Stir-fried beef with yam noodles in soju coconut cream sauce

This is another East meets West, Amer-Asian experiment.

Click on image for larger view

I've apparently sat on the wheat noodles I picked up at the Vietnamese store too long and they are unusable, SO I went to the Korean store for a replacement - yam noodles.  I've cut up thinly sliced eye of round steak into matchsticks and worked up a spicy sauce based on my favorite Asian liquor - soju.  If you are not familiar with this product, it is very distinctive - it has been described to me as similar to gin; that analogy holds for a bit.  Soju is distilled from grain (often rice), sweet potato and tapioca.  I've infused this with lemongrass, ginger, garlic and scallions and mellowed it out with coconut milk then swirled in the yam noodles over the beef and shredded vegetables.

THE RECIPE

SOJU SAUCE
One small bottle (200ml) soju, preferably Jinro brand
One inch ginger, matchstick cut
1 T dried lemongrass
4 cloves garlic, sliced
One bunch scallion ends, cut 1/4in. up from the root

7 oz. (1/2 can) coconut milk

2 t corn starch
2 t cold water, more of both as needed

Infuse the soju with the first four ingredients;

Dried lemongrass, ginger and onion steeping in the soju.

keep on low flame until reduced just under half its volume, approximately 20 minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve and reserve.  Warm the coconut milk over low flame, add the seasoned soju and as much of the corn starch mixture as needed to achieve a thickened sauce.  Set aside.

STIR FRY
2-3 T corn or peanut oil for frying
1# thinly sliced beef
2 carrots, grated
2 ribs celery, matchstick cut
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Napa cabbage leaves, shredded
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallion leaves, slivered
1T kecap manis (Indonesian sweet / spicy soy sauce)

1# yam noodles, drained and cut into 1/3rd pieces
1/2 t furikake, for garnish

Heat a wok over high flame; add oil and sear beef.  Remove and reserve; bring pan back to heat and quickly cook vegetables.  Return beef to pan; flip to heat, add noodles, kecap manis and heat through.

Swirl in sauce and heat until ingredients are coated.  Serve immediately garnished with the furikake.