Japanese Cold Noodles

• 2 cups unseasoned dashi (Japanese soup stock)
• 5 tablespoons usukuchi shoyu (Japanese light soy sauce)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1 1/2 shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
• 3 bundles somen (thin white wheat noodles), paper wrapping discarded
• Accompaniments: finely grated peeled fresh ginger; minced scallion; shredded fresh shiso leaves; sesame seeds

1. Heat all dipping sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cool sauce, then chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
3. Bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a rolling boil in a 4-quart saucepan over moderately high heat.
4. Add noodles and 1 cup more water.
5. When water returns to a boil, add 1 cup cold water and bring back to a boil.
6. Simmer noodles until just tender and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
7. Test noodles for doneness by dipping 1 strand in cold water and sampling.
8. If noodles are not tender, add 1 cup more water and return water to a boil.
9. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse well under cold water.
10. Divide noodles among 6 bowls filled with ice and cold water.
11. Divide dipping sauce among 6 small bowls and serve with accompaniments for flavoring it, then dip each mouthful of noodles in sauce.

usukuchi shoyu, sugar, rice wine, shoyu, bundles, ginger

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/japanese-cold-noodles-105509 (may not work)