Japanese · Authentic-ish Japanese
Yakisoba
409 kcal a serving, against 594 for the traditional version. That is 185 kcal off, or 31%, with 23.1g of protein. Serves 4. .
What the traditional version is
Pork belly, sliced thin, gets fried until it's nearly crisp. In go fat, chewy wheat noodles, shredded cabbage, bits of carrots, and spring onions. Everything's tossed over fierce heat until smoky, with a generous glug of yakisoba sauce (which is basically sweet Worcestershire with more sugar and less shame). Some add a little mayo on top or a fried egg, but most stick to just pickled ginger and nori.
What changed, and what each change costs
Pork belly swapped for lean pork loin
Pork belly's the king of crisp fat, but lean pork loin cooks up fine if you slice it thin. You keep plenty of pork flavour and all of the protein, but you lose the puddle of fat left in the pan.
What it costs you. It's not those savoury, fatty edges you get from belly. Lean pork is firmer and less rich, but at least you're not chewing pure lard.
Yakisoba sauce halved, mixed with a splash of soy sauce to stretch it
The sauce is where all the sugar hides. Cutting it back and loosening with a bit of soy keeps the flavour sharp without sticking the noodles together like toffee.
What it costs you. The noodles aren't as glossy and the sweetness is dialled down. It's less sticky, less finger-licking - but it won't glue your teeth together.
Noodles cut by a quarter, bulked with extra cabbage and carrot
Less noodle, more veg: you don't lose much on texture, but you save a load of starch and up the fibre. It's still a tangle - just crunchier.
What it costs you. You notice the veg if you're after that pure noodle chew. But it's far from rabbit food, and there's still plenty to chase around your plate.
No mayo or egg on top
Mayo and fried egg are overkill here if you're counting what's in the bowl. The original is better with the full junk-shop on top, but this version keeps things simple.
What it costs you. You lose the creamy hit and extra richness, but there's nothing stopping you from frying an egg and putting it back if you're so inclined.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 594 | 409 |
| Protein | 23g | 23.1g |
| Fat | 20.5g | 7.5g |
| Saturated fat | 5.5g | 1.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 78.4g | 61.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.9g | 5.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Japanese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans.
The method is in the book
This isn't festival yakisoba, it's weeknight yakisoba. Lean pork and more veg mean you can have a second bowl without falling asleep by half past eight. The sauce cut makes the change the first thing you notice, but it stops being sticky after two mouthfuls. Is it as good? If you want the nostalgia hit of fat and sugar, this won't quite land. If you want the flavour and you're not after a nap, this is worth a go. It's not the full party, but you'll still want the pickled ginger.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Japanese, along with 48 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.