Southeast Asian-Style Somen (Cilantro and Shiso Fish Sauce Dressing)

Remove the stems from the shiso leaves and chop finely. Separate the cilantro into leaves and stems; chop the stems finely since they are tough, and chop the leaves roughly. Mince until paper-thin.

Finely chop the Japanese leek. Make about four lengthwise cuts into it, then chop from one end while loosening the root end to get evenly sized pieces.

Combine the fish sauce, mirin, water, and a pinch of Ajinomoto to make the dressing base. Since the fish sauce is diluted with water, its strong flavor won't be noticeable.

Pour the combined mixture into a pot and bring to a boil once. This cooks off the alcohol in the mirin, rounds out the aroma of the fish sauce, and brings everything together. Turn off the heat as soon as it boils (don't reduce it too much).

Transfer the dressing to a bowl and add 7-8 ice cubes to cool it down while diluting it. Start with less ice; you can add more later to adjust the strength.

Once cooled, squeeze in the 1/4 cut of lemon to add refreshing acidity. Don't throw away the squeezed peel—set it aside for later use, and chill the dressing until the noodles are done.

Bring a generous amount of water to a boil in a pot, turn off the heat once boiling, add the pork belly, and cook it shabu-shabu style.

Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and heat until it smokes. Pour it over the chopped leek to release the aroma, then immediately add the pork shabu-shabu and coat evenly with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a generous amount of water to a boil, add the reserved lemon, and boil the somen for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. The citric acid from the lemon prevents gluten from leaching out, giving the noodles a firmer bite and smoother texture.

Once boiled, drain thoroughly, then rinse under water and wash well until the sliminess is gone. Finish by chilling firmly in cold water to improve the texture and mouthfeel.

Serve the somen in a bowl of your choice and top with ice for presentation.

Add the chopped shiso and cilantro to the chilled dressing to finish it, and serve with the somen and the green onion salt pork shabu-shabu. If the dressing is too strong, adjust with ice or water.