Cuisine

Japanese

日本料理

Seasonal produce, dashi, rice and a respect for texture that makes simplicity look easy.

Buddhist vegetarian cooking, court kaiseki, Chinese noodle houses and 19th-century Western ingredients all coexist. 'Washoku' as UNESCO heritage is real; so is the convenience-store egg sandwich.

Umami from kombu, katsuobushi and soy; careful knife work; grilling; and soups that taste clean rather than heavy.

Countries and regions

Japan

Japanese archipelago · Okinawa

Dishes

Shoyu ramen

醤油ラーメン

A soy-sauce ramen you can make at home without pretending you run a 20-year tonkotsu shop.

2 hrA bit of workNo chilli

Onigiri

おにぎり

Salted rice you can hold — a filling in the middle, nori if you want it, and no, it is not a California roll.

15 minEasyNo chilli

Miso soup

味噌汁

The everyday bowl: dashi, dissolved miso, tofu and spring onion — breakfast, not a starter you ignore.

15 minVery easyNo chilli

Tamagoyaki

卵焼き

A rolled omelette, a little sweet, cooked in thin sheets — bento gold, not a French fold.

20 minMediumNo chilli

Yakitori

焼き鳥

Chicken on a stick, salted or lacquered in tare, cooked hot — a bar snack that is also dinner.

35 minEasyNo chilli

Oyakodon

親子丼

Chicken and egg on rice — the parent-and-child bowl, simmered in one pan until the egg is just set.

25 minEasyNo chilli

Okonomiyaki

お好み焼き

Osaka's cabbage pancake — flour, dashi, a pile of cabbage, and whatever you like, finished with sauce and mayo.

35 minMediumNo chilli

Katsu curry

カツカレー

A breaded cutlet on Japanese curry rice — the student special that became a national comfort plate.

1 hrMedium🌶️

Hiyayakko

冷奴

Cold tofu, summer logic — silken, chilled, and finished with ginger, spring onion and soy.

10 minVery easyNo chilli

Ochazuke

お茶漬け

Tea poured over leftover rice — a late bowl with pickles, nori and whatever is in the fridge.

7 minVery easyNo chilli

Gyoza

餃子

Pan-fried dumplings, crisp on the bottom, steamed under a lid — Japanese potstickers with a garlic-forward pork filling.

55 minMediumNo chilli

Gyudon

牛丼

Thin beef and onion simmered in a sweet-soy broth, slid over rice — the chain-restaurant bowl you can make better at home.

22 minEasyNo chilli

Omurice

オムライス

Ketchup fried rice wrapped in a thin omelette — Japanese home cooking that is unashamedly yōshoku.

30 minMediumNo chilli

Nikujaga

肉じゃが

Meat and potatoes simmered in soy and dashi until the house smells like someone is home.

45 minEasyNo chilli

Yakisoba

焼きそば

Wheat noodles tossed on a hot plate with cabbage, pork and a brown sauce — festival food you can make in a frying pan.

27 minEasyNo chilli

Zaru soba

ざるそば

Cold buckwheat noodles on a bamboo tray, dipped in a smoky-soy tsuyu — summer lunch that should taste of the grain.

18 minEasyNo chilli

Ebi tempura

海老天ぷら

Prawns in a cold, thin batter, fried so the shell is lace — tempura as a technique, not a thick breadcrumb.

35 minMediumNo chilli

Shogayaki

生姜焼き

Thin pork in a ginger-soy glaze — the teishoku plate that is weeknight dinner in a lot of Japanese houses.

20 minEasyNo chilli

Agedashi tofu

揚げ出し豆腐

Lightly fried tofu in a hot dashi-soy broth — crisp for a minute, then silky, which is the point.

25 minEasyNo chilli

Japanese curry rice

カレーライス

The everyday Japanese curry — mild, a little sweet, thick enough to catch on rice, no cutlet required.

55 minEasy🌶️

Tamago sando

たまごサンド

Japanese egg salad in soft white bread, crusts off — convenience-store perfection you can copy.

27 minVery easyNo chilli

Goma-ae

胡麻和え

Blanched spinach in a sweet sesame dressing — the banchan-shaped side that belongs next to rice.

13 minVery easyNo chilli

Kitsune udon

きつねうどん

Fat wheat noodles in a hot dashi broth with a sweet fried-tofu pillow — the fox's favourite bowl.

25 minEasyNo chilli

Chicken Karaage

Chicken Karaage from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.

1 hr 15 minMediumNo chilli

Japanese Katsudon

Japanese Katsudon from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.

13 minMediumNo chilli

Katsu Chicken curry

Katsu Chicken curry from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.

2 hr 17 minA bit of workNo chilli

Teriyaki Chicken Casserole

Teriyaki Chicken Casserole from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.

1 hr 35 minMediumNo chilli

Tonkatsu pork

Tonkatsu pork from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.

21 minMediumNo chilli

Yaki Udon

Boil some water in a large saucepan. Add 250ml cold water and the udon noodles. (As they are so thick, adding cold water helps them to cook a little bit slower so the middle cooks through). If using frozen or fresh noodl

28 minMedium🌶️