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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 ingredients - just eggs, rice, onion and ketchup - I used a bell pepper and some green peas and bacon in this recipe but you could just as well add alternatives that you want to use up before their sell-by dates. I can turn around an Omurice supper or lunch for two in 15 minutes so this is quick as well. There isn't much technique involved in Omurice but I do have a couple of tips. First, when you are ready to fry your omelette, get about 2 tsps of veg oil hot in your pan - but not too hot. An omurice omelette should be a nice yellow colour, not overdone and browned. Second, when I make an Omurice omelette, I stir the omelette once the skin has begun to form - this way, the omelette get a little broken up and more raw egg flows into the gaps. That way, there is less raw egg left when you come to add the filling (watch the Youtube tutorial and you'll see how to do this.) My last tip is simple - don't be tempted to add too much filling - otherwise you risk tearing the omelette when you fold it over. If you'd like to make your own Omurice, you can find the written recipe below. For the Youtube tutorial click Omurice or scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. Omurice. ingredients:(makes 2 servings) 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1/4 bell pepper, finely chopped 1 rasher bacon, chopped 30g frozen peas 4 tbsps tomato ketchup 180g cooked white rice 4 eggs a little salt & pepper 2.5 tbps veg oil for frying how to: for the filling: heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the bacon until coloured add the onion, bell pepper, peas and salt & pepper and fry for 2 min next, add the rice and ketchup and stir well for a further 2 mins, then set aside in the pan for the individual omelettes: heat 2 tsp of oil in a 20cm frying pan whisk 2 eggs and add to the frying pan, tip the pan to ensure the omelette covers the whole surface when the omelette begins to form a skin, stir with a chopstick to break the skin and let more raw egg fill the breaks when the omelette is almost cooked, tip in 1/2 the fried rice filling slightly to one side. next, wrap the fried rice with the omelette using a slice still using the slice, slide the omelette out of the pan and flip onto a plate repeat for your second serving your omurice is ready. serve with a side salad and decorate with tomato ketchup Omurice

Halloween Croquettes (Pumpkin Korokke) With Halloween not far away, I thought I would post another recipe on a Halloween theme. Last week, I posted a recipe for Halloween gyoza. This recipe is for Halloween pumpkin croquettes (korokke). Like the gyoza, these croquettes are made with pumpkin rather than potato because it is Halloween! These Halloween croquettes make a great starter or party finger food or you can combine them as part of a sit down meal with other dishes. The pumpkin I used here is a variant called "kuri kabocha" in Japan. (That translates as "chestnut pumpkin" in English). The Japanese liken this pumpkin to the chestnut because the flesh is quite dry and dense - like a chestnut. The reason I love kuri kabocha is that they have a delicious, sweet taste. You can find kuri kabocha in Asian food stores and some supermarket chains also stock them in season. You can turn out these croquettes in under 30 mins - deep frying time is 1 min or less as the pumpkin is cooked in the microwave first. Try these out - I am sure you will love the taste! You can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Halloween Croquettes (Pumpkin Korokke). Happy Halloween! Kurumi XXXX. Ingredients: 2-3 servings 500g /17.5 oz Japanese pumpkin (kabocha) 150g /6 oz onion 90g / 3oz carrot 1 tbsp honey 100ml / 3.5 oz water 50g / 1.75 oz plain flour 70g / 2.5 oz panko breadcrumbs 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil some vegtable oil for deep frying some kitchen paper Bulldog brown sauce for topping how to: scrape the seeds out of the pumpkin with a spoon and rinse cut the pumpkin into 4 pieces (mind your fingers!) put the pumpkin segments on a plate and wrap with cling film microwave at 600W for 8-9 mins until softened peel and grate the carrot. chop the onion finely heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, carrot & salt for 2 minutes peel the skin off the microwaved pumpkin. add the cinnamon & honey and mash well using the back of a fork add the sauteed onion and carrot and mix well again dab a little oil onto your palms. take a heaped dessertspoon of the pumpkin mixture and form it into a croquette dip the croquette into the water & flour mixture then, coat with the panko. repeat until you have 12 - 15 croquettes fill a pan with 1.5cm of veg oil and deep fry the croquettes in batches at 170 C / 340 F until golden brown rest the croquettes on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil drizzle with the Bulldog sauce and serve Halloween Croquettes (Pumpkin Korokke)

Christmas Kanten Jelly Christmas will be with us soon so I hope all my readers have a throughly enjoyable time after such a difficult year. I enjoy all the celebrations at Christmas as much as anyone else although I have to admit there are some parts of the festivities that I struggle with. I love the taste of mulled wine at Christmas but my Japanese enzymes aren't that good at breaking it down the alcohol once it hits my tummy. Result - I often end up feeling a little woozy before lunch on Christmas Day! I have the same relationship with a traditional Christmas pudding - I love the taste of it but about 1 dessertspoonful is enough for me - it is so rich and filling! Not only that, but with lifestyles changing, I often find people don't want to overload on alcohol and rich food, even on Christmas Day. So, I thought I would develop a recipe that not only helps my tummy cope at Christmas but also provides a no alcohol, no dairy alternative dessert option for those of you who want to enjoy a healthier Christmas. The result is my mulled "wine" Christmas Kanten Jelly. In fact, this recipe doesn't contain wine - I use a good quality red grape juice instead. The brand I use here is Welch's Grape Juice which is from California but I am sure there are other equally good varieties available. (Just make sure you use pure grape juice, not something from concentrate like a "grape juice drink".) Using grape juice has an added benefit inasmuch as you don't need any added sugar (which features in most traditional mulled wine recipes) as the grape juice is already sweet enough. I add the usual mulled wine ingredients - orange and lemon zest and juice, cinnamon and nutmeg - to the grape juice and simmer for 1 minute. The resulting mulled "wine" is lighter than the alcoholic version but no less tasty. I have served this as a no alcohol version of mulled wine over the Christmas period for a few years now and I'm surprised by how many people have converted to it. To convert your no alcohol mulled wine into a Christmas Kanten Jelly is simplicity itself. Just add kanten powder to the liquid, bring back to the boil and then turn off the heat. At this stage, depending on how you are going to present your desserts, you might want to let the liquid cool a little. Then, it's just a matter of pouring the liquid into your cups or glasses and letting the kanten set. I used some champagne "coupe' glasses for a glitzy effect but any glasses will do really. At this stage, you can decide on whether you want to dress the top of your glass with some whipped cream or as I did here, use a non-dairy alternative - whipped coconut cream - to make it vegetarian and vegan friendly as well. Producing a thick coconut cream is quite easy but requires two things - first buy a good quality coconut cream like Aroy-D, second refridgerate the tins overnight so that the cream is chilled. Once you open the tin, use a dessert spoon to remove the thickened coconut cream but leave the milky part in the tin. The cream should thicken up nicely after a minute or two under the whisk. If it doesn't, add a little caster sugar to help the process along. Once, you have your coconut whipped cream, spoon it over your (now set) kanten desserts. Decorate with some sprinkles and you have a no alcohol, no dairy, low calorie alternative Christmas jelly dessert. If you would like to try this out yourself, you can find the written recipe below. For the Youtube tutorial click Christmas Kanten Jelly or scroll to the bottom of the page. If, like me, you look for other ways to make your season a little more healthy and a little less calorific, you could do worse than look at my Sweet Spring Rolls. These are made using mincemeat and they make a great alternative to traditional mincemeat pies. If you want to take a look, click Sweet Spring Rolls for the Youtube tutorial. Click here, Sweet Spring Rolls for the written recipe. Happy cooking and Happy Christmas! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 4 servings) 1 orange, rinsed 1 lemon, rinsed (well washed, if it has a waxed skin) 600ml good quality purple grape juice (or red wine, if you want the alcoholic version, but remember to add 1 tbsp of sugar in this case) 4 cloves 1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp nutmeg 4g / 0.15 oz kanten powder ( agar agar) 2 X 400g / 14 oz tins of good quality, thick coconut milk tin (or double cream, if you prefer the dairy version). you should leave the coconut cream tins in the fridge overnight so the cream is thoroughly chilled before whisking. some sprinkles for decoration how to: grate the orange and lemon peel and combine the zest in a bowl. squeeze the juice from 1 orange and 1/2 lemon and add to the zest pour the purple grape juice in a saucepan. add the zest and juice, clove, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. stir everything together bring the liquid boil, simmer for 1 minute, then turnoff the heat. Stand for 20 minutes to improve the infusion next, pour the juice through a sieve into a second saucepan add the kanten powder to the saucepan. bring the liquid back to the boil while whisking occasionally. simmer for 2 mins leave the saucepan to stand for a few minutes, then pour the juice into serving glasses. when the juice has become lukewarm, refridgerate to make the coconut cream topping, take the tins from the fridge. spoon out the only thicker part of the coconut cream into a bowl. whisk until thickened. (this is best done just before serving) spoon the whipped cream over the kanten before serving and decorate with some sprinkles Christmas Kanten Jelly

Shiso and Soy salad dressing Despite the best efforts of the British summer, my crop of shiso has really did me proud in 2021. I had several pots of the stuff growing and my baby plantlets were doing well enough that I donated some of my mature plants to friends. No matter how many leaves I harvested from the mature plants, they just kept on producing more. All they needed to keep them happy was sunlight and the occasional watery feed. So what to do with all that shiso? A big bag of it now sits in my freezer awaiting some inspiration*. I'm busy developing a shiso pesto sauce recipe but I haven't got it quite right yet, so more of that at a later date when I've got something that I think works well and that you will enjoy. Yesterday, I made up a simple shiso and soy salad dressing. This only uses abut 20g of leaves and takes about 5 minutes to make. It's quite punchy so a little goes a long way - it's not only good for salads but also for a great way to flavour tofu. I've also drizzled a little on some shredded fried chicken and that tasted very good as well. You could buy some fresh shiso leaves to make this dressing but I would recommend you to try growing your own - it is a lot cheaper as shop sold shiso leaves are a little pricey IMHO. One mature plant will give you more than enough leaves to make this recipe and with a little TLC, the plant will grow fresh leaves ready for your next batch as well! If you want to try this recipe, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Shiso and Soy salad dressing or simply scroll to the bottom of the page. You can find the written recipe just below. Happy drizzling! Kurumi XXXX. * I bag up shiso leaves and freeze them at the end of the growing season but shiso is at its absolute best when it is fresh. Frozen leaves are better in soups and stews than dressings. Shiso and Soy salad dressing. ingredients: 20g (10 - 12) fresh large shiso leaves, rinsed 1 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar 6 tbsp veg oil a pinch of pepper how to: remove any stems from the leaves, then roll up and finely slice the oba leaves next, turn the now shredded leaves 90 degrees and finely slice again. then mince at this point, you can either combine all the ingredients in a bowl or jar and give a good stir or shake. alternatively, you can place everything in a blender and give a little blitz once made, your dressing, it will last at least 7 days in the fridge Shiso and Soy salad dressing

Shack Fuyu, London My most recent eat out experience took me back to one of my favourite London places - Soho. I never need an excuse to go there but as I had to buy some cooking ingredients from Chinatown, it was a no-brainer to tack on a visit to a restaurant. So I found myself on a Thursday lunchtime at Shack Fuyu, London W1. Shack Fuyu is tucked away at the east end of Old Compton Street, so it's a step away from the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue and only a couple of minutes more from Covent Garden. The restaurant describes itself as "popup that went permanent" back in 2015. According to Shack Fuyu's website, the menu is "Inspired by Japanese Yoshoku food, the Western-influenced cooking style popular in Japan." I think the restaurant is owned by the same people who run the Bone Daddies ramen franchise. I've read some very good things about Shack Fuyu, so I went along looking forward to an interesting dining experience. The interior of Shack Fuyu has a bit of a tardis feel about it. The frontage is small but the restaurant goes a long way back once you walk inside. The front of the place is dominated by a long bar with seating for about 15 people to enjoy a pre-food (or pre-theatre) drink. Further back, there is table seating for around 60 diners. Shack Fuyu tips its hat to Japanese culture with a lot of empty sake bottles adorning the bar and some small Japanese film poster art from the 70's and 80's but there is no definable Japanese vibe about the place, but hey, it's the food that counts, isn't it! Shack Fuyu We were shown to a table just behind the bar. The table was clean if a little stained here and there. The waitress service was pleasant and happy to wait while my co-diner and I decided what we wanted to eat. Any allergies? Only to bad food - but we were assured that we wouldn't get a reaction to the food at Shack Fuyu. Two minor criticisms to log here - 1 - the tap water we ordered didn't arrive and I had to remind the waitress once we had started our meal. 2 - the waitress advised us that our orders would arrive in whatever order the chef made them. I have to confess I found this a little bit "Michelin Star" pretentious. Kimchi Hot Stone Rice What did we eat? We ordered the following: Aubergine with Miso Tenderstem Broccoli Kimchi Hot Stone Rice (photo left) Grilled Salmon fillet Side bowl of white rice The Aubergine with Miso arrived first and we had finished it by the time dish #2 the Tenderstem Broccoli arrived, followed shortly thereafter by the Hot Stone Rice. The final dish, the grilled Salmon Fillet came about 10 minutes later. How did the food score? Aubergine with Miso & Bubu Arare. 8/10 Aubergine with Miso and Bubu Arare Baked aubergine in miso sauce is quite a common dish in Japan. The Shack Fuyu interpretation of the dish adds a sprinkling of bubu arare and a garnish of rocket leaves with some shredded nori. If the mention of bubu arare has you scratching your head, they are tiny little granules of popped rice. (Think of a savoury version of your childhood Rice Krispies and you'll be on the right track.) My first impression was that what the Shack Fuyu menu describes as a "small plate" was indeed a very small plate. The thought "..this is what I get for £8.50?" passed through my mind. Four small pieces of baked aubergine. Visually, I thought the plate looked a bit of a mess - too much rocket covering the aubergine and miso. And taste-wise? Now, that was a different story - small size notwithstanding, the dish was delicious. The miso sauce was just right with a perfect balance between sweetness and the salty flavour of the miso and the aubergine was perfectly baked, soft and silky with just a little bite left in the skin. I think the bubu arare popped rice is there to provide a little contrast to the softness of the aubergine but I would have happily eaten this dish without it. Conclusion: Taste-wise, I couldn't fault this dish - it was very good. For £8.50 however, Shack Fuyu might like to reconsider the size of their portions! The restaurant's Instagram site has a photo of this dish and the portion looks a lot more substantial than the one delivered to our table! Tenderstem broccoli with Wafu dressing & Sesame seeds Tenderstem Broccoli 5/10 Shack Fuyu's Tenderstem Broccoli is described as coming with a Wafu (Japanese style) dressing and sesame seeds. The allergens section advises that the dish contains yuzu kosho which is a condiment blend of citrus, garlic, chilli and salt. My tenderstem broccoli was delivered on a small, very hot, cast iron skillet - it looked a little untidy. The Wafu dressing in this case seemed to be a blend of pulped daikon, soy sauce and the yuzu kosho. There was another flavour that was quite front and centre. It tasted a little like beef stock. I was wondering whether it was part of the dressing or some residual flavour from the hot cast iron - frequently used cast iron skillets can develop their"own flavour" over time. I couldn't tell where the flavour was coming from but I have to admit, it was unexpected and I did find it a little off-putting. The tenderstem broccoli itself was fine - well prepared and pleasant to eat. A shame about the confused flavours in the dressing but maybe that's just me. Conclusion: The serving was small (again) but not so startlingly small as the Aubergine in Miso and probably spot on for the price. If the beefy flavour is intentional, I don't think I would order this a second time. Kimchi Hot Stone Rice 7/10 The Kimchi Hot Stone Rice was delivered in a piping hot stone bowl. The inspiration for this dish is Korean style bibimbap (which literally means "mixed rice".) The dish had a raw egg sat in the centre - the idea being that you stir the egg in to the dish and the heat of the bowl cooks it in situ. Arranged around the raw egg were the other ingredients - the kimchi, a portion of edamame, some mushroom with sesame, some carrot, roast sweetcorn and chopped spring onion. The dish also benefitted from a liberal sprinkling of shredded nori. I dutifully stirred in my egg and took a bite. First impressions were very good. Just enough kimchi to give the bowl its signature chilli heat. I happily ate my way though the entire bowl. All the other ingredients added their own particular flavour and texture to the dish. Had I wanted more heat in the dish, I could have stirred in a little chilli oil from the small jar on the table, but the mix in the bowl was just right for me. In contrast to Shack Fuyu's "small plate" starters, the Kimchi Hot Stone Rice was an ample serving and I found myself satisfied before I got to the bottom of the bowl. Conclusion: Flavourful and filling and great value for money. Teriyaki Grilled Salmon Fillet Teriyaki Grilled Salmon Fillet 8/10 The teriyaki salmon fillet was the most expensive dish we ordered. My co-diner had to order an additional side bowl of rice as it wasn't included in the salmon dish. For £15.75, this had better be good, I was thinking. I was initially surprised when it arrived at the table - it looked quite overdone and not that appetising. The salmon was accompanied by small servings of pickled carrot and fried spring onion. Taste-wise, the salmon was actually very good - the teriyaki flavour was spot on, not at all sweet but rich and with a smoky quality to it that I liked. I still think it was somewhat overdone - (compare the "real thing" above with the item on Shack Fuyu's Instagram page) - but it was certainly very satisfying to eat. The portion of salmon was just about right-sized, but for the price, I think I would have expected at least a portion of rice. The bill: Aubergine with Miso £ 8.50 Tenderstem Broccoli £ 5.50 Hot Stone Rice £ 9.50 Grilled Salmon fillet £ 15.75 Bowl of white rice £ 3.00 Total £ 42.25 + 12.5% service Summary: I came away from Shack Fuyu happy with what I had eaten and I might have to return to sample some more of their interesting dishes. The restaurant itself boasts a pleasant environment and the staff were welcoming and friendly. My "did not likes" were the size of the portions for the price and the fact that one dish appeared overdone and two others weren't presented with very much presentational care. I know a restaurant can be a busy environment but it was early Thursday lunch and Shack Fuyu wasn't that busy. Food: ★★★☆☆ Ambience: ★★★★☆ Value for Money: ★★☆☆☆ You can find Shack Fuyu at 14A Old Compton St, London W1D 4TJ. Reservations via thefork.co.uk and delivery via Ubereats and deliveroo (PS: the restaurants I review are unaware that I am reviewing their fare and service. I pay for what I eat. My opinions are honest and unbiased....) But why not make it yourself? We all love to dine out. But don't forget you can make Japanese food at home which will not only taste as good or better than what you eat out (or order in) and for a fraction of the cost too! I've listed two recipes below for items I ordered during my review. Why not give them a try? Just follow the links to the written recipes and Youtube tutorials. Korean bibimbap by Kurumicooks Recipe #1 : Shack Fuyu's Kimchi Hot Stone Rice made for a tasty, filling lunch. It's a deriviation of the Korean dish bibimbap. If you want to find a great, easy to prepare at home bibimbap recipe, then look no further. If you want to mimic the Shack Fuyu recipe I ate, then simply swap out the spicy minced beef for a portion of kimchi. My recipe uses a fried rather than raw but that's up to you. (Personally, I think the fried egg works better.) Click Bibimbap for my recipe. If you want to see my Youtube tutorial, you can just click on Bibimbap here. Try this out and see which you prefer! Teriyaki Salmon Donburi by kurumicooks Teriyaki Salmon Donburi Recipe #2 : Shack Fuyu's grilled teriyaki Salmon tasted very good albeit it looked a little too charred for my liking. My fried Salmon Teriyaki recipe is certainly a feast for the eyes and IMHO tastes every bit as good as Shack Fuyu's dish. What's more, you can make it for a whole lot less. (You get free rice too!) You can find my recipe for making your own version by clicking Teriyaki Salmon Donburi. If you only want to check out the Youtube tutorial, you can also click Teriyaki Salmon Donburi. About the reviewer. Kurumi Hi, I'm Kurumi, a cooking writer and blogger. I'm Japanese but have lived in London for the last 30 thirty years. Back in the days before the internet, I was a food writer. My first book published in English was called Japanese Cooking for Two which I wrote in 1994. It has become the 9th best selling Japanese cookbook ever… yaaay! My other books were ‘The Noodle Cookbook”, “The Soy for Health Cookbook” and “Healthy Noodles.” I also published a book in Japanese “English Home Cooking”. Then I had children and my life changed! By the time my children had grown up, the world had changed quite a lot too! Internet, Youtube, Insta etc. So, these days, instead of books, I publish recipe and articles on my website and on my Youtube channel. I hope you'll check out my recipes - they are all tried and tested (some more times than I care to mention!) until I think you will get them right first time when you make them and enjoy eating them. If you’d like to read more about me or my books, then copy and paste the link here: https://www.kurumicooks.co.uk/about Happy eating! Kurumi XXXX.

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 Cod with a Wasabi Soy Olive Oil dressing dish, I use one of two different sorts of wasabi. If I have any leftover wasabi from sashimi or sushi that I've bought from my local Japanese fishmonger, I'll use that. If not, I use wasabi from a tube. Wasabi from a tube tends to be a little stronger than the wasabi a Japanese fishmonger or sushi bar provides, so bear that in mind when you make up your dressing. When I fry the cod, I get the oil quite hot before putting the cod into the pan. I also coat the cod in a little flour. That way, I find that there's less chance of your cod fillets sticking to the pan and breaking up when you remove them. Those tips apart, this dish is quick and simple to make. I usually serve this with fresh rice. As the dressing has quite a punch taste, you could pair it with another vegetable dish, perhaps some simmered daikon or brocolli in sesame. But that is, of course, entirely up to you. If you would like to give this recipe a try, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Cod with a Wasabi Soy and Olive oil dressing or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (2 servings) 2 boneless cod fillets with skin ( 300g-400g / 10 - 15 oz) 2 spring onions 1/4 yellow or any colour bell pepper 4 baby tomatoes (or 1 small tomato) 1/2 tbsp wasabi 1.5 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp + 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1-2 tbsp plain flour a handful of rocket or other salad leaves, rinsed how to: chop the spring onion, bell pepper and tomatoes finely. put the vegetables in a bowl and set aside combine the soy sauce, wasabi and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a bowl. mix well and then add to the chopped vegetables scatter the plain flour over both sides of the cod heat a frying pan and 1 - 1.5 tbsp of olive oil. once the oil is hot, fry the cod fillets skin down for about 4 minutes with a lid on. adjust the heat if you think the fillets are sticking carefully turn the cod fillets over and fry a further 4 minutes with the lid on now place half of the rocket on each plate in a pile. gently place the cod fillet on top of the rocket. drizzle the wasabi, soy & olive dressing over the cod serve with fresh white rice Cod with a Wasabi Soy Olive Oil dressing

Sanjugo restaurant, Islington, London My most recent "tried and tested" Japanese restaurant visit took me to the foodie hub of Islington in North London. Islington has become a bit of a mecca for Japanese eateries - there must be at least 15 in the district of all shapes and sizes. I had booked a table early on a Saturday evening at one of these locations - Sanjugo Japanese restaurant in Duncan St. You'll find Duncan St less than 5 minutes from Islington tube station, just off of Upper Street. Sanjugo is located in one of the commercial units on the ground floor of a rather dour looking 60s or 70s vintage apartment building. Sanjugo also has a second outlet in Shoreditch and has been around since 2016. Things didn't start well - but that was all my fault. I had made a booking but at the Shoreditch location! We were told that there wasn't a table available at the Islington branch so we duly shuffled out but the waitress chased us down after a few seconds and told us she could fit us in if we didn't mind where we sat. Of course, we didn't, so back we went. Nil points to my booking skills but kudos to the waitress for actually going out of her way to get us seated. (PS: If you sign up to Sanjugo's mailing list they will send you a £10 voucher to be spent at the restaurant. In order to cash in the voucher, it seems you need to book via email not the booking link on the website.) Sanjugo's interior So, we found ourselves seated at the front of the house and looking at the menu. I was surprised that for a 6.30pm booking, Sanjugo was already almost full - a good sign. Not that it is a big place. There are 28 seats at tables in the front of the restaurant. Further back and up a small flight of stairs, there is a sushi bar seating another 6 and small tables for a further 4 diners. Sanjugo's interior is black and decorated with a few Japanese themed posters and other memorabilia. It makes for a very low key atmosphere though not necessarily the best lighting for seeing the food that's put in front of view. There is a large flourescent "Sanjugo" sign centre stage. I was sat with my back to the sign but one of my co-diners soon commented that the sign was very, very bright, (he was sat looking at it.) What did we eat? We ordered the following: Saba Misoni Donburi Miso soup Vegetable croquettes Chicken gyoza Tuna nigiri sushi Saba Misoni Donburi (photo right) Chirashi sushi Don Tonkatsu Don The Miso soup arrived first, followed quickly by the Gyoza and the Vegetable croquettes with the tuna nigiri sushi a few minutes afterwards. We had just finished our starters when the mains appeared. so time wise, no complaints. How did the food score? Miso soup 8/10 Miso Soup Miso soup is one of my standard tests for any Japanese restaurant. It's not at all difficult to make a good miso soup but it's very easy to make a bad one. Miso soup is about more than just miso and hot water (although many lower middle/end Japanese restaurants don't appear to think so.) Sanjugo describes its miso soup as just that - miso soup. I was wondering whether this simple title meant the soup was going to be similarly simple. But no, this was quite a pleasant surprise. Miso, tofu, nori seaweed, spring onion and what we identified as a fish based stock enriching the taste. Maybe the fish stock isn't for everyone but we all enjoyed it and it was a sign that this restaurant thinks and cares about the details of what it is preparing for its guests. (Minor quibble: more tofu, please.) Conclusion: At £3, a great value starter and a satisfying bowl of miso soup. Vegetable Croquettes Vegetable Croquettes 6/10 The vegetable croquettes arrived nicely presented. The croquettes themselves were decent enough and warmed properly, meaning that they hadn't simply been presented soggy and steaming from a microwave. We all thought that the sauce and mayo was a little too sweet. The seasoning of this dish really should be left to the diner not added pre-table. (An "old school" Japanese croquette lover certainly wouldn't want mayo on their croquettes!) Conclusion: Nice enough although at £5 not a stand out like the miso soup. Fried Chicken Dumplings (Gyoza) 8/10 Fried Chicken dumplings AKA Gyoza Gyoza are another of my standard tests for a Japanese restaurant. The quality of gyoza and their presentation varies considerably in London's Japanese restaurants from the delicious to the downright awful. I'm happy to say Sanjugo's chicken gyoza qualified in the upper end of the range. The filling was definitely chicken and quite tasty. The gyoza skins were well fried and had a nice crunch to them. The dipping sauce had the right level of "tang". Conclusion: A more than decent plate of gyoza. Good value for £5. Akami Tuna Nigiri Sushi 5/10 Akami Tuna Nigiri One of my co-diners ordered some pieces of "nigiri". He has worked as a sushi chef so knows a little bit about that particular art. He told me that the term "akami" refers to the part of the tuna's flesh which runs along the fish's spine. Akami is divided into 3 further grades depending on whether the meat is cut from the front, middle or back of the fish. He thought the Akami he was given was probably from the back, the cheapest grade. Not only that, but it was also very thinly sliced. Taste-wise, we thought it was OK but nothing more than that. Conclusion: These tuna nigiri were underwhelming. Saba Misoni Donburi 8/10 The first of the main courses. Saba Misoni translates as "mackerel simmered in miso." The dish was a donburi so the mackerel came on a bed of rice and was served with salad. Taste-wise Sanjugo's Saba Misoni was spot on and we all enjoyed a bite of it - the miso sauce had a nice balance between miso saltiness and mirin sweetness . The leaf salad was fresh and nicely seasoned. My co-diner's only criticism was that the rice portion was a little on the small side. Chirashi Sushi Donburi 8/10 Chirashi Sushi Donburi The Chirashi Donburi was my order. The portion was reasonable sized. The sashimi was mostly offcuts of tuna and salmon but there was a little octopus and some yellowfin. There was also a little chopped cucumber and the dish was decorated with a shiso leaf and some tobiko fish roe. The chirashi was nicely fragrant from the sushi rice vinegar dressing beneath. I thoroughly enjoyed eating my chirashi donburi and I only reluctantly shared some with my co-diners! Tonkatsu Donburi 8/10 Tonkatsu Donburi The tonkatsu donburi was equally impressive. The panko breadcrumb crust was deep fried to a tee and the pork perfectly cooked. My co-diner said he would really have preferred to season it himself rather than have the dish arrive already covered in mayo and brown sauce. There was a little leaf salad (too little we thought) and like the Saba Misoni dish, the rice portion was on the small side. Size apart however, the quality of the food was very good. The Bill: Miso Soup £ 3.00 Fried Chicken Dumplings £ 5.00 Vegetable Croquettes £ 5.00 Akami Nigiri (2 pcs) £ 5.00 Tonkatsu Don £11.00 Chirashi Don £15.00 Saba Misoni Don £14.00 Voucher £10.00 discount Total £47.00 (Excluding Service) Summary: The restaurant is an easy walk from the station. The waitress went the extra mile to get us seated after I had made a mistake with the reservation. Overall, the service was good and the food generally very good. The price was reasonable and begins to look like a bargain when you use the discount voucher. Just make sure you don't get seated in front of the bright flourescent "SANJUGO" sign or you might end up with a headache! (Tips to the restaurant : Please let your guests add their own sauces and please turn down the SANJUGO sign!) Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience:★★★☆☆ Value for Money: ★★★★☆ You can find Sanjugo Japanese Restaurant at 42 Duncan St, London N1 8BW (Islington) and 35 Scrutton St, London EC2A 4HU (shoredich). Reservations via RESY or email hello@sanjugo.co.uk Takeaway via Deliveroo and UberEats (PS: the restaurants I review are unaware that I am reviewing their fare and service. I pay for what I eat. My opinions are honest and unbiased....) And how about making it yourself? We all love to dine out and you certainly won't be disappointed by Sanjugo's offering. But don't forget you can make Japanese food at home which will not only taste good but for a fraction of the price too! I've listed two recipes below for items I ordered during my review. Why not give them a try? Just follow the links to the written recipes and Youtube tutorials. Sushi cocktail. Recipe #1 : My Sushi Cocktail. Sanjugo's Chirashi Donburi was very good. Chirashi is a very easy dish to produce at home. I also make a mini-version of this dish which I call Sushi Cocktail. It makes a great starter and I've served this at stand up events too. You need look no further than my recipe Sushi Cocktail. If you want to see my Youtube tutorial, you can find the link Sushi Cocktail. Recipe #2: Tonkatsu Donburi. Everyone loves a classic Japanese Tonkatsu. Served donburi style on a bed of rice, it's a tasty and filling meal in a bowl treat that's just too good Pork Sauce Katsudon to only eat as an occasional restaurant treat. If you would like to find out how to make this recipe at home (for a fraction of the cost of the eat out version,) you can find my recipe for a Tonkatsu Donburi here. If you want to check out the Youtube tutorial, you can find that here Tonkatsu Donburi. (PS: I call my recipe Pork Sauce Katsudon but it is essentially the same as a Tonkatsu Donburi.) About the reviewer. Hi, I'm Kurumi, a cooking writer and blogger. I'm Japanese but I have lived in London for the last Kurumi 30 thirty years. Back in the days before the internet (and Youtube), I was a food writer. My first book published in English was called Japanese Cooking for Two which I wrote in 1994. It has become the 9th best selling Japanese cookbook ever… yippee! My other books were ‘The Noodle Cookbook”, “The Soy for Health Cookbook” and “Healthy Noodles.” I also published a book in Japanese “English Home Cooking”. Then I had children and my life changed! By the time my children had grown up, the world had changed quite a lot too! Internet, Youtube, Insta etc. So, these days, instead of books, I publish recipe and articles on my website and on my Youtube channel. I hope you'll check out my recipes - they are all tried and tested (some more times than I care to mention!) until I think you will get them right first time when you make them and enjoy eating them. If you’d like to read more about me or my books, then follow the link here: https://www.kurumicooks.co.uk/about Happy eating! Kurumi XXXX.

Meat sauce Doria If you're a regular reader of my blog, you might remember the other Doria recipes I published earlier this year. I made a Seafood Doria and a Chicken Doria. This time around, I've made a Doria wiDoriaRecipeBlog th a meat sauce. If you don't already know, Doria is a Japanese rice based dish - think simple lasagne with rice instead of pasta and you'll get the idea. This is one of those dishes which is great for colder weather - put this on the dinner table and you'll put a smile on even the most chapped of cheeks. If you want to try your hand at making this, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Meat sauce Doria or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. (PS: this is also a great way to use leftover rice if you have any in the fridge) For alternative recipes, check out my Seafood Doria recipe and my Chicken Doria recipe. Meat sauce Doria ingredients: (makes 2 servings) for the meat sauce: 200g minced beef 1/2 tin of tomatoes (200g) 90g onion 30g carrot 1/2 celery stick 1 clove of garlic 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup 1/2 tbsp tomato puree 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil for the white sauce: 3.5 tbsp plain flour 300ml milk 40g butter 1/8 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp salt 310g cooked rice* wet weight) 15g butter 80g grated cheddar cheese some chopped parsley for garnishing (optional) *you can use leftover rice if you have some how to: to make the meat sauce: finely chop the garlic, onion, celery & carrot. heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the chopped vegetables and fry for 1-2 mins add the minced meat, salt & pepper and fry for further 1-2 mins add the tomato, ketchup & puree, and simmer for 10-15 mins next make the white sauce, melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and mix well, then add the milk a little at a time and mix well into a smooth sauce over a medium-low heat mix the butter and cooked rice in a bowl (if you are using leftover cold rice, re-heat it first) place the rice in an oven proof dish then add the layer of white sauce and top with a layer of meat sauce add the cheese around leaving the centre as it is (i used a small plastic lid to get a nice uniform shape, but do remember to remove it before grilling!) grill for 8-10 mins or until the cheese is golden brown your meat sauce doria is ready. sprinkle some chopped parsley and serve Meat sauce Doria

Yurinchi, Chinese Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken I spent my last birthday in Japan and to celebrate, I went with my family to a local Chinese restaurant. This is what I ate there - Yurinchi / Chinese Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken. I am not sure of the origins of Yurinchi although it is reputed to have its roots in Guangdong in southern China. The Chinese characters (油淋鶏 = Yurinchi, although some pronounce it:Yurinji,) simply tell you that the dish is "chicken fried in oil". So, I may not be able to tell you much about this recipe's history but the one thing I can say with confidence is that Yurinchi is one of those Chinese origin dishes which the Japanese love. I have to say, I think it is a great way to serve fried chicken particularly if your tastebuds enjoy sweet and sour combinations. The sauce that is served with the chicken is a mixture of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, brown vinegar and a dash of sesame oil. Yurinchi / Chinese Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken is usually made using chicken thighs with the skin on. Now, I'm not a great lover of chicken skin so I remove it before cooking. (If you do the same, don't throw the skin away - freeze it and use it when you make a home made yakitori sauce - the skin gives the sauce a little more flavour and makes it slightly oily - ideal for the barbecue.) There are two keys to getting the most out of this dish - first, the marinade. This is a mixture of ginger, garlic, soy sauce and Chinese Shaoxing wine (you could use Japanese sake as a subsititute at a pinch or even a little dry white wine.) I advise you to marinate the chicken thighs for at least 15 minutes but preferably up to 1 hour, (overnight even better). Once you've marinated the chicken, pour off most of the juice, leaving a little behind for the next step in preparation. Your second key to a successful Yurinchi is the coating - here, I use potato flour - quite a lot of potato flour, actually - about 6 - 8 tablespoons - potato flour is great for this dish but it becomes quite crunchy when it is fried. Sprinkle the potato flour over both sides of the chicken thighs and make sure that the leftover juices get absorbed into the flour coating as this will both flavour the flour and make it sticky - the more time you take to do this, the more flavoursome your Yurinchi chicken will be. Most recipes will tell you to deep fry Yurinchi but I shallow fry. Less oil = less calories and less waste. Depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs, it should take about 3 - 4 minutes per side to cook them through over a medium/high heat - do make sure to check that they are cooked. The potato flour and marinade should by this time have turned into a golden brown colour and have a nice crunchy texture. Once your chicken is cooked, rest it on kitchen paper for a minute or two to absorb any excess oil. Then slice the thighs into 6 - 7 pieces crossways and transfer to a bed of shredded lettuce. On serving, drizzle your sauce over the chicken and there you have it - a delicious, flavourful dish of Yurinchi - Chinese Sweet and Sour Soy Fried Chicken. If you would like to try this dish in your own kitchen, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Yurinchi / Chinese Sweet and Sour Soy Fried Chicken or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The full written recipe is just below. Happy frying! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) for the chicken & marinade: 2 boneless chicken thighs (300g / 10 oz) 1/2 tsp ginger paste 1/2 tsp garlic paste 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp Chinese Shaohsing wine （紹興酒） 6 - 7 tbsp potato flour 6 - 7 sunflower oil for the sauce: 3 spring onions, rinse 1/2 garlic paste 1/2 ginger paste 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1/2 lettuce, finely shredded how to: marinate the chicken thighs in a dish or bowl with 1/2 tsp of ginger, 1/2 tsp of garlic, 1 tbsp of soy sauce & 1 tbsp of Chinese Shaohsing wine for at least 15 mins (but preferably up to 1 hour) at this stage, if the chicken is particularly thick, score the flesh with a knife or fork so that it cooks through without taking so long that the potato flour burns while the chicken is marinading, make your sweet and sour sauce. chop the spring onions finely and put them in a bowl. add 1/2 tsp of garlic, 1/2 tsp of ginger, 2 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of vinegar, 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of sesame oil to the bowl. stir well until the sugar is dissolved into the sauce when the chicken has marinated for at least 15 minutes, drain the excess liquid away. coat the thighs with potato flour on the both side. keep massaging the flour into the chicken with a fork until al the remaining sauce has been absorbed into the flour and the flour is stuck to the chicken heat about 6 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan. fry the chicken for 3 - 4 minutes, adjusting the heat if the oil gets too hot turn over and fry again for another 3-4 minutes. remove the chicken thighs from the pan and leave to rest for 1-2 minutes on some kitchen paper. slice the chicken thighs crossways into 6-7 pieces per thigh arrange the shredded lettuce on a serving plate. place the chicken thighs onto the lettuce. last, drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over the chicken your Yurinchi Chinese Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken is ready to serve Yurinchi.. Chinese Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken

Japanese Spinach Sesame "Goma Ae" Spinach Sesame Goma Ae is, in my humble opinion, one of the best Japanese vegetable dishes you will ever try. It's very nutricious, low calorie, requires only a few ingredients and can be ready in under 15 minutes. Not only that it is one of the tastiest Japanese vegetable dishes I know. Sesame - both black and white - finds its way into a lot of Japanese dishes - it's used as a garnish (like this recipe where tosted sesame is used) as a salad dressing and even in desserts. This wide use of sesame in Japanese cooking shouldn't be a surprise as it is full of lots of important minerals - zinc, magnesium, copper and iron to name a few. When it comes to spinach, I don't think I need to go into the benefits of eating it, suffice to say its also full of iron, magnesium and Vitamin E. In Japan, the most common variery of spinach is called Komatsuna and I would use Koatsuna in this dish - either leaves from a mature plant or baby leaves - I find babcy leaves work better as they impart a sweeter flavour. Short of buying seeds and growing your own Komatsuna, you can use just about any spinach variety for this dish - they all work very well. So, I said this dish was easy, didn't I. All you have to do is take your spinach and give it a rinse. Plunge it into a large saucepan of boiling water and stir for 1 minute. Drain and set the spinach aside. Then grind your white toasted sesame into what I term a "rough powder" - a little finer than breadcrumbs but not too much. Once you've ground your toasted sesame, add mirin, soy sauce and some sugar and mix into a paste. Then, squeeze out your spinach - do this two or three times to remove as much liquid as you can - and mix together with the sesame paste and you're finished! I often make this to eat with rice as a light lunch or supper. You can of course prepare it as one of a number of small dishes for a bigger meal as well. Either way, if you make this, I know you'll find it to be a delicious was of eating your spinach. If you would like to try this dish and find out just how delicious it is, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Spinach Sesame Goma ae or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX (PS: Don't throw the spinach water away - your pot plants will love it.) ingredients: (makes 2 servings as a vegetable side dish or starter) 200g / 7 oz fresh baby spinach 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds 1 tbsp sugar 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp mirin some extra toasted white sesame seeds for topping how to: rinse the spinach well bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. blanch the spinach for 1 min and then drain to make the sesame sauce: grind the toasted white sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar to a rough powder add the sugar, mirin & soy sauce and mix well into a loose paste squeeze the excess water from the spinach. (be careful as the spinach might still be hot.) you may need to do this two or three times to remove most of the liquid next, add the sesame sauce to the spinach and mix well your Japanese spinach and sesame is now ready to serve Japanese Spinach Sesame "Goma Ae"

Chicken Sukiyaki Donburi (Chicken Suki-Don) You probably associate the word "sukiyaki" with beef - that is after all a classic Japanese meat dish and one of the first dishes that popularised Japanese food. Beef is expensive in Japan, so a beef sukiyaki is considered an occasional luxuryrather than something to regularly serve on the kitchen table. Chicken is a cheaper option so in recent years, Japanese cooks have started serving chicken as a beef substitute for a sukiyaki dish - AKA Chicken Sukiyaki - you will probably know that the "Donburi" in the title means a dish served on a bowl of rice - so all-in-all this is a simple, nutricious one pot dish that's easy on the pocket and ready in 20 minutes - what more could you ask for? If you would like to try this dish yourself, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Chicken Sukiyaki Donburi or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 6 fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms (or large button mushrooms, if you prefer) 50g / 1.75 oz carrot 1 leek, rinsed 350g / 12.5 oz boneless chicken thigh for the sukiyaki sauce: 1 tsp Japanese dashi stock granules 2 tbsp sugar 50ml / 1.75 fl oz water 2 tbsp Japanese cooking sake 2 tbsp mirin 3 tbsp soy sauce 450g / 15 oz cooked rice how to: clean and trim the shiitake mushrooms. slice the carrot finely. trim & slice the leek cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces put all the sauce ingredients into a frying pan and bring the boil next, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. then, add the leek, carrot & shiitake mushrooms.simmer for 5-6 mins until the leek is cooked put the rice into 2 servings bowls. arrange the chicken sukiyaki on the rice together with the leek, shiitake and carrot drizzle over the sauce from the pan just before serving Chicken Sukiyaki Donburi (Chicken Suki-Don)

Japanese Strawberry Fruit Sando This is the latest in my series of showing you how to make decorative Japanese fruit sando at home. I make these as an occasional indulgence for the family - they are easy to make, absolutely delicious (PS: you have to like sweet things) but not something I'd advise eating daily! All you need is 4 things - two slices of white bread per sando, strawberries, double cream and some white sugar - yes, these are rich and calorific but we all need a little treat now and again, don't we? You can make these little darlings in about 15 minutes. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes and they are ready to cut and consume. My tips are as follows: Buy a sliced loaf rather than cutting the slices yourself. Square shaped slices (rather than rectangular) work best for these sando, Use medium sliced bread. Thick sliced bread resists being formed around the cream and thin sliced bread can become a little mushy from the cream, When you spread the cream on the bread, make sure you get the bread well covered. The cream should be thicker in the centre than the edges as this will create the shaped effect when you close the sando, Use a nice, sharp cooking knife when you cut these into quarters. a dull knife will drag the cream across the fruit as you cut and spoil the decorative effect. So there you have it, a delicious little fruity snack that will lift any damp spirits. I've never met anyone who doesn't love these and I'm sure you will too! If you want to try these out, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Strawberry Fruit Sando or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy Sando making! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 1 fruit sando) 2 slices of medium white bread* 5 small strawberries 100 ml / 4 floz double cream 2 tbsp white sugar a large square of cling film *a square shaped loaf works best how to: rinse the strawberries. remove the stalks retaining as much of the strawberry head as you can (this will improve the visual effect of the sando) add the sugar to the cream in a bowl and whip until very firm lay the sheet of cling fim onto a chopping board. place the slices of bread on the cling film. spread half of the cream on each slice of bread, making sure you cover the whole of each slice. the cream should be thicker in the centre of the slice and thinner towards the edges next, place one strawberry on its side in the centre of the slice. then, place the other strawberries on their sides towards the four corners of the slice in an "X" shape. gently press the strawberries down into the cream. place the other slice on the top to create your sando. gently for the bread around the strawberries - the cream should hold the bread in place. next, wrap the sando in the sheet of clingfilm. when the sando is wrapped, gently press the edges together put the finished sando in the fridge for at least 30 mins. when the time is up, use a shapr kitchen knife to cut the sando along the "X" to create four quarters. carefully remove the clingfilm and serve Japanese Strawberry Fruit Sando