Japanese Cold Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 cups unseasoned dashi (Japanese soup stock)
• 2 tablespoons mirin sweet (Japanese rice wine)
• 6 servings accompaniments: ginger; scallion; shiso leaves; sesame seeds fresh shredded minced finely grated peeled
• 5 tablespoons usukuchi shoyu light (Japanese soy sauce)
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 3  bundles somen white thin ( wheat noodles)
• 3  bundles somen white thin ( wheat noodles)

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• colander

Directions

1. Heat all dipping sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Cool sauce, then chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
2. Bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a rolling boil in a 4-quart saucepan over moderately high heat.
3. Add noodles and 1 cup more water. When water returns to a boil, add 1 cup cold water and bring back to a boil. Simmer noodles until just tender and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Test noodles for doneness by dipping 1 strand in cold water and sampling. If noodles are not tender, add 1 cup more water and return water to a boil.
4. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse well under cold water.
5. Divide noodles among 6 bowls filled with ice and cold water. Divide dipping sauce among 6 small bowls and serve with accompaniments for flavoring it, then dip each mouthful of noodles in sauce.