Hiroyuki

What I said is the same old trick to do when you just don't have mirin. If you simply want to sweeten, use sugar only. For example, for a soy sauce to mirin ratio of 1:1, replace it with a soy sauce to sugar ratio of 1:0.5. As you know, mirin contains about 14% alcohol, which eliminates odor and prevents ingredients from disintegrating. If you want those effects, add sake also. As I said somewhere, mirin (I mean, traditional, authentic mirin) contains nine or more types of sugar, providing depth to the dish. Korean soju is Japanese shochu, distilled spirit. I think you can use it because it contains alcohol, but you can't get the nice flavor of sake. Anyway, if you ever find Korean mirin, post it here! I will be very interested!

Mirin is peculiar to Japan. I'd like to see korean mirin if there is any. As I said before, if you can't get mirin, simply replace with sake and sugar (1:1). Mirin is about half as sweet as sugar.

I forgot to mention that I also use a paper towel instead of a drop lid. I don't like a wooden drop lid because it can stink, and I don't want to buy a metallic one. You don't have a toaster oven?? You should have one! I can't survive in busy mornings without my toaster oven! You can buy a decent one for less than 2,000 yen! Get one today!

If those are the ingredients, is it more like corn syrup? And can it be used in place of corn syrup or glucose for candy making? And why is corn syrup so frickin' expensive in Japan? More than Y700 for a 473mL container of Karo corn syrup? I don't think so! ← As I mentioned here, 90% of mizuame is made from corn starch in Japan. If you want to know more about mizuame, click here.

Got these from an acquaintance: Product names are (top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right): Mochi Pea (commonly known as Pea Sen) Edo Age Oogaki (bigger than Kaki no Tane) Musenbetu Arare (Un-sorted arare) Niigata is well known for its senbei.

Yes, it is seasoned with all the flavors of soy sauce, mirin, and sake. The surface of each slice turns somewhat slimy, but it feels good.

The other day, I bought a whole inada (young yellowtail) to eat as sashimi for supper. I marinated the leftovers in a 1:1:1 mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sake to make zuke. As I said elsewhere, zuke can keep for about three days provided that it's put in the fridge. I made zuke don for lunch the next day.

Just grate ginger and squeeze! As a lazy cook, I often simply add the grated ginger. I don't use a ratio to simmer kabocha. For a 1/4 kabocha, I probably add: 2 tbsp sugar 2-4 tbsp soy sauce (no dashi) Sorry, I can't give you exact amounts because I don't measure them. As you may know, the important thing to remember when simmering kabocha is to add water to the pot to barely cover the kabocha (hitahita in Japanese) and put a drop lid (otoshi buta) on the kabocha. Bring to a boil, add sugar first. (Do you remember sashisuseso?) In 3-5 min., add soy sauce. Keep simmering for another 2-3 min. Stab a bamboo skewer into a piece to test if it is done. Probably you can, provided that you put the onigiri in the fridge. Alternatively, you can heat cold rice in the microwave in the morning, right?

As you may know, that ratio is for teriyaki. I would replace the water with sake or use no sake depending on the flavor I'm aiming for. Add some ginger juice, and you will get nice shoga yaki! As for gyudon, you can also use dashi:mirin:soy sauce ratios of 7:5:3 and 3:1:1 as I mentioned elsewhere. I think I prefer 3:1:1.

Just amazing! And you have a wonderful kitchen! As for your soy milk (tonyu) udon question, I found one site, which says: I'm glad I don't have to translate it for you. Another site says it's chewy and firm.

I remembered. Rona was referring to this sushi shop: from here.Shinju, are you referring to my dinner? 9,450 yen included everything. The only regret is that I went there by car so I was unable to have that wonderful sashimi with sake...

If that included the cost of your children's meals, and the yakitori, then I would say that is very reasonable. If only I could find good quality sashimi and sushi for that price in the Kansai area! The last time I had sushi, I only had 6 pieces in total, and our bill came to about Y2600 each. I didn't order anything unusual, but apparently all my favourite sushi are expensive ones (ikura, uni, anago, hotate, toro, and kampachi--I don't really like kampachi, but my friend wanted it). Are you familiar enough with fish caught around the Kansai area to suggest some unusual ones to order the next time I have sushi? This particular shop doesn't have a menu, and he only has whatever is in his little display case (the shop is teeny tiny, so the display case is even teenier tinier). And you can't say, "Omakase" at this shop. You have to actually choose what you want. ← I don't want to sound offensive, but in all my honesty, what is the point of going to that sushi shop when they don't accept omakase requests? You mean they don't even have nami, chu, jou, and tokujo or matsu, take, and ume? How can such a traditional sushi shop survive in Osaka, which is well known for being a place of "kuidaore"? (OK, you don't have to answer to my questions.) About your question about unusual ones, I can suggest kijihata (red-spotted grouper) for now. It's called akou in Kansai (probably you know more about the fish than I do) and is highly valued there. And, of course, all the white fish you happen to find in the display case.

I'm sure some of you want to know the breakdown of the price of the dinner. So, here it is: Kohada: 150 yen Akagai: 400 Uni: 500 O-toro: 600 Chu-toro: 400 Tamago: 100 Okosama sushi set: 840 x 2 = 1,680 Yakitori: 525 (3 skewers) x 2 = 1,050 Subtotal: 4,880 Total (9,450) - Subtotal = 4,570 I didn't ask the prices of the omakase sashimi and the omakase sushi (6 pieces). My guess is that: 3,000 yen for sashimi 1,500 yen for sushi (250 yen per piece on average) Sounds reasonable? I'm thinking of another dinner. Next time, I want to have livers of filefish and matou dai. I'll ask the chef if he is willing to comply with my request. This thread will continue to bring you all the fascinating fish and seafood caught in the Sea of Japan!

That's exactly the reason why I ordered kohada among others. Akagai (ark shell) also requires careful "shigoto", so does shime saba (vinegar-pickled mackerel). Besides, omakase is a good way to check the culinary skills of a chef. BTW, I found this passage here in Wikipedia This is ridiculous. Such words as murasaki, agari (tea), and oaiso (check), collectively known as fucho (符丁) or ingo (隠語), are for use by those behind the counter (chef, servers, and so on), and those sitting at the counter (customers) should not use them. Note, however, that some of these terms, such as neta and shari, have become so commonplace that I use them without hesitation when I talk to a sushi chef. Thus, I think it is recommended to use those fucho sparingly and tentatively. The counter is not a place where you show off your knowledge of sushi but show your interest in it. Be a good questioner and listener, and the chef will appreciate your attitude. Don't "pretend to be a connoisseur" ("tsuu buru" in Japanese).

Soup curry originated in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It seems to have gained popularity in Tokyo now. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems more of "ethnic" (India- or Southeast Asia-influenced) curry than regular Japanese curry. I haven't had curry ramen, either. I don't think it can be tasty (based on my imagination). But I can assure you that curry udon and curry nanban (soba) are totally different things, and are worth trying. I actually like both of them.

All the white fish sashimi and sushi were memorable enough, but I was impressed the most by the katsuo sashimi. It was katsuo tataki (seared bonito). When I put a slice in my mouth, it was just wonderful. I thought it was seasoned in some magical way because it was so delicious. Later I said to the chef, "The bonito was delicious. How was it seasoned?" The chef replied that it was seasoned with salt. OK, no magic but simply salt! But he told me about his way of making tataki. Usually, bonito is first seared and then soaked in cold iced water. But the chef does not do the soaking. He simply puts the seared bonito in the fridge so the surface remains crisp. I'd like to try his recipe some day.

Extremely reasonable? It was 9,450 yen not 945 yen, is that clear? This time, I was so eager to try all the white fish caught off Sado Island that I decided to be a little extravagant. That's why I asked the chef to do omakase. I could have spent 5,000 yen for my dinner and still have a wonderful dinner if I had stuck to the same old neta like maguro and ikura, but I really didn't want to do that. The result is the high price, but I'm very satisified with my dinner and I have no regret. One more thing: I would never dream of doing the same thing in a top-notch traditional sushi shop in Tokyo. If I did, the bill would amount to 20,000 yen or even more.

I never know. Such items can never be put on the menu, and if you explicitly tell the chef that you want to have them and he happens to have them (and if you are a regular or an important person to the sushi shop), the chef may offer them to you, right? As for me, I think I was lucky to have succeeded in making the chef offer me "harami" (belly), i.e., fatty part of hiramasa on my fourth visit there. Harami isn't on the menu, and I think it is something I would never have gotten if I wouldn't have asked the chef to do omakase.

None in particular yet. I'll ask him the next time go there. The chef says he likes those (grotesque yet subtle and tasty) white fish. Do you remember what the fish was called? Looks delicious!

Went there at dinnertime with my two children and had a great dinner. Fish and seafood showcase Right part as viewed from the counter: You can see one abalone among others. Middle: You can see fresh octopus in the center. The chef patted it to show that it was fresh (it moved in response). The chef said, "This is what I usually do when children sit at the counter to entertain them." Left: You can see white fish fillets such as kijihata (red-spotted grouper). On top of the showcase, you can see tamago yaki, freshly made by the okamisan (chef's wife). The chef in action: My two children each had Okosama (= Child) Sushi Set. A glass of juice (not shown) is also included. 840 yen As for me, I ordered sashimi first. I asked him to make a gorgeous one, using white fish caught off Sado Island, in an omakase style. I made a terrible mistake there! I forgot to take a photo before starting to eat. Leftmost column, top to bottom: Hiramasa (flat amberjack, gold-striped amberjack, etc.), very similar to buri and kanpachi. Debu (or suma) katsuo (a species of bonito) 2nd from left: Shime saba (vinegared-pickled mackerel) Hirame (Bastard halibut, Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus) Botan (or shima) ebi (Pandalus nipponesis) 3nd from left: Ara (Nuphon spinosus Cuvier) Aori ika (Bigfin reef squid, Sepiotenthis lessoniana) *Oni ebi (Lebbeus groenlandicus) 4nd from left: *Abalone *Nishibai gai (a species of seashell) The ones with an asterisk (*) are the ones I mistakenly had before I remembered to take a photo and, therefore, are not shown in the photo. You can see the head of the oni ebi at the lower right corner of the plate. Then I asked the chef to make nigiri, using white fish, in an omakasa style again. From left to right: Kijihata (redspotted grouper) Toro!! Hiramasa Matou dai (Zeus faber Linnaeus) Yari ika (Loligo bleekeri) Kochi (Bartail flat head, Sand gurnard) Nanban ebi aka ama ebi The chef showed me the matou dai (top) and the kochi (bottom). Then I ordered these: Left to right: Kohada (gizzard shad) Akagai (ark shell) Uni (sea urchin) Kohada is a shusse uo (fish called by different names at different stages of its growth). 4-5 cm: Shinko, jako 7-10 cm: Kohada 12-13 cm: nakazumi 15 cm or greater: Konoshiro Do you know what part of uni it is? Gonad. Then I ordered o-toro (left) and chu-toro: I must say I like them!! O-toro: Hon maguro (bluefin tuna) Chu-toro: Mebachi maguro (bigeye tuna) I wrapped up my dinner with tamago (gyoku): This traditional sushi shop is unique in some ways. They have yakitori on their menu, as well as chicken kara age and other deep-fried items. I just had to order some (six, actually). The dinner cost 9,450 yen. The dinner was a great learning experience for me. The chef was a great teacher. I know I need to go back to learn more. Edited to add "Hirame (Bastard halibut, Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus)". Edited again to add some description of tuna.

My question is how to fill them with sauce. The opening is narrow. Is there a tool that assists in siphoning in the liquid? I managed to always fill them but many times more than I needed sloshed out the sides..... Many thanks for your assistance. ← Is it so hard to do...? First you put a sauce in a cup or a plate, then squeeze the little container with your two fingers, and let the container suck the sauce. Got it?

But it looks great. Although I am in Southern California my son went through a phase where he had "bento envy" of the Japanese children in his school. I started making a very rough version and was assisted by local markets (we have a discount store called a Marukai 98 cent market that had great stuff) I never could figure out how to fill those little plastic containers shaped like fish and pigs with tiny red screw caps. Input invited. Lovely to see your bentos of course. ← Thanks, heidih, for your compliment. Those little containers are for sauces like soy sauce, ketchup, and konkatsu sauce.

Just wanted to post a photo of my son's bento, made by me this morning. For some mothers and wives, making bento every morning is an everyday routine, but for me, it's a major hassle, no matter how mediocre the resulant bento may be. I carefully decide what to make for supper the night before, and get up 30 minutes earlier than usual on the day. Simmered kabocha: Supper last night Boiled brocoli: Supper last night Sausage: Boiled this morning Atsuyaki tamago: Made this morning. Rather time-consuming, but an indispensable item for bento. Shumai: Store-bought, microwaved this morning 1 onigiri with salmon filling 1 onigiri with yukari (red perilla leaf furikake) Persimmon: Peeled this morning The bottle contains hot barley tea. I hate making bento...

I'm not sure of the actual difference between shrimp used for amaebi in general and nanbanebi, but for amaebi, what usually happens is the meat is removed from the head/carapace with the tail still attached and placed on top of shari (sushi rice) and served. The head then is fried and consumed as well, though some people do not like the head. The meat itself is actually quite sweet, though not the flavor of table sugar...much milder, for seafood. Consistensy is less resilience than cooked shrimp by far...almost to the point where it might be a smidge gooey but succulent and good ← Thanks for your explanation of ama ebi. Nanban ebi are the same as ama ebi. As I said upthread, fresh ones are red and transparent. Assuming that you can read Japanese, here is the entry of hokkoku aka ebi in Wikipedia Hokkoku aka ebi = Ama ebi = Nanban ebi

I browsed through some photos of the shrimp you mentioned. They look bigger than ama ebi. Ama ebi: Alaskan pink shrimp, Pandalus eous First of all, ama ebi are highly valued in Japan. Domestic ones are very expensive, more than 2,000 yen per kg (4,400 yen per lb.), market price. They are also very popular in kaiten zushi restaurants, but they serve cheap imported ones. And, yes, the natual color. The ones in the photo are very deep red because they are very fresh (still alive in the morning). Note, however, that fresh ama ebi are not sweet. They need to be kept in cold storage for a few days for amino acids to develop, which the human taste bud senses as sweet. They are shelled, with heads on, when served as sashimi. We eat the meat only. They can also be deep-fried. The heads can be a good source of dashi. As I said upthread, the miso soup had three heads in it. I ate the heads because the chef said they were edible. This shrimp is very similar to ama ebi.