Soak and rinse noodle. Let drain.
Wash and thickly slice all mushroom, veggies.
Slice tofu and let sit in a basket to dry.
Shiratake simply need to be rinsed, but some cellophane and udon may need to be soaked in hot water to soften before adding. Drain when done.
Wash and chop all veggies, yam and tofu.
When tofu is dried,
deep fry it and let cool at room temperature.
Deep fry the yam/potato too and let sit aside.
Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat.
Add carrot, yukon radish to the pot.
Mix the cornstarch into the broth and set aside.
In a sauce pan at high power, add some oil.
When oil is hot (about 1- 2 minutes), add garlic and stir to golden brown.
Add tomato, ginger, lemongrass and red bell pepper to the sauce pan, stir to mix.
Sprinkle in some salt while stirring, and cook for 2 minutes.
Now add the broth/cornstarch into the saute pan.
Stir before continue adding star anise, cinnamon and soy sauce.
Stir often for the next 10 minutes.
When the cornstarch has thickened the broth a bit, pour the whole thing into the boil water pot. be careful as the whole thing is hot and heavy.
Now cover pot and bring to a boil again.
Once boiling, lower heat to simmer and cook covered for a 15minutes
Add coconut milk and lime juice, and adjust to taste.