A Fate/ful Day…

So you guys probably know that i’m a pretty big fat of the Fate franchise. I’ve seen all of the major series and movies, read quite a bit of the lore associated with the series, and I even play Fate/Grand Order quite frequently on my phone. So it’s no surprise that i’m already loving the newest installment in the Type-Moon franchise that’s airing this season!!!

That’s right, we’re talking about Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family. Think… Fate/Stay Night meets Restaurant to Another World. Not only is it much better than you’d think, it’s made by Ufotable, the long-appointed kings of the Fate franchise.

Though the production value isn’t nearly as high as you’d see in Fate/Zero or Unlimited Budget Works, the show looks and feels like the quintessential Slice-of-Life show; it’s very calming and relaxed, with many of our favorite characters from the Fate franchise just kind of… hanging out.

Anyways, so in Episode 1, Shiro makes a traditional Japanese New-Years meal called Toshikoshi Soba, which looked absolutely delicious. Which made me think… if Shirou can make something that tasty, what’s stopping me from doing the same thing? So, i hit up the nearby Asian food store, and after about an hour of cooking (not including the small amount of prepwork beforehand) here’s what I came up with!

Compared to what you see in the show, it’s not that far off, honestly. I really enjoy cooking, and I adore Japanese food, so this was honestly just a fun project for me to work on. And hey, it was delicious, so no complaints here. As a favor to you guys, here’s my personal recipe for Toshikoshi Soba (Feeds 6-8 people):

Broth:

• 6 cups Dashi (soak Konbu seaweed in 6 cups of water for 1 hour, remove the seaweed and strain the liquid into a pot. Simmer, while stirring a handful of bonito flakes, or powdered bonito, into the liquid.)
• In a separate pan, 1 bottle of Mirin (bring to a full boil for 2 minutes.) Add 3 tablespoons of white sugar, and 1/3 cup of Soy Sauce.
• Stir the broth into the dashi, and bring to a full boil.

Shrimp:

• Frozen shrimp works fine. Take as many as you want to cook, and soak them in a bowl of room-temperature water for 10-15 minutes. Remove them, rinse them in cold water, and set them aside. Make sure they have no shell besides the tail.
• Tempura Batter:
  • 2 cups of white flower
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup of ice-cold water
  • Stir all ingredients together until halfway between smooth and lumpy.
  • Drop in 3-4 large ice-cubes
• Frying Oil: Fill a pot or Wok with about 2 inches of oil. I personally mixed 2/3 vegetable oil with 1/3 Sesame oil for added flavor. Bring to heat.
• Dip shrimps into ice-cold water quickly, then dip them into Tempura batter. Drop them into the oil and fry until a light golden-yellow.

Noodles:

• Put a generous amount of salt into a pot of water and bring to a full boil.
• Drop the soba noodles into the pot and cook until they are soft (should only take 2-3 minutes)
• Remove Soba from the pot, strain, and rinse with cold water.
• Portion Soba into bowls.

Finishing the Dish:

• With your Soba now in bowls, ladle the hot broth over the top.
• Toppings can include:
  • Chopped Green Onion, Leeks, or Scallions
  • Sliced Fish Cake
  • Tofu (Chopped fresh or lightly fried)
  • Grated Carrot
  • Sesame seeds
  • anything else you’d like to add on
• Finish your dish with several Tempura Shrimp, and add Soy Sauce to taste. Enjoy!

Maybe I should do stuff like this more often? I had a great time with it, so maybe. Anyways, let me know what you think, and please don’t hesitate to try this for yourself! I managed to find all the ingredients I needed for my meal at the local Asian market, and I made the meal for under $20, so it’s not a bad investment. Hope you enjoy!