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Non alcohol Christmas Kanten Jelly.

Japanese restaurant review

Sweet spring rolls for Christmas You don't need me to remind you that Christmas is fast approaching. Last year, for the first time I can remember, there were no parties, no dinner guests - just lockdown. Let's hope this year more than makes up for that! I thought I would re-post a couple of my Christmas fusion dishes for you to experiment with now that you will be doing some seasonal entertaining again. So, this weekend's recipe is my sweet mincemeat spring rolls. Yes, a sw

Miso soup with Tofu Miso soup must be the most popular dish in Japan. At least half the Japanese population drink miso soup three times or more every week. That's a smart thing to do because miso soup is high in protein and low in fat. There are lots of health claims made about miso that I shan't go into here but if you are looking for a non-animal source of protein you cannot do much better than this recipe. The two key ingredients in a classic miso soup are Japanese dashi

Omurice This is a dish that is as simple as it's name suggests but popular the length and breadth of Japan. Omurice is the perfect dish in many ways. Put it in front of any child (young or old) and it will disappear in double quick time before your very eyes. Not only is Omurice popular but it is also - along with Chahan - one of the best ways I know to use up leftover rice that's been hanging around in the fridge for a few days. Just as handy, Omurice requires no special i

Tonkatsu must be Japan's most popular meat dish.

Kanada-ya My latest "taste and see" review took me to St. Giles, WC2. St Giles is a little area hemmed in by Soho to the West,...

You can make Gyoza or Potstickers or Dumpling at home.

Okonomiyaki with Cheddar Cheese If you read my blog, you'll know that my family are okonomiyaki fans. We're also cheese fans, so I thought, why not combine okonomiyaki and cheese? Now I'll admit that cheese isn't the first thing you might think of when you think of Japanese food but I find it makes a great ingredient in a lot of Japanese dishes and that's certainly the case when you add it to an okonomiyaki. Adding 80 - 100g of good cheddar cheese enriches the flavour and pro

Sea Bream Ochazuke If you've heard of ochazuke , you may know it is one of Japan's oldest forms of cooking. There is no exact equivalent meaning in English but roughly ochazuke means "put with tea" although "steeped in tea" might have a better resonance with English speakers. Anyway, linguistics apart, ochazuke as a dish probably started life with the use of water rather than tea. Until recent times, rice was a precious commodity and leftovers would have been recycled into o

Corned Beef Katsu We all make errors of judgement. When my husband first suggested I make a katsu using corned beef, I thought..well, I thought a number of things, such as, "..duh, men.." & "..what does he know about cooking?" and "corned beef in a katsu..?" Well, I was wrong. I reluctantly tried this out and for sheer speed, convenience and taste, I'm not sure there is a katsu out there that beats this. Now, I admit, the thing is that to eat a corned beef katsu, you have

This blog is about Salmon Sashimi Poke Bowl.

This is a review of Taro Japanese restaurant in Finchley, North ondon in July 2021. All my restaurant reviews are unsponsored.

Stir fried Corned Beef and Sugarsnaps This recipe takes me back to when my first English language cookbook was published in 1994. The book was called 'Japanese Cooking for Two' and this recipe - "Stir Fried Corned Beef and Sugar Snaps" was one of the recipes inside. You might be thinking that corned beef doesn't exactly sound Japanese but it has quite a history in Japan - there is even a Japanese Corned Beef Day - April 6th! Corned beef became popular after the end of the Se

Osumashi with Egg, Shiitake and Leek I can't think of a more quintessential Japanese light healthy meal than a small bowl of "osumashi with egg, shiitake and leek" clear soup and a bowl of rice, served in a lacquered bowl. Picture the scene - it's warm, rather muggy but you need some nourishment. So you slice some shiitake and leek, make up a consomme style dashi base and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened. Stir in a raw egg for each serving (It will co

Teriyaki Salmon Donburi This week's recipe is Teriyaki Salmon Donburi. As you probably know, donburi in Japanese describes a dish where...

This is a healthy version of sweet and sour dish as I use fried Tofu. This dish is also suitable for vegan.

This is a review of Heddon Yokocho ramen bar in London's West End in July 2021. All my restaurant reviews are unsponsored.

Miso marinated Pork loins If you like pork, chances are that the pork loin will be one of your favourite cuts. The meat is one of the leanest pork cuts you'll find and it's mild flavour makes it ideal for steeping in a marinade. My friend Yumiko Nikaido sent me this recipe from Tokyo - apart from the pork, the key feature is, of course, the marinade which combines lots of good things - miso, Japanese sake (cooking sake is also fine), mirin, ginger, garlic and some honey - I

Hiyashi Chuka - Japanese Cold Ramen Noodles I live in the UK, so there aren't many days when the gets so hot that you can't stomach the idea of hot food. In Japan however, summer means + 30 C / 85 F temperatures are a regular feature, so that leaves a lot of people in search of food that isn't going to make them come out in even more of a sweat. Of course, there are many salads you can choose from but sometimes, you need something a little more substantial and sustaining tha