step 1

Make the udon soup: Bring a large pot of water to boil and add kombu or dashi. Simmer for 20 minutes, then mix in sugar, mirin, and soy sauce.

step 2

Make tempura batter: in a large bowl, add water, then whisk in tempura flour and egg yolk. Lightly coat the shrimp and eggplant first in tempura flour. Shake off excess flour and then coat in prepared batter.

step 3

Fry tempura (carefully!): heat a deep pot of oil over medium heat. Test the oil temperature by dropping a bit of tempura batter into the oil. The batter should take a full second to cook and rise to the top (if it sinks, the oil is too cold; if it shoots up to the surface, the oil is too hot). Gently lower the shrimp and eggplants into the oil using chopsticks or tongs. Allow each tempura piece to cook for three minutes, flipping halfway. Drain the tempura on a towel-lined plate.

step 3

Make Lunar yuzu dipping sauce: in a small mixing bowl, mix 1 cup of the prepared udon soup with soy sauce and sake. Pour this into a blender and blend on the lowest setting with Lunar Yuzu, sugar, yuzu zest, tapioca starch, and yuzu kosho, if using.

step 4

Put it all together: boil udon noodles according to package instructions. Strain to remove excess water and divide into serving bowls. Add chopped scallions and pour the soup over the noodles. Top with shrimp and eggplant tempura and serve with the Lunar dipping sauce. Enjoy with an ice-cold Lunar!