Tutorial • Hello Kitty and Keroppi Deco-Soba

This is a character food art tutorial, in collaboration with Hakubaku x Singapore Home Cooks (Facebook)! In case you don't already know, Hakubaku Japanese noodles is the Number 1 organic noodle brand in Japan! The products are low in fats and so easy to cook too!

Hello Kitty and Keroppi Deco-Soba

（╹◡╹）♡ If you tried this tutorial on my humble blog and would like to share on your blog or any other social media platforms, please copy and include the URL so it'll link back to me. Thank you!

Ingredients:
Hakubaku Organic Somen (Hello Kitty)
Hakubaka Organic Cha Soba (Keroppi)
2 pieces of Crabstick (the type that can be unroll, not surimi)
Slices of Carrot
Sweet Corn kennels (I used frozen type)
Nori sheet (Sushi seaweed, about 1/4 piece)
Mentsuyu (Dipping sauce for the noodles)

Accessories/Tools:
3 round shape cutters in different sizes (or drinking straws of suitable size)
Star or Triangle shape cutter (Optional)
A pair of sharp-tip scissors
Food tweezer or chopsticks

Method:
•Boil a pot of water, cook Hakubaku somen for about 2 minutes. Transfer somen to a bowl of iced water.
•Cook Hakubaku cha soba and carrot in the same pot for about 4-5 minutes and transfer to a bowl of iced water.

•Add crabstick and sweet corn kennels to boiling water for about 1 minute. Set aside.
•Pick up a strand of cha soba, coil it around choptick or index finger. Place the coiled noodles on the plate, this will be the center of the Keroppi's face.
•Pick up a few more strands of noodles, go around the coiled noodles to form a bigger circle. I find it easier to use bare hands. Continue the steps until a desired shape or size is achieved.
•Do the same for Hello Kitty using Hakubaku somen.

Keroppi
•Fold nori in halves, with a pair of small sharp scissors, cut out a full circle shape and you'll get 2 same size circles for keroppi's eyes when you separate the nori.
•Cut a "V" out from nori, you can easily do this by folding the remaining nori into a triangle. This is Keroppi's mouth.

•Use the biggest round cutter and cut the white part of crabstick for Keroppi's eyeballs. You may use sliced cheese too.
•Cut 2 smaller circles for its cheeks.
•Assemble the parts using food tweezer or chopsticks and you have Keroppi cha soba!

Hello Kitty
•Unroll the crabstick. Use 1 point of the star shape cutter to cut out a triangle shape on the white part. You may cut a triangle shape with knife too. 2 triangles are needed for kitty's ears.

•For the benefit of readers who do not have Hello Kitty bow cutter, please use 2 round shape cutters. 1 slightly bigger than the other. Cut out 1 bigger circle and 2 smaller circles on the red part of crabstick. Lay it like this: big circle on left, small circle on right and another small circle in the middle.

•Place a corn kennel in the middle of somen.
•Using the same cutting method as Keroppi, cut oval shape for kitty's eyes.
•Cut along the sides of nori to get some straight strips, trim to suitable lengths for kitty's whiskers.
•Assemble the pieces and it's Hello Kitty somen!

Making food art isn't as complicated as it sounds or looks. Most of the tools or cutters can be found at baking supply stores and Daiso.
Why not try this soba food art to delight your little ones or even a grown up Sanrio fan? :)

This set of Sanrio character lunch was served to Lil K with homemade gyozas and broccoli with sesame sauce.
As this was a sample set for tutorial, lesser noodles was placed on the plate. There was another bowl of somen not in the photo, he had it together with this set.
✨Remember to include mentsuyu for dipping the noodles!

For more great ways to use Hakubaku's noodles and multi grains, please refer to Hakubaku's Official Fanpage (Facebook). :) Happy cooking!