Astoria has a growing Japanese population that ramen houses are popping up alongside sushi restaurants. And they aren’t those generic half Chinese/Mexican food type of chain restaurants. They are quite decent and innovative with their flavors and dishes.
It was with surprise and glee when I found a Japanese market on Broadway, 2 blocks off the train station, Family Market. The sign for “We sell green kit kats” lured me into the shop. It became my go-to shop for snacks after that faithful day.
On days that I work from home, I’ll swing over to pick up onigiri and pastry, freshly delivered from Cafe Zaiya, one of my favorite Japanese eatery.
I also found this interesting noodle package labeled Greenoodles. I thought it said green noodles because it’s green. But it was some special vegan noodle that’s not pre-fried and was high source of fiber. I was reluctant at first but decided to give it a try with basic stir fry and oyster sauce. I always think of oyster sauce as magic sauce. It makes unappetizing food taste amazing.
Ingredients
- 1 bag of Greenoodle
- 1 block of tofu
- 1/2lbs green beans
- 1/2 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp of soy sauce
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- Optional: 1/4 cup of water
1. Cook noodle as described on package.
2. Blanch green beans in hot water.
3. Pan fry tofu lightly on both side. Don’t forget to squeeze out water of tofu by wrapping in paper towel. Set aside.
4. Heat up wok on a medium heat. Add olive oil. Once heated, add garlic and sugar. Roast until golden. Add onion and cook until golden.
5. Add tofu, water, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Stir softly so as not to break the tofu.
6. Fold in green beans and noodle. Turn off heat and fold well so the water sauce mixes well.
7. Serve immediately.
