r/JapaneseFood

Japanese people love cherry blossoms. They often enjoy a drink while admiring them.

I ate some egg sushi from 7-Eleven at a nearby spot where the cherry blossoms were in bloom.

For dessert, I had some mushrooms.

Yep, the udon are footmade too ;)

And 2 portions in the freezer for days where cooking is meh.

Kamatama Udon are served with a raw egg and mentsuyu or soy sauce. The raw egg is stirred with the hot noodles to make a creamy sauce!

I also added a small bit of butter in the bowl before adding the noodles and garnished with spring onion and katsuobushi. Sadly I didn't have any Tenkasu left.

Don't worry about the raw egg, I live in a country where this is generally safe, especially when they are fresh like this one!

duck udon, okonomiyaki, suji curry, ramen/chashu men, katsu sando

The boiled egg was too salty

Unagi Uomasa has one of the best Unajyu in Tokyo not including omakase style eel restaurants such as Kabuto or Sangu Bashi Asaya.

Unagi Uomasa is located near Yotsugi station in Tokyo. The station is covered in Captain Tsubasa anime artwork all over. It is very famous in Japan and lots of celebrities have visited and politicians. It is all table seating and can host gatherings and business lunches/dinners.

It has been opened since 1980 and the shop owner is in his 70s. They are known for their commitment to quality sourcing and live eels in the spring to summer time. There is some controversy about wild eels in Japan and their numbers are dwindling every season and considered endangered.

It is exceedingly rare to find wild eel in restaurants now and are very expensive. This unajyu was 25,000 yen a person with the added shirayaki (with salt, no sauce) being extra. Their wild eel unajyu ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 yen a person depending on size. It also comes with eel bone and liver soup.

They also have a set menu course for certain months and farmed eel (Bando Taro, very famous) which are cheaper.

They use Edo style grilling where the eel is split open from the back and grilled without sauce and steamed. Kansas style will split the eel from belly and grilled without steaming.

They use kishu binchotan charcoal and the thick, filled, grilled eel was not only fragrant and fluffy but yet firm. Live eel move faster and more than farmed and their flesh is firm, fat is lighter and has a unique elegant aroma only wild eels can offer. They are also bigger in size.

However unless you have eaten a lot of top quality eel in Japan, I’d say starting with their special farmed eel is more recommended unless price is not a consideration.

Just got my first yakitori grill as a birthday gift and I’m super hyped to start cooking on it.

This is my first time going down the binchotan/yakitori rabbit hole, and I’m trying to figure out what charcoal to start with. I’ve got a few options locally + online:

⸻

1. Jealous Devil “Onyx” Binchotan (Home Depot)

   • ~ $2.50/lb

   • Marketed as binchotan

   • Obviously not traditional Japanese binchotan (not ubame oak, not from Wakayama), but seems more refined than standard lump

   • Curious if anyone has actually used this and how it compares

⸻

2. Japanese market “binchotan” (~$65 for 22 lbs)

   • After looking closer, seems like this is actually ogatan (compressed charcoal), not true binchotan

   • Still sold/labeled as binchotan

   • Much cheaper and easy to get locally

⸻

3. Real binchotan (ordering online from Bincho Grill)

   • ~ $78 for 11 lbs

   • Actual white charcoal

   • Long burn, very clean, traditional yakitori fuel

⸻

What I’m trying to figure out:

•	Is the Jealous Devil stuff actually decent or just marketing?

•	Is ogatan a solid middle ground or not worth it?

•	Will I really notice a big difference starting out?

•	Should I just go straight to real binchotan or learn on something cheaper first?

I’m leaning toward grabbing the ogatan locally so I can start cooking immediately, but I’m open to being convinced otherwise.

Would love to hear what people here actually use at home vs what’s “ideal.”

​

I was inspired by a post I had seen in this sub a couple weeks ago, and also had some chicken breasts I wanted to use.

I fileted the chicken breast, used panko (double dip), and for the curry the mild S&B curry roux. Organic udon noodles from Hakubaku (The Kokumotsu company). Made in Australia but really good.

It was very tasty and in my opinion it also looks very good.

Hi all! I can't really find any reviews on it but has anyone tried it? The price is steep for the amount you get but I was really curious to try it so I picked up the original and Yuzu flavor at Sprouts earlier. I have a large bottle of Konbu Tsuyu and Marukan Yuzu Ponzu that I use often and wonder if they taste the same.

I remembered a ramen I saw in Crayon Shin-chan that had miso, 🌽 and butter in it. I looked up a recipe online and tried to follow it, but I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I used some Korean ingredients I had at home instead 😂!! It turned out really delicious, and I had no idea that adding butter to miso could taste this amazing 🧈🍜

(I ate the half and then added a spoon of chil oil 🌶️ to make it a bit spicy—and i need a definitely proper ramen bowl)

Late dinner after drinking outside 😎🥢

A Savior for Busy Days! Salmon with a Sweet and Sour Magical Sauce That Children Adore!

This "Salmon with Butter Ponzu" is a dish that you can make in just 10 minutes, even on days when you are short on time!

Fragrant, pan-fried salmon is coated in a special sauce that beautifully combines the richness of butter and the refreshing acidity of ponzu (citrus-seasoned soy sauce). This sweet-and-sour flavor is sure to perk up your appetite, even in kids not fond of fish!

It's quick and easy to make, yet tastes like you spent a long time in the kitchen! Give this versatile recipe a try for a busy weeknight dinner.

10-Minute Salmon with Butter Ponzu

Prep time: 10 minutes | Servings: 3

INGREDIENTS

3 fresh salmon fillets

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sake (or white wine)

1 tbsp olive oil

black pepper (to taste)

(A) 1 tbsp salted butter

(A) 3 tbsp ponzu (citrus-seasoned soy sauce)

(A) 1 tsp mirin (sweet rice wine)

(A) 0.5 tsp sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation: Press the fresh salmon with a paper towel to wipe off any moisture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, then lightly coat all sides of the fillets with all-purpose flour.

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the salmon, and cook for about 2 minutes.

2. Once the salmon is golden brown, flip it, add the sake, cover with a lid, and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Once the salmon is cooked through, add the (A) ingredients (butter, ponzu, mirin, and sugar) and toss to coat.

4. Place the salmon on a plate, then drizzle with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon for a fresh twist!

TIPS & NOTES

(Optional) To reduce any fish smell before cooking: quickly wash the salmon in water, sprinkle with a little salt, let sit for about 10 minutes, and dry thoroughly with a paper towel before sprinkling with salt and pepper.

We waited in line for this grilled cheese sandwich in Harajuku. So worth the wait, the best grilled cheese I ever had.

Way better than I expected