggs in 3 or 4 batches. Add a drizzle of oil and enough egg mixture to thinly coat the pan, swirling to spread evenly if it doesn’t do so on its own. Cook about 1 minute or just enough to be able to flip over. Flip and cook another 30 seconds. Transfer to cutting board to cool. Continue with the rest. Once all egg crepes are done, slice into thin ribbons. 4 large eggs, 1 tsp sesame oil, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp water
- Prepare noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil. If using other than ramen noodles (see head note), you likely need to season the water with salt – as heavily as you would for cooking pasta. Cook noodles according to package directions, taking care not to overcook. Once noodles are done, drain them in a colander and rinse very thoroughly with cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch. Move noodles around to ensure no pockets of hot noodles remain. Shake off excess water and allow noodles to drain for a few minutes. 4 portions noodles
- To serve: Place noodles into serving platter or individual bowls and top with the sliced egg, ham and cucumber. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds. Right before serving, pour about half of the sauce all over the noodles. Toss and serve with pickled ginger, a dab of hot mustard and the remaining sauce on the side to add to the noodles as needed while you eat.
Notes
- Traditionally, fresh (not instant) ramen noodles is used for this dish. If you have access to it, definitely use fresh ramen for the authentic taste and that unique chewy, bouncy texture. However, a pretty great substitute is asian dry wheat noodles. I’ve even heard of people using pasta noodles in a pinch! In that case, I think a thin noodle like spaghettini would be ideal. These two noodle alternatives will have a different mouthfeel, obviously, but the resulting dish will still be refreshing and satisfying!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
503Fat
27 gSat. Fat
9 gCarbs
40 gFiber
2 gNet carbs
38 gSugar
11 gProtein
26 gSodium
2773 mgCholesterol
221 mgDisclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.
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