If you’re anything like me, Japanese cuisine is a huge part of the attraction of a trip to Japan. There are so many different foods to try, far more than the sushi, tempura, ramen and miso soup that are so well known outside of Japan. For several years, I’ve been creating a list of local ... Read more »
Over the last 10-15 years I’ve developed a real love for and interest in tea, especially Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese teas. Coinciding with my deep love of Japanese food and drink, I’ve researched and learned about the different types of Japanese tea (such as sencha, gyokuro, hojicha, genmaicha, matcha), about their growing and processing, their ... Read more »
We fell in love with yakiniku (also known in Japan as Korean barbeque) when visiting Japan, and have loved it ever since. This year, one of my Christmas gifts from Pete was a table-top Korean barbeque grill by Primst, and a big box of bamboo charcoal briquettes. We veered towards Japanese flavours for our first ... Read more »
Ramen, aaaah ramen! I bloody love ramen and, as a Londoner, was used to being able to get my fix quite easily, as ramen restaurants became more and more prevalent. But then, we moved to rural Wales and I discovered that ramen hadn’t gained a foothold here yet, let alone become a big trend. Luckily, ... Read more »
Cold tofu is the perfect base for this refreshing, light and full-flavour dish hailing originally from the capital city of Shaanxi Province in China. With no cooking necessary it’s very quick to assemble and, as they are long-life, you can keep the ingredients ready in your store cupboard. Serve for a light, summery lunch for ... Read more »
Agedashi Tofu is one of my favourite Japanese dishes – light and simple, with a wonderful combination of textures and tastes. I am literally unable to resist it when I see it on the menu, and it’s really easy to make at home. Cubes of tofu are dusted in starch flour, ‘lightly deep fried’ and ... Read more »
When Pete and I travelled to Japan, we were surprised to come across cheese-filled gyoza quite often, mostly in casual ramenya and izakaya. This recipe for cheese and onion gyoza is from Your Home Izakaya by Tim Anderson, and is a great example of Japan’s propensity to incorporate non-Japanese flavours into Japanese dishes. Read our ... Read more »
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best! That’s definitely the case for these baked potatoes with butter and salmon roe from Tim Anderson’s Your Home Izakaya cookbook. The butter is boosted with mirin and soy sauce, and the plump round salmon eggs are piled on top Going through an obsession with new potatoes at the time, ... Read more »
This delicious pepper steak dish is quick and simple enough to make on a weeknight but special enough for a weekend treat too. The garlic soy sauce butter is really delicious and there’s lovely warmth from the black pepper. The recipe is from Tim Anderson’s Your Home Izakaya, a cookbook sharing the cuisine of Japanese ... Read more »
Ever since I saw Your Home Izakaya: Fun and Simple Recipes Inspired by the Drinking-and-Dining Dens of Japan by Tim Anderson listed as an upcoming Japanese cookbook from one of my favourite publishers, I’ve been hyper-excited to get a copy. When it arrived in the post I immediately binge-read it cover to cover in rapt concentration and ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]