Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl. Pour ¼ cup hot water over them and let sit for ~15 minutes until softened.

Once soft, finely chop the mushrooms, and reserve the soaking liquid (strain it to remove grit).

In your kitchen, gather all ingredients so you’re not scrambling mid-cook.

In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, chopped mushrooms, egg, grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped green onion.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, panko breadcrumbs, and 2 tbsp of the mushroom soaking liquid.

With clean hands or a silicone spatula, mix everything well until it holds shape. Be gentle—you want the mix to be cohesive but not overworked.

If the mixture feels too loose, chill 10 minutes in fridge or add a little more panko.

Shape into small balls (about 1 to 1¼ inch diameter). You should get ~20–24 meatballs.

Heat a shallow layer (~2 tbsp) of peanut oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

Gently place the meatballs in the skillet, leaving a little space between. Don’t overcrowd.

Brown them on one side (2–3 min), then flip and brown the other side. You don’t need to cook them fully through—just get a light golden crust. Use a spatula carefully so they don’t break.

In a separate pot, bring your broth (dashi or chicken) to simmer. Add soy sauce, mirin, sake (if using).

Stir in white miso (dissolve it well), then gently slide the browned meatballs into the broth.

Cover, lower heat, and simmer 10–12 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.

After that, lift the meatballs gently into a large bowl or serving dish.

To thicken, mix cornstarch + water to make a slurry, then pour that into the remaining broth, stirring until the liquid thickens into gravy sauce (watch carefully—it thickens fast).

Pour the thickened gravy sauce back over the meatballs (or add meatballs back to pot to coat them well).

If you like, you can add sliced carrots, mushrooms, or spinach to the broth at the end and simmer a few more minutes so they cook just right.

Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or fresh herbs.

Serve in a warm bowl. The meatballs soak up the gravy sauce. The texture should be tender with a slight bounce (from panko and the gentle cooking). You’ll get a warm, savory taste with subtle hints from mushroom, ginger, and soy.