This colorful hiyashi chuka (or cold ramen salad) is a wonderful way to taste the versatility of ramen! It’s also known as hiyashi ramen in Hokkaido, where I looked forward to it every summer. This recipe is my own little spin on this classic Japanese favorite. Chilled ramen noodles are topped with colorful toppings like omelet strips, cucumber, sweet corn and ham and then tossed with a homemade soy vinaigrette. In the heat of summer, nothing is better than cooling down with a plate of this hiyashi chuka!
What Is Hiyashi Chuka
Hiyashi chuka (or hiyashi ramen) is a Japanese cold noodle dish that features chilled ramen noodles and colorful toppings. Popular throughout Japan during the summer, you will see hiyashi chuka pop up on restaurant menus as the temperatures soar.
This dish goes by many names- hiyashi chuka, hiyashi ramen, or reimen, but they all equate to chilled noodles or chilled ramen! The direct translation actually means “chilled Chinese”, and you can taste where the inspiration came from, with it’s fresh ingredients and the tangy soy sauce based dressing to gets drizzled over the top!
The base is always made using hiyashi chuka noodles, which are ramen noodles that are treated to be served cold. Hiyashi chuka comes with a wide variety of toppings but the most popular are cucumbers, omelet strips, and some type of protein like ham, chicken or seafood.
Toppings You Can Add To Hiyashi Chuka
Hiyashi chuka is traditionally topped with cucumbers, omelette strips, fresh tomatoes and some type of protein, like shredded chicken, or sliced ham. But the beauty of this dish is how easily you can switch it up! Here are some other yummy toppings you can try:
- Sliced extra firm tofu
- Cooked shrimp
- Shredded imitation crab
- Blanched bean sprouts
- Sweet corn
- Microgreens or mizuna
- Shredded lettuce
- Wakame seaweed
- Shredded nori sheets
- Shredded artichoke hearts or hearts of palm (great vegan option)
There are also different dressings you can use for hiyashi chuka. This recipe shows you how to make a soy based dressing, but you can also use a creamy sesame dressing too which is amazing with the version topped with chicken, tomatoes and mizuna!
What Noodles To Use For Hiyashi Chuka
Hiyashi chuka uses fresh ramen noodles designed for serving cold. You can find these noodles in any well-stocked grocery store and they usually come frozen. A great brand to use is Myojo Cold Ramen noodles, and my personal favorite are the Kaedama fresh ramen noodles. I actually prefer to use Kaedama brand because they come semi-dried, so they are shelf stable for longer and do not require refrigeration!
You can also use fully dried ramen noodles. I would recommend getting authentic ramen noodles instead of the cheap instant packages since the texture will be as different as night and day. J-Basket brand dried Japanese ramen has a great texture for dried ramen and have the chewy texture that authentic ramen has, although they are not curly.
How To Serve Hiyashi Chuka
Since hiyashi chuka is served cold, I recommend using a large plate or shallow bowl that’s been chilled in the freezer beforehand. It helps to keep the noodles cold, as well as providing enough space to mix everything together. Chilling the bowl is definitely optional but I think it really enhances the experience!
It’s also ideal to serve the dressing on the side so that everyone can pour it over their hiyashi chuka when they are ready to eat. Pouring it too soon can make the delicate toppings lose their texture. It also helps to measure out how much dressing you want to add- some people like their hiyashi chuka swimming in sauce, others like it more on the drier side!
Tips For The Best Hiyashi Chuka
- Always rinse the noodles under cold water to remove excess starch and improve the texture.
- Don’t overcook the noodles! Chuka noodles are processed differently and can become gummy if overcooked. I would highly recommend doing a taste test right at 2 minutes of boiling and then continue accordingly.
- Keep your toppings chilled before serving.
- Serve the dressing on the side, so everyone can add just the right amount to their taste!
Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Japanese Ramen)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 servings hiyashi chuka noodles (6oz each)
- ½ English cucumber
- 6 thin slices of deli ham
- ½ cup canned sweet corn, drained
- ½ cup microgreens or mizuna
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- pickled red ginger (beni shyoga) optional
- Toasted sesame seeds, optional
For the Soy Dressing
- 3 tbsp hot water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce (I’m always and forever using Kikkoman brand)
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
- a few drops of chili oil, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by making the sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine the hot water and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil if you desire. Whisk to combine. Then cover and refrigerate until serving time.
- Next, make the omelet strips. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and water together until well combined.
- In a nonstick frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering.
- Pour in the egg mixture and quickly turn the pan to coat the bottom. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the top is set.
- Once the top of the egg is set, flip it over and cook the other side for another 1 minute or so until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Pat a paper towel on it to absorb any extra oil.
- While the omelet is cooling, diagonally slice the cucumber so you have elongated oval slices. Then, finely julienne those oval slices to get thin strips. Set side.
- Lay the ham slices so they are stacked together. Finely julienne the ham into thin strips.
- Thinly slice the cooled omelet into julienne slices.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and separate them in the water using chopsticks or tongs. Cook for 2 minutes if using fresh, and 3 minutes if using dried. (I normally will take them off the heat in the last minute- they cook very fast!)
- Drain the noodles in a colander and immediately rinse with cold running water. (Tip: I like to prepare a bowl of ice-water to dip my rinsed noodles in- totally optional but it chills them faster!)
- Divide the drained noodles among serving dishes. Arrange the toppings on top of the noodles and garnish with the pickled ginger and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve with the chilled chuka dressing on the side. Enjoy!
If love noodles, try these other yummy recipes:
- Bibim Guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
- Soy Garlic Noodles (10 Minutes Only)
- Spicy Miso Ramen With Mushrooms and Wakame
- Easy Vegetable Yakisoba
- Spicy Linguine Al Tonno (Linguine with Tuna)
- Pappardelle With Tomato Lemon Sauce
Hiyashi Chuka (Japanese Cold Ramen)
Ingredients
- 2 servings hiyashi chuka noodles (6oz each)
- ½ English cucumber
- 6 thin slices of deli ham
- ½ cup canned sweet corn, drained
- ½ cup microgreens or mizuna
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- pickled red ginger (beni shyoga) optional
For the Chuka Dressing
- 3 tbsp hot water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
- a few drops of chili oil, optional
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine the hot water and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil if you desire. Whisk to combine. Then cover and refrigerate until serving time.
- Next, make the omelet strips. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and water together until well combined.
- In a nonstick frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering.
- Pour in the egg mixture and quickly turn the pan to coat the bottom. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the top is set.
- Once the top of the egg is set, flip it over and cook the other side for another 1 minute or so until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Pat a paper towel on it to absorb any extra oil.
- While the omelet is cooling, diagonally slice the cucumber so you have elongated oval slices. Then, finely julienne those oval slices to get thin strips. Set side.
- Lay the ham slices so they are stacked together. Finely julienne the ham into thin strips.
- Thinly slice the cooled omelet into julienne slices.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and separate them in the water using chopsticks or tongs. Cook for 2 minutes if using fresh, and 3 minutes if using dried. (I normally will take them off the heat in the last minute- they cook very fast!)
- Drain the noodles in a colander and immediately rinse with cold running water. (Tip: I like to prepare a bowl of ice-water to dip my rinsed noodles in- totally optional but it chills them faster!)
- Divide the drained noodles among serving dishes. Arrange the toppings on top of the noodles and garnish with the pickled ginger and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve with the chilled chuka dressing on the side. Enjoy!