For the past month and a bit, the pantry was restocked with Japanese short-grain rice instead of our go-to Thai Jasmine, making sticky rice is no longer a rarity.
Yet, in the meantime, I've been craving noodles. First came the classic comfort dish of udon, but reinvented in a broth-less, warmth-deprived manner.
The flour noodles were blanched then tossed in a mixture of dark and light soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, wasabi, a handful of toasted/burnt sesame seeds, and, of course, salt and sugar. The dish had intended on mimicking yakiudon without the need for oiling a pan. The dish emanated strong izakaya vibes, bearing a hint of fieriness and an oddly viscous sauce that clung to each strand.
To ensure a well-balanced diet, the Cold Soy Udon was paired with Steamed Minced Pork, Choy Sum and a Soft-Boiled Egg with a gooey, golden centre.
I suppose the inkling of a craving had surfaced last week when I laid eyes on the violently violet spread of Purple Oven Bakeshop's pop-up at The Food District. (We all know how that investment ended though.)