Steps

1. Thinly slice the onion.
   🕒 03:08
2. Cut the pork belly into easy-to-eat pieces suitable for soba.
   🕒 03:15
3. Place the cut pork belly 110g and onion 50g into a frying pan.
   🕒 05:25
4. Add soy sauce 4 tsp, sake 1 tbsp, Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 1 tbsp, sugar 2 tsp, and water 1 tbsp, then simmer until reduced. 【Chef's Tip!】 Simmer until the liquid is just enough to cover the ingredients, reducing it adequately ensures the flavors soak in well.
   🕒 05:34
5. Add water 320cc to a pot and bring to a boil.
   🕒 07:23
6. To the boiling pot, add soy sauce 1 tbsp, salt 1/4 tsp, Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 2 tbsp, sake 1 tbsp, bonito powder 3g, and MSG(Ajinomoto) (MSG) 3 dashes, then bring back to a boil. 【Chef's Tip!】 If you don't have bonito powder, you can substitute by crushing bonito flakes heated in a microwave. MSG(Ajinomoto) easily adds kombu umami.
   🕒 07:39
7. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil in a separate pot.
   🕒 09:32
8. Add soba noodles 100g to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
   🕒 10:25
9. Drain the cooked soba noodles in a colander, rinse them under running water to remove sliminess, and squeeze out excess water thoroughly. 【Chef's Tip!】 Removing the sliminess helps the broth cling better and improves the texture. Squeezing out water prevents the broth from becoming diluted.
   🕒 10:40
10. Place the rinsed and squeezed soba noodles into the warm soba broth to heat through.
    🕒 11:17
11. Transfer the warmed soba noodles and broth into a bowl, then top with the sweet and savory stewed pork belly and onion, including their simmering liquid.
    🕒 12:17
12. Garnish with scallions to taste, Shichimi Togarashi to taste, and nori (seaweed) to taste. Serve immediately.
    🕒 12:30