Shio kōji Chicken 塩麹チキン

A close up photo of shio koji chicken thighs on a tray. The chicken is slightly blackened on the edges and skin looks crispy.

Kōji is indistinguishable from magicRené Redzepi ~owner of Noma, voted best restaurant in the world five times, including 2021 Shio kōji chicken is a favourite dish in our house. The kids love it because it is really delicious. We love it because it is so simple and easy. It is one of the quickest Japanese … Continue reading Shio kōji Chicken 塩麹チキン

Chā shū Pork (for ramen)

Last year, during Melbourne's long COVID lockdown, I became completely desperate. I wrote about my pathetic desperation in For the Love of Ramen and also my subsequent satisfaction after mastering the pork in Lockdown Ramen Obsession. Once again, after being incarcerated by the 5km travel limit, I have had to indulge my eating obsession by … Continue reading Chā shū Pork (for ramen)

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き

A postcard from Hiroshima showing the layering of an okonomiyaki, in the Hiroshima style. A manga illustration with characters for each ingredient and a description in Japanese and English.

Okonomiyaki translates roughly to "as you like it" but more literally as "your preference grilled". Some people think of okonomiyaki as a Japanese pancake. There are similarities. However, in my opinion, okonomiyaki is so much more delicious as you can chose what to put in and it is savoury. It is a great recipe when … Continue reading Okonomiyaki お好み焼き

Hamburg Steak (hanba-gu sute-ki) ハンバーグステーキ

The first two times I visited Japan I was a pesce pollotarian. I ate fish, but not meat and so I had never tried many of the iconic Japanese dishes because of this. When Super Sake Boy and I started seeing each other, I had recently begun eating meat again. I had been dreaming about … Continue reading Hamburg Steak (hanba-gu sute-ki) ハンバーグステーキ

Shishito Yakitori

Glazed Japanese shishito yakitori wrapped in prosciutto

Last weekend we stopped past a local veggie market on our way home from stocking up our sake supplies. We don't go very often, as it is usually so busy, but they have excellent and difficult to find ingredients and I wanted to buy some new shiso micro-greens to grow on my kitchen window ledge. … Continue reading Shishito Yakitori