Steps

1. Cut 1 Long Onion into bite-sized pieces. Use the entire green part. *Pro Tip:* Slicing some of the green part thinly for garnish is also recommended.
   🕒 01:06
2. Slice 300g of Pork Belly (thick cut, about 6-7mm is ideal).
   🕒 01:18
3. Parboil the sliced Pork Belly in water.
   🕒 01:52
4. Once the Pork Belly boils, immediately remove from heat and rinse lightly with water. *Pro Tip:* This is an important step to remove excess fat and impurities.
   🕒 02:05
5. For the dashi stock, heat Bonito Flakes in room temperature water, simmering vigorously to extract flavor. *Pro Tip:* This creates a golden, strong dashi. Squeeze out the bonito flakes well.
   🕒 02:10
6. Add the prepared dashi stock to a pot, along with [A] Sugar 1-2 tbsp, [A] Dark Soy Sauce 3.5 tbsp, [A] Cooking Sake (Rice Wine) 2 tbsp, [A] Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 2 tbsp, and [A] Granulated Dashi Stock 2 tsp. Mix well. *Pro Tip:* Use a dark, rich soy sauce like dark soy sauce or tamari soy sauce for best flavor and color.
   🕒 02:26
7. Add the parboiled Pork Belly and chopped Long Onion to the pot and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
   🕒 02:39
8. Turn off the heat and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. *Pro Tip:* This is the most crucial step for the flavors to meld beautifully and become perfectly balanced.
   🕒 02:45
9. Remove the skin from 1 Chicken Breast (approx. 400g) and slice thinly into long strips. *Pro Tip:* Thinly sliced chicken cooks faster and has a better texture.
   🕒 02:58
10. In a bowl, combine 1 tsp Cooking Sake (Rice Wine), 1 tsp Shiro Dashi (White Soy Sauce Base), salt (to taste), and a pinch of White Pepper. Add the sliced Chicken Breast and mix well.
    🕒 03:18
11. Let the Chicken Breast marinate for about 10 minutes.
    🕒 03:46
12. In a separate bowl, combine 1 tbsp Potato Starch and 4 tbsp All-Purpose Flour. Add about 6 tbsp Sparkling Water (or beer) and mix to create the batter. *Pro Tip:* Mix the batter just before frying to prevent the carbonation from escaping.
    🕒 03:54
13. Add the seasoned Chicken Breast to the prepared batter.
    🕒 04:28
14. Heat oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry the battered Chicken Breast.
    🕒 04:36
15. If your pot is shallow, flip the chicken pieces regularly and fry until they are nicely browned.
    🕒 04:47
16. Boil water for cooking the Somen.
    🕒 05:20
17. To plate attractively, tie the Somen (Ibo no Ito Tokkyu) with kitchen twine and add to the boiling water.
    🕒 05:36
18. Cook the Somen until al dente, about 1.5 minutes. Loosen occasionally.
    🕒 05:55
19. Rinse the cooked Somen in cold water.
    🕒 06:08
20. Lightly drain the Somen and snip the ends of the bundle with scissors.
    🕒 06:12
21. Gently form the Somen into a round shape and place in a serving bowl.
    🕒 06:29
22. Arrange the prepared meat broth and chicken tempura in the bowl. *Pro Tip:* Serving with pickled plums or grated daikon radish is also recommended.
    🕒 06:36