A blend of Japanese (soy sauce eggs and ramen noodles) and Vietnamese flavors (pickled carrot and radish, and mixed fish sauce dressing), this filling salad makes a complete meal.
Boil the sugar and salt with 1/4 cup water until dissolved.
Cool the boiled mixture and stir in the rice vinegar. This is your pickling solution.
Pour the pickling solution into the jar with the carrot and radish. Cover tightly. Keep in the fridge at least overnight.
Make the soy sauce quail eggs
Place the peeled quail eggs in a jar.
Mix together the soy sauce, mirin and rice vinegar with 1/2 cup water.
Pour the soy sauce mixture into the jar with the quail eggs. Cover tightly and keep overnight in the fridge.
Make the mixed fish sauce
Stir together all the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.
Cover loosely and set aside to allow the flavors to develop.
Complete the dish
Cut the mushrooms into "fingers".
Heat the sesame seed oil lightly in a frying pan.
Fry the mushrooms just until lightly browned. Cool.
Boil water in a large pot.
Drop in the cleaned shrimps and cook for one minute. Scoop out, drain on paper towels and cool.
Allow the water to boil once more. Drop in the ramen and stir to separate. Leave for 30 seconds then drain. Dump into a bowl of iced water and allow to turn cold. Drain completely.
Assemble the sweet tangy cold noodles
Divide the ramen, shrimps, cucumber, eryngii mushrooms and soy sauce eggs among four plates.
Add heaps of drained pickled carrot and radish.
Drizzle mixed fish sauce over everything.
Garnish with Thai basil and cilantro, and serve.
Notes
Updated from a recipe originally published in May 19, 2019