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Okan A little while ago, I posted a review of what used to be London's sole okonomiyaki specialist restaurant; Abeno in Bloomsbury. Personally speaking, I loved Abeno: the food was excellent, the service faultless and the value for money 100% spot on. But Abeno is no longer London's only okonomiyaki restaurant, now there is OKAN (which in local Osakan dialect means "mum".) I'm not sure exactly how long OKAN has been open but the first outlet started in Brixton Village and

Cod with a Wasabi Soy Olive Oil dressing I am a big fan of cod. It's known in Japan as tara although it doesn't possess the symbolic status in there that it has in the UK. Cod is quite bland taste-wise which means it happily absorbs just about any flavour you wish to add to it. Mixing some wasabi, soy sauce and a quality olive oil brand with some soy sauce provides a punch, almost piquante, flavour to cod which I just love. I think you might just like it. too! When I make

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

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

How to make Large sushi Roll without using raw fish. I use Teriyaki chicken for this large sushi rolls and it works!

Quail egg croquettes I'm quite partial to a Japanese potato croquette now and again - they remind me of my childhood in Japan, so they're a little trip down memory lane. Over time, I've developed a few twists on the standard croquette and here is one of them - quail's egg croquettes. My family used to eat quail's eggs a lot when I was a child but they have become less popular in Japan which is a shame because they are as versatile as a chicken egg (although I do admit that pe

Takikomi Gohan Japanese rice doesn't have to be a sidekick dish - mixed with flavourings and vegetables, it can be a one pot show stopper all by itself - the Japanese call this dish " takikomi gohan ", (literally, steamed mixed rice). The rice is steamed in a broth of soy sauce, cooking sake and mirin under a bed of vegetables. I've used chicken and mushroom in this recipe but you can use other vegetables and/or exclude the meat component. Takikomi gohan is delicious eaten ho

Steamed tea cup is a literal translation for what the Japanese call "chawanmushi". (chawan = tea cup, mushi = steamed)

If you've been following my blog, (and I hope you have!) you'll remember that I have been growing Shiso and Mizuna salad. some Japanese salad veg this summer. In fact, it's been a bumper harvest and my shiso and mizuna just keep on giving! So here's a healthy salad using these two lovely leaves and some other veg topped off with some edamame - it's quick, nutricious and just the thing for a warm summer evening when you want something easy and light on your tummy. The recipe i

Shiso miso The Japanese love to have a selection of fermented and pickled foods to eat with their rice at dinner and today, I'm looking at one of the best - shiso-miso. It's a great way to give your miso a sweeter flavour. Shisomiso hails from Tohoku prefecture in northern Japan. The original version (where miso is mixed with sugar, sesame and/or crushed walnuts and wrapped in a shiso leaf, then fried) is quite salty but as it has become more popular in Japan, the flavours ha

Natto Just like marmite in the UK, natto is a food that divides opinions in Japan - you either love it or you hate it. So what exactly is natto? Basically, natto is made of soya beans fermented using natto yeast (bacillus subtilis) which I understand comes from rice straw. Natto is well known for its health benefits - if you want to find out more about this, you can find find lots of information on the internet - (personally, I make natto and I eat natto because I like it bu

Simmered Hijiki Here's a very traditional Japanese side dish that uses a seaweed common in East Asia but (as far as I know) nowhere else - it's called hijiki. You can buy hijiki in most Japanese and Chinese food stores, as well as health food shops, in its dried form. As with other seaweeds, there's a lot to like about hijiki nutritionally - it's high in magnesium, iron, calcium and iodine and is full of dietary fibre. I should point out that it does also contain traces of ar

Japanese corn soup Here's a quick, healthy Japanese soup for you to make. I always thought this soup was French as it is called "corn potage" in Japan. but the strange thing is that I haven't ever seen it made here in the UK or on the continent. So perhaps it is a Japanese original after all! Maybe calling it "potage" encourages us gullible Japanese to think it's extra special because it's French when it's really not! It is certainly more popular in Japan than elsewhere! O

Ton Jiru.

Popular sushi rolls recipe.

Seafood stick Uramaki Sushi rolls Here's another "looks difficult but it's really not" recipe - seafood stick uramaki . Now, uramaki, as you'll already know if you're reading my blog, means "inside-out roll" and they're also known in the US as a California maki or California roll because that is where they were first made. The story goes that a sushi bar owner in California was struggling to get the locals to eat nori seaweed - obviously, if you don't want to eat nori, sushi

This is a healthy Japanese salad recipe with Ponzu dressing.

Aubergine / Eggplant recipe.

Here's my latest inside out California sushi roll dish. This time, I've made Natto California rolls - so, natto and cucumber with some black sesame sprinkled on the rice.

Japanese Onion sauce You may have seen this recipe already on my blog with my Japanese Steak salad and Onion sauce dish. I am posting it separately as well just because it goes well with so many things and not just meat. You could try this with a cod or tuna steak or with deep fried tofu - it's easy to make, versatile and a great "go to" when you need a tasty sauce in a hurry. You can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Onion sauce and the written recipe is as bel