Steps

1. In a pot, combine 500cc water, 2 tsp chicken stock granules, 6 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), and 6 tbsp Light Soy Sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
   🕒 00:18
2. Remove the skin from 1/2 chicken breast. Cut horizontally to halve the thickness.
   🕒 00:54
3. Pat the surface of the cut chicken breast dry thoroughly with paper towels.
   🕒 01:25
4. Turn off the heat of the boiling broth. Quickly add the chicken breast, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes using residual heat. This is the trick to tender chicken!
   🕒 01:45
5. Cut 1/2 leek into 5cm lengths. Make a vertical slit and remove the yellowish-green inner part.
   🕒 02:13
6. Separate the outer layers of the leek and cut into very fine julienne strips (shiraga negi).
   🕒 02:42
7. Place the julienned leek in a bowl of water and soak for 5-10 minutes to remove its sharpness.
   🕒 02:57
8. After 10 minutes, remove the chicken breast from the broth with clean chopsticks. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it cool.
   🕒 03:09
9. Trim the roots of 1/2 bunch of Mitsuba (Japanese parsley) and finely chop it so it can be mixed with the somen. Finely chop the leaves as well.
   🕒 03:40
10. Drain the soaked julienned leek in a colander and thoroughly remove any excess water.
    🕒 04:20
11. Fill a large bowl with plenty of ice. Place another clean bowl on top of it.
    🕒 04:30
12. Pour the broth used for cooking the chicken into the top bowl. Chill it rapidly using the ice in the bottom bowl. This is the trick to keeping the broth icy cold without diluting the flavor!
    🕒 04:44
13. Once the broth is ice-cold, add 1.5 tbsp lemon juice and mix. Keep it chilled in the refrigerator to prevent it from warming up. This is the trick! Adding lemon juice while warm will diminish its tartness, so always add it after chilling.
    🕒 05:14
14. Shred the cooled chicken breast into bite-sized pieces along the grain.
    🕒 05:38
15. Boil water in another pot for the somen noodles.
    🕒 05:04
16. Once the water boils, add 200g somen noodles. Stir to prevent them from sticking while boiling.
    🕒 06:21
17. Drain the cooked somen noodles in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
    🕒 06:45
18. Rub the somen noodles with your hands under running water until the slimy coating is removed. This is the trick! Washing the somen surface well removes the sliminess for a smooth texture.
    🕒 06:55
19. Drain the washed somen noodles in a colander, ensuring all water is removed to prevent diluting the broth.
    🕒 07:10
20. Serve the somen noodles in bowls and pour the chilled broth over them. Top with shredded chicken breast, drained julienned leek, and chopped mitsuba. It's ready!
    🕒 07:22