Personal Shopper

• 1 piece kombu dried kelp
• water
• 1 serving udon noodles
• 8 leaves napa cabbage
• 0.5 bunch shungiku chrysanthemum greens
• 1 tokyo negi long green onion
• 1 package enoki mushrooms
• 1 package shimeji brown beech mushrooms
• 4 mushrooms shiitake mushrooms
• 2 inches carrot
• 1 package mediumfirm tofu momen dofu
• 1 lb thinly sliced beef such as ribeye
• ponzu
• sesame dipping sauce
• 2 inches daikon radish
• 2 green onion
• shichimi togarashi

Steps

1. Soak 1 piece kombu in a pot of water (fill the pot about two-thirds full) for at least 30 minutes to make the dashi.
2. Reheat udon according to package instructions (if using) and drain; set aside.
3. Cut vegetables: slice 8 leaves napa cabbage into 2-inch pieces (separate thick and leafy parts), cut 0.5 bunch shungiku into 2-inch pieces, and diagonal-slice the white part of 1 Tokyo negi into 1/2-inch pieces.
4. Prep mushrooms and tofu: separate and trim 1 package enoki and 1 package shimeji, remove stems from 4 shiitake, and cut 1 package medium-firm tofu into 1-inch-thick squares.
5. Arrange the tofu, mushrooms, vegetables on serving platters and lay out 1 lb thinly sliced beef on a separate platter; prepare bowls of ponzu and sesame sauce and condiment bowls (grated daikon, sliced green onion, shichimi).
6. Set a donabe (or heavy-bottomed pot/electric hot pot) on a portable gas stove at the table and bring the kombu-infused water to a simmer; remove the kombu just before boiling.
7. Add tofu, tough parts of napa cabbage and shungiku, negi, carrots, and some mushrooms to the simmering broth; cover and cook about 10 minutes until dense vegetables are tender.
8. When ready to eat, briefly swish thinly sliced beef in the simmering broth for 20–30 seconds or until no longer pink; serve cooked meat and vegetables immediately with dipping sauces.
9. Skim scum and foam from the surface as needed while cooking and add softer leafy vegetables later; cook in batches if desired.
10. After the main course, add udon to the broth and reheat 1–2 minutes; optionally season broth lightly with salt and white pepper and dilute individual bowls of ponzu with broth before serving udon.