okinawaChris

There is actually one Pepper Steak franchise location in the US as well, in Milpitas California in Silicon Valley. I'm interested in the hi-tech sizzling hot plate mentioned by BeeTee. The picture shown of the hot plate in the US branch looks to be cast iron. As there website is only in Japanese, are there any locations here in Okinawa? This may be best in a whole new thread, but what does the group feel would be great local Japanese franchise concepts ready to be exported to the "west". I know MOS burger tried and there are a few CoCo Curry Houses in Hawaii. Beard Papa's are very popular in NYC and are expanded into Los Angeles. Being in the business, I feel the bento box shops like Hokka Hokka Tei would do very well stateside. Anyone have any other ideas?

The vast majority of Japanese restaurants in the US are still specializing only in Sushi, Tempura or Teppanyaki...especially when you're not located in a major city with a large Asian/Japanese population. When we have relatives come over to visit from the states, we always introduce them to other types of restaurants where the locals eat. We normally hit a neighborhood Izakaya for pub food Japanese style....we especially like the Karaage variations. We'll also go to a Yakiniku restaurant, maybe CoCo Ichibanya for curry, our favorite local Yakitori parlor and a Tonkatsu house for some pork. Being in Okinawa we'll stop by some small Soba Soup joints and also hit up a late night stand for some Taco Rice. A visit to MOS burger is always good as well as a visit to McD's to show them the difference in customer service levels between here and back home. One other type would be various Bento Boxes from the local shop or nearest Family Mart. While obviously not fine dining, it does give them a better glimpse into living here and the variations of cuisine available.

Thanks Hiroyuki for the information. I will be sure to look for the ISE eggs on my next trip to the local market. I did run across the Koukiran egg in an article about the MOS burger promotion and was interested in an egg that would be promoted so highly. While I am developing a restaurant business here in Japan, the egg question was more for personal, at-home use. Thanks again!

I was reading some recipes on another website and it mentioned the use of Koukiran eggs which are noted for their bright orange yolks. I couldn't find out any other information except that these particular eggs are from Murayama in Yamagata. Anyone know if this specific brand? I've noticed on various Japanese cooking shows the use of eggs that have a much brighter & darker yolk than I am used to back in the US. I doubt the specific Koukirin eggs are available here in the south, but are there other types I should look at in the local markets? Maybe go with the brown ones or simply the ones that are the most expensive to get the highest quality and a bright orange yolk. Any help or tips would be as always greatly appreciated!

I like mine with mayo as well....especially the mustard spiked Yellow-Capped Kewpie! So goooood......

You've read my mind! Being in the restaurant business, I am researching all the time. I've tracked down Jidori being produced in California and I know I want a "location identified" salt from Japan. Having various salts for different types of Yakitori is a great idea. I'll have to name one special menu item the "ToraKris"! I've tried the sea salts produced locally down here in the south and they are very good. It's all coming together....great Jidori, special salts from Japan, a good Awamori & Sake list....now if I can find Bincho charcoal that doesn't cost an arm and a leg in the states I'd be set! Then again, if I stay longer in Japan, I can switch to my Burger and Apple Pie business idea as we are sadly lacking in that true American cultural cuisine here.

I'm interested in finding the best salt to use on Yakitori. After researching the web, I've come up with a few leads such as: Salt from Shizuoka Nazuna Sea Salt Are there true differences or are these more of a marketing ploy. Is there a specific type or region famous for their salt? Is Sea Salt best? Also, is the chicken salted prior to being put to the fire, or as it is being grilled? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Interesting marketing from MOS. As they'll only sell 10 of the Takumi Judan burgers per day in each "Green MOS" location, they are obviously going for the marketing angle versus a sales generator. It seems to follow the lines of the US a few years back as more expensive burgers with exclusive ingredients starting showing up in the higher-end, chef driven restaurants, such as the Father's Office $10 burger in Los Angeles. I love the MOS touch of adding a card with the egg farmer's name...classic! Is the translation of Takumi as "artisanal" correct?

I came across this website recipe on Google. It may be the same or similiar to the one calling for the large amount of sauce to be made one month in advance. My web-translator didn't work too well on it, but I did get some information on the 2-step frying procedure in regards to temperatures. http://www.grappee.com/recipe/tokai/mise/tebasaki.html

Very Interesting. The double frying method seems to work best not only for Pomme Frites and Karaage.....but for Tebasaki too! While the first recipe calls for equal parts soy to mirin, the second has an almost 10-to-1 ration of mirin to soy. Applying the sauce while hot makes sense so it can be absorbed. What is Umamichoumiryo seasoning? Would it be available at a local market? A picture of the bottle would be most helpful so I can track it down. I'll start getting the required ingredients and start my research this weekend. I'll surley post my results!

Thanks so much ToraKris! Could I make a request for translation of these recipes into English. I will keep you posted on how they come out! I'd be happy to have you sample the final product if you ever make it down south!

I liked the sound of the name and took it from the Awamori website: http://www.okinawa-awamori.or.jp/english/enjoy.html Is it appropriate for both or is it an error in translation on the website? Of course beer goes great with any style of Yakitori so it could fit in either regard! "If you're parched...come in for great food and ice cold beer"

Does anyone have a recipe for Nagoya-style Tebasaki Chicken wings? They look fantastic on the websites, but I haven't been able to track down a recipe for the sauce. I'm still developing my business plan for my Yakitori-Ya back in the states! I think I decided on the name. Kara Kara (I understand this is the name of the earthenware bottle used for our famous Awamori here in the Southern Islands)

I'm interested in finding variations that the group has found in Karaage presentations. I have seen a few that include tossing the cooked crispy Karaage in Ponzu Sauce and another in a Korean style coating of sweet hot chili sauce. Let me know your favorites or interesting variations you have tried.

Just a simple question to all of you out there. I was shopping to today and noticed a "yellow cap" Kewpie Mayonnaise. With the "red cap" being the original, what is the yellow cap version? Possibly lower calorie or maybe with mustard? Thanks!

Not having been to MOS Burger in quite some time, I stopped by one of my local outlets today. I had forgotten what a good product they produce! I did have a couple of questions that I couldn't ascertain from their website due to the language barrier. 1. The Bun. The bun was an exceptionally fresh wheat bun that had black specks throughout. Does anyone know what these are? 2. The Sauce. I had a MOS Cheesebuger with a large slice of the freshest tomato I've had in awhile. The sauce that comes on the burger is chili-like in it's consistency and I believe is a thick concoction based on tomato sauce and finely diced onions. There is also a spice in there which may be nutmeg but I couldn't be sure. Anyone know?? The menu offerings and their marketing style, right down to their menu boards, was impressive to me and I've been in the Restaurant business going back further than I would like to comment. They do it right.

Yakiniku is very popular here in Okinawa amongst our diverse poplulation. My daughter's love to go to a local yakiniku restaurant and sit in the "take off your shoes" area. There are two areas, one with booths and the other with sunken pits around the center grilling tables in which shoes are removed. Most yakiniku restuarants here are all you can eat and priced at 1980 yen for adults, 990 for kid's 5-12 and free for the little ones. A good selection and no one to blame but yourself if the meat gets burnt. Favorites are the short ribs miso flavored, lamb chops and the Bibimbap. Yakiniku must be one of the most popular cuisines here and ranks up there with curry houses and hamburger steak restaurants as the hidden Japanese staples not very well known in the US.

My favorite Gyudon was had recently at a local outlet of a large bento shop chain. While it was similiar to what is served at local a Yoshinoya, this beef bowl was topped with a creamy style horseradish sauce similiar to the type served with Prime Rib back in the states. It was outstanding and raised this simple dish to new heights!

from the Lobel's website.I feel this is a misleading statement. Of course they are distinguishable. Maybe that is wht Lobel's doesn't have pictures available of the $100+ per pound Wagyu beef cuts up on their website. In addition, Kobe beef is roughly $125 per pound here in Japan, not $300 as stated. I verified this price at Mitsukoshi yesterday. When you look at a true Kobe beef strip steak with it's intense marbling and bright pink hue, you simply can't say they are the same as the US Wagyu beef. With overnight shipping of all sorts of fresh seafood and produce between Japan and the United States, why hasn't anyone imported true Kobe beef? It can't simply be the cost.

RESULTS As promised, I completed my second Karaage attempt last night incorporating many of the ideas everyone shared. Here is the method and result: I purchased 600g of boneless leg and thigh meat at the local Jusco. I also purchased the "light colored" Kikkoman soy and the katakuri-ko with the help of a nice sales associate who assisted me in locating the correct one! After cubing the chicken meat, I added 1 tablespoon each of the soy sauce and sake. I then cut up a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger into thin round pieces that would be easy to remove prior to breading. I did the same with 2 garlic cloves. I marinated the chicken for 30 minutes. I mixed equal parts corn starch and katakuri-ko. The limited liquid that I marinated the chicken in resulted in pieces just "wet" enough to properly give a very light coating when dredged in the corn starch/katakuri-ko mixture. I heated up some vegetable oil to 350F and fried in batches. First fry was for 2 minutes then removed and rested for around 10 minutes. The second fry lasted around 5 minutes and I removed the pieces as they became perfectly golden brown. No Dark/Burnt results this time! Picture Perfect! Taste Test. The karaage had a nice crunch to it and was still perfectly moist and juicy inside. It was great with a squeeze of lemon. I also had a dipping sauce of lemon juice and fine ground black and white pepper. The only downside was there wasn't much of the soy/sake/garlic/ginger flavor of the marinade in it. While it is important not the have the pieces hit the corn starch/katakuri-ko mixture too wet, I may have needed to have more liquid in the marinade for flavor and then simply "dried" the pieces off before dredging. I will also play with the marinade, adding suggested ingredients such as oyster sauce, ketchup, honey etc. Thanks again!

What great information! The picture of the light-colored soy from Kikkoman will really help me out when I go to Jusco. I think this will help with the "dark" problem I've had. I'll also pick up some katakuriko. I think this will help in getting a light/crisp coating. Now I have to find out how to juice a piece of ginger root....I know I should have bought that Juice-Man juicer I saw on TV all those years ago! One other question. Is vegetable or canola oil fine for frying crispy karaage, or should I be looking for another oil type (if it is a japanese brand/type, a picture would really help!). Thanks again for all the advice. I'll be putting your suggestions to the test tomorrow and will report back!

Thanks for all the advice. I will try the double deep frying method....just like a good Pomme Frite in Belgium! A couple of questions: 1. Is katakuriko potato starch? I used mochiko (sweet rice flour) on one of my attempts and it lead to a very dark/burnt looking end product. 2. Can Mirin be substituted for Sake or are they two different items? Is there such a thing as "cooking sake"? 3. Further recipe research mentioned that the soy sauce can lead to "darkening" of the karaage. They recommeded using a light (not low-sodium) soy sauce to prevent darkening and also frying at lower heat as ToraKris mentioned. Would regular Kikkoman be considered "light" soy sauce or is there a different brand I should look for. (if so a bottle picture would be great since reading labels at the local store is one of my downfalls!) 4. Other recipes also mentioned fresh ginger "juice" as part of the marinade. This makes sense so there won't be any pieces of raw ginger on the chicken to bite into or to burn. Thanks again!

I love Chicken Karaage that is sold all over mainly in the thigh nugget sized form. After much online recipe searching, I found a few and have been trying to make them at home with little luck. All the recipes are similiar in that they say to marinade the cut up (cubed sized thigh meat) in a mixture of equal parts soy, mirin with some grated ginger and garlic thrown in. While this gives a close flavor to what I am looking for, it turns the chicken a very dark/black color during deep frying. I have tried a few different variations for the coating as well. I used a mochiko/corn starch mixture once which left the chicken with a white powdery appearance over the darkened chicken. I was deep frying at 370F in vegetable oil. Next time I used a mixture of 75% flour and 25% corn starch. This produced a doughy/flour tasting product, not the clean crisp Karaage I enjoy so much. So here are my questions: 1. What is a good marinade that will not burn and darken the chicken. 2. What is the best flour/starch (corn or potato) combination for coating. Or maybe no coating at all? 3. Oil. Vegetable or canola or?? 4. Oil temperature. Any help, hints or family secret recipes would be greatly appreciated!

While researching online, I ran across the website for MitsuiUSA. In addition to their numerous agri-business ventures, they own a few restaurants and concepts including the overpriced Kua 'Aina burger shop in Santa Monica. Their newest concept is a restaurant called Trafuku in West Los Angeles. http://www.torafuku-usa.com/ They also state having a couple of locations of Trafuku in Tokyo. The concept of the restaurant is based around Kamado cooked rice. They claim this ancient method of cooking rice produces the best qaulity end product. My question is if this is hype and marketing, or does this cooking method truly produce a better rice. Let me know!

Thanks for the information! I will try making my own with store bought prepared horseradish and see what happens. Knowing what seiyouwasabi is will also help and I'll keep on searching the local market shelves for a name-brand version. I agree, it may have only been made for commercial restaurant usage. I must say though, that Hokka Hokka Tei down here in Okinawa has some of the best quality "fast food" I've had....especially the rice they use.