Hiyayakko Soba: Buckwheat Noodle Salad with Tofu and Ponzu Dressing

Method

1. Place the tofu on paper towel for 15 minutes to drain excess liquid. Cut into 4x 30mm cubes.
2. Soak the dried wakame in water for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze out and finely slice. Combine with sesame seeds.
3. Peel and slice the carrot. Carve 6x decorative "sakura".
4. Cut the base and top off the purple radishes. Carve 2x decorative flowers.
5. Cut off the ends of the baby cucumbers and core out with a chopstick. Cut to make 20x 5mm slices. Make an incision in 10 of the slices. Link to make 10x decorative rings.
6. Cut off the ends of the baby capsicums, remove the insides and slice into rounds.
7. Cut the cherry tomato in half
8. Finely slice the spring onion.
9. Peel the ginger with a teaspoon and finely grate it.
10. Using kitchen scissors, cut the nori into fine strips.
11. Boil two separate pots of water for the soba and cha soba. Cook the soba for 4 minutes, and the cha soba for 6 minutes.
12. While the noodles are cooking, combine the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
13. Rinse the soba and cha soba separately in plenty of cold water. Grab several strands of soba between the index and middle fingers. Wind the soba around the two fingers to make four soba "nests". Do the same with the cha soba to make six more nests.
14. Arrange the noodles, tofu cubes and vegetables on the plates, according to the photo.
15. Add the dressing just prior to serving.