Ingredients

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, coating scraped off with the tip of a spoon and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallions, white and tender green parts only (1 or 2 scallions)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 1 pound soba noodles
• 2 to 3 liters canola oil, as needed for deep-frying
• 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 large stalks celery, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
• 1 head Chinese or napa cabbage, shredded
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed to remove any tinny taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pint bean sprouts

Instructions

1. Heat 2 quarts water to boiling for the noodles.
2. To make the teriyaki sauce, heat the rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and scallions to a boil over medium heat. Let cook for 7 minutes, then whisk in cornstarch slurry and cook for another 3 minutes or so, to allow to thicken. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Boil the noodles until tender, drain well, toss with about 1/4 cup of the oil to keep noodles from sticking and set aside.
4. Heat the oil to deep-fry the noodles in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F, or as directed for similar foods.
5. For the vegetables, heat 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil in a wok over medium high heat, reserving the rest of the oil. Saute celery and carrots until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes and add mushrooms and cook until they are soft and begin to give up their juices. Remove the vegetables to a utility plate, and add the other 2 tablespoons oil to the wok over medium heat. Add the cabbage to the wok and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
6. While the cabbage is cooking, deep-fry the noodles and drain on paper toweling.
7. Return the celery/carrot/mushroom mixture to the cabbage, add the water chestnuts, and stir to combine. Add the teriyaki sauce and cook for 5 minutes to heat through and integrate flavors. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, and serve with fried noodles, topped with bean sprouts.