Buckwheat Noodles (Memil Soba)

Add 300ml of water to a pot, add kombu wiped clean of dust with a damp cloth, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Once the kombu water boils, turn off the heat, remove the kombu, and set the broth aside on a plate.

Add the provided katsuobushi and let it steep for about 5 minutes.

Store the noodles and nori in a plastic bag to keep them dry, and keep the ice away from the pot.

Lightly toast the nori over low heat using a wire rack or tongs without burning it, then slice into thin strips about 3cm long and store in a dry place.

Finely grate the entire radish using a grater, then soak in cold water to remove the spicy taste.

On a plate, mix 1 tbsp of wasabi powder with 1 tsp of water until no dry powder remains, then shape into a leaf.

Strain the steeped katsuobushi dashi using a damp cheesecloth.

Mix 200ml of the strained katsuobushi dashi with 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of cheongju, and 2 tsp of mirin, then simmer briefly until the alcohol evaporates.

After boiling the soba dashi, place a bowl inside a larger bowl, fill the edges with ice, and cool the soba dashi.

Boil water in a pot and cook the buckwheat noodles.

Add cold water occasionally while boiling to prevent the noodles from boiling over.

Once cooked, rinse the noodles thoroughly in cold water to remove starch, then coil them into a nest shape and place on a bamboo mat.

Serve on a plate with the coiled buckwheat noodles, chilled soba dashi, grated radish, sliced nori, and wasabi.