Niku Somen

Prepare dashi stock: Gently wipe kombu with a damp cloth. Place kombu and 800g water in a pot. Heat over medium-low heat. Just before the water boils, remove kombu. Bring water to a boil, then add katsuobushi. Turn off heat immediately and let katsuobushi steep for 2 minutes. Strain the dashi stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding katsuobushi.

Cut thinly sliced pork belly into 4-5 cm lengths.

In a separate pot, combine 300g of the prepared dashi stock, usukuchi soy sauce, mirin, sake, and granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.