I guess cold noodles are quite uncommon in the West, but for me, on a hot day, cold noodles are a must. Somen is a very thin wheat flour noodle that I have only seen back at home, but I love them because of their texture and how quickly they cook. You only have to boil them for about a minute and a half, then run them through iced water to make them as cold as possible. The difference between cool and ice cold is surprising when comparing the texture and overall eating experience later on.

Instead of eating something heavy, I like light acidic flavors on a hot day, so I made a sauce that would complement the thin sauce clinging noodles. Ponzu, a chopped sour plum, sesame oil, fine diced onion, and a little shiro dashi made a great base for the sauce, but I wanted something with a little crunch and heft to contrast with just the noodles. So I got a chicken thigh, seasoned it, and dusted it with a little potato starch to make a super light fried chicken cutlet.

After mixing the somen with the sauce and laying the chicken cutlet over the noodles, I topped the bowl off with green onions, sesame seeds, and shichimi pepper flakes. Perfect summer lunch.