I am absolutely hooked on these soba noodles. Unlike rice noodles, soba, which is made from buckwheat, has so much more depth in flavors. My favorite part about this dish is the rich broth. It is a bit sweet from the sugar, but also so fragrant from the five-spice powder. Enjoy!

1 lb of boneless pork (any cut as long as there a little bit of fat in it)
12 cloves garlic, minced finely
6 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
6 cups of chicken stock
Lettuce and mint

1. Combine garlic, soy sauce, five-spice powder, salt, sugar, black pepper together. Divide mixture into two equal parts. Take one portion and rub well on pork to marinade from 30 minutes to overnight.

2. After marinade, clean the pork free of any garlic. Save the marinade to revisit later.

3. Add 1-inch vegetable oil to large pan and sear the pork both sides on medium high heat. Once the meat browns, discard the oil.

4. Add any marinade you have left back to the pan with the pork along with 4 tbsp of chicken stock. Lower heat to medium low and simmer pork for 45 minutes. Turn meat occasionally for evenness.

5. Once done, remove pork from pan and let rest.

6. Add the remaining chicken stock into the pan and cook at medium heat until lightly boils.

7. Prepare the soba noodles according to bag instructions

8. Chop lettuce and mint into thin strips

9. When ready to serve, layer soba on bottom, top with thin slices of the pork, add veggies. Then pour a small ladle of the broth over. This is not a soup, so go easy on the broth.