The Best Japanese Foods

[jrichstar]

Just saw this survey of the "top 40" foods from Japan. I'm always interested in other ethnic foods. This looks to be a fairly comprehensive survey with a number of nice descriptions. Learned a lot of some foods that I've never heard of before (and would like to try!). Any comments on particular items mentioned?

www.cnngo.com/tokyo/eat/40-tokyo-foods-we-cant-live-without-090648

[goodeats]

This looks to be a fairly comprehensive survey with a number of nice descriptions. Learned a lot of some foods that I've never heard of before (and would like to try!). Any comments on particular items mentioned?

Most of them are comfort foods -- I miss a lot of them, but for some reason, especially #36, the Taiyaki because it's like a waffle-crepe taste, with the toppings oozing out when you get it fresh from the hot molds. What type of comments are you looking for? Things to try? To make?

[jrichstar]

Maybe a couple to try and a couple to make! Any local restaurants you'd recommend to get a few of the treats?

[Xochitl10]

えぇ、懐かしい！I am all nostalgic for Japan now. BTW, authors? Okinawa is not Tokyo. I'm pretty sure the Ryukyu would not be thrilled about their eats being called "Tokyo food".

Completely agree on taiyaki being wonderful, especially the custard-filled kind. I've had remarkably good tofu recently at Tachibana in McLean. Korean Korner in Silver Spring sells some delicious Japanese pickles. They're in the fridge case near the kimchi. I think Temari Cafe in Rockville does a good job with chirashi; they definitely do a good salt-grilled saury pike when it's in season. I can't recommend their chicken karaage as a good representative of the genre. And I would be super-grateful as well if someone knew where to get umi budou or yaki-imo locally.

Some of these things are probably easier to make at home than go searching for. I don't know of a restaurant that makes good okonomiyaki, but it's not very difficult to make at home and the ingredients can be relatively easily sourced at an Asian grocer. Onigiri are very easy to make at home, as are miso soup, gyoza, and curry rice. I use this recipe for okonomiyaki and this recipe from Saveur for curry rice. Azami prefers pork to chicken, so I usually make it with pork and it works quite well. I don't follow recipes for miso soup or onigiri, and my gyoza recipe is in Japanese, but I can provide it if you'd like.

Japanese food is so amazingly varied, my top 40 wouldn't even include half the things on the article's list. I'd include the ones I mentioned, plus mabo doufu, buta-nankotsu (Okinawan grilled pork cartilage), takikomi gohan (mixed rice), iburigakko (smoked pickled daikon radish from Akita Prefecture), gyojaninniku (northern mountain chive), hoya (sea pineapple), ha-wasabi (the leaves of the wasabi plant, parboiled and eaten with soy sauce). . .

Man. Now I want to cook Japanese food.

[DanielK]

Man. Now I want to cook Japanese food.

DR.com picnic one week away.

[RWBooneJr]

Any local restaurants you'd recommend to get a few of the treats?

Asia Nine has decent takoyaki on the happy hour menu, which is available from 4:30 until 7:00. It's only available in the bar, but they will bring it to you in the dining room if you beg. The $4 portion is also small, but two makes a normal sized and priced appetizer.

If you haven't had it, takoyaki belongs to the category of foods that I would describe as "very unhealthy things drowning in sauce." In this case, the sauce is Japanese mayonaise (which is oilier and eggier -- if that is even a word -- than the white fluff we grew up with), tonkatsu sauce, and bonito flakes. Also "takoyaki" basically means grilled octopus, so it is a misnomer that is usually translated as "octopus balls." They are round fritters, quickly fried in small, semi-circular cups, and rolled over midway through cooking to make a ball. The balls are stuffed with octopus, pickled ginger, and scallion, and the center never really cooks so the inside batter remains soft.

[jrichstar]

Thanks for all the comments and ideas. Keep 'em coming!

[Hannah]

ha-wasabi (the leaves of the wasabi plant, parboiled and eaten with soy sauce). . .

Wow, those sound spectacular - anybody know if they're available at any of the local Asian supermarkets?

[Gary Tanigawa]

Chawanmushi is a favorite, although it might be an acquired taste. Great version available as "crab custard" on Corduroy's menu. I appreciate the Japanese influences that Tom Power incorporates into dishes without making them into something that screams Asian Fusion.

[Ilaine]

How does Japanese mabo doufu differ from Chinese mapo tofu?

Is Japanese tobanjan very different from Chinese doubanjiang? What brand is best? Where do you get it?

I am a big fan of mapo tofu but when trying to make at home, the Lee Kum Kee doubanjiang tastes nasty to me, and the only doubanjiang I liked was sold by Happy Go, and Happy Go is gone.

One thing I do which is rather wasteful is buy several bottles or jars or boxes of Asian ingredients I am looking for, and taste them at home, and throw away the ones that taste nasty or have a chemical-like after-taste. Ingredients from mainland China make me nervous after the melamine incident, I feel more comfortable buying Japanese-made or Korea-made ingredients these days.

[Xochitl10]

How does Japanese mabo doufu differ from Chinese mapo tofu?

I've only ever made and eaten mabo doufu. I have peanut allergies, and mapo tofu seems to be one of those tricky things that may or may not have peanuts in it, so I've never eaten it in a restaurant. Based on my understanding of Japanese adaptations of Chinese cooking, I don't think it's nearly as spicy. Mabo doufu includes miso, sake, and stock, either chicken or dashi.

Is Japanese tobanjan very different from Chinese doubanjiang? What brand is best? Where do you get it?

I am a big fan of mapo tofu but when trying to make at home, the Lee Kum Kee doubanjiang tastes nasty to me, and the only doubanjiang I liked was sold by Happy Go, and Happy Go is gone.

I use Lee Kum Kee.

[thistle]

Last vaguely japanese dish I made was okonomiyaki-little cabbage cakes w/ shrimp, they were awesome, but thinking about it, they would be great at the picnic, topped w some pork...

[deangold]

I love Mo Zu Ku whitch is a type of river moss in a tangy, ponzu like sauce. Anyone ever see it here in DC? I have only had it at fairly esoteric sushi bars in LA after provingmy worthiness by eathing various fermented and slimy and crunchy things.

[Xochitl10]

Mo Zu Ku whitch is a type of river moss in a tangy, ponzu like sauce.

Me, too. Now I miss my town's Okinawan joint, with its shredded pig ear salad, taco soba, and donuts. I haven't looked for mozuku in the area, but I would guess that, being primarily an Okinawan specialty, it would be hard to find.

I have only had it at fairly esoteric sushi bars in LA after provingmy worthiness by eathing various fermented and slimy and crunchy things.

I always appreciated that local restaurateurs never took my dislike of natto into account when offering the pickled salmon-face cartilage or the sea pineapple. Probably because disliking natto is common among people in that region.

[deangold]

Me, too. Now I miss my town's Okinawan joint, with its shredded pig ear salad, taco soba, and donuts. I haven't looked for mozuku in the area, but I would guess that, being primarily an Okinawan specialty, it would be hard to find.

I always appreciated that local restaurateurs never took my dislike of natto into account when offering the pickled salmon-face cartilage or the sea pineapple. Probably because disliking natto is common among people in that region.

Good to knaow on the Mozuku.

Natto was very early on in my list of things I ate to prove I was worthy. Natto with grated Yama Imo is what you graduated after just natto. THen natto with Yama Imo and some sort of pickled fish in. Then Abalone liver. Then finally the fermented squid which I have writtend about elsewhere on DR.Com