Dining with the Chef

Discover Chef Saito's take on Japan's popular mochi-wrapped ice cream, and learn traditional mochi recipes that bring this classic treat to life.

Cook Japanese dishes using canned tuna! Chef Saito shows you a warm rice bowl topped with tuna, fried tofu and egg, plus a refreshing tuna salad enhanced with the aroma of yuzu.

Join Harry Sugiyama and chef Kuwakino for a fresh, fast master class in Veggie-full Japanese cooking, where rice takes center stage. Let's get cooking!

Chef Saito teaches you how to cook two classic Japanese squid dishes: simmered squid and stir-fried squid. By following his techniques, you can easily enjoy simple yet flavorful squid dishes at home.

Join Harry Sugiyama and Chef Kuwakino for a fresh, fast master class in Niigata's soul food! Experience timeless traditions reborn with a fresh, creative twist. Let's get cooking!

A twist on a regular steak. Chef Saito introduces a dish infused with the aroma of Japanese cedar, creating a distinctly Japanese flavor that delights the palate.

Join Chef Saito as he prepares tender Yuan-yaki salmon, bursting with fresh, seasonal flavors. Paired with a comforting ochazuke, it's autumn and winter on a kaiseki plate!

Chef Saito cooks a traditional simmered dish in a kaiseki style: Jibuni, simmered duck and awafu. It's a great way to warm up during the cold winter months.

In a kaiseki cooking class, Chef Saito introduces a steamed dish featuring kinmedai fish, and turnips—which are in season during winter. It's a dish that will warm you up in the cold winter months.

Chef Saito's Kaiseki-style rice dish takes on a delicate pink hue from the octopus, resembling cherry blossoms. Its elegant appearance evokes the arrival of spring.

Rika's Signature Okonomiyaki – A perfect combination of crispy and fluffy textures. Made with flour and grated potato for an irresistible chewiness, and a rich, savory flavor.

Kaisendon is a colorful Japanese dish featuring fresh sashimi over rice. Master the art of zuke, as Chef Rika shows us how to marinate lean tuna in her signature soy sauce.

Fukui, a place of rich tradition, natural beauty and pure water, is renowned for its crafts, sake and dinosaur fossils. It's connected to Tokyo by shinkansen, and is a hidden gem worth exploring.

Toyama is famed for its sushi. It has a unique tradition based on the union of fresh seafood and premium rice. The award-winning Chef Kuwakino and our host Yu Hayami unveil flavors crafted by time.

Learn how to cook tempura at home. Chef Saito demonstrates the techniques needed to make crispy tempura using mountain vegetables of spring.

Learn how to cook kabayaki, a savory grilled dish. Chef Saito introduces a recipe with mackerel, helping us to enjoy kabayaki and rice at home.

Chef Saito was born and raised in Osaka. He guides us around its restaurants, cookware stores, and kombu kelp specialty stores, in an introduction to the prefecture's traditional food culture.

In a country renowned for its food, Osaka is particularly noted for its culinary offerings. Join chef Saito Tatsuo as he explores flavors that originated in his hometown.

Learn how to prepare wagyu beef steak, Japanese style! Chef Rika teaches us which cuts are best, and how to cook them. She also shares recipes for two sauces with Japanese flavors.

Cook miso soup with Chef Saito! Follow his instructions to master three styles of miso soup, featuring three different kinds of miso: inaka miso, red miso and white miso.

Make takoyaki at home! Osaka-born Chef Saito shares his recipe for these golden bites—crispy outside, creamy inside, and full of flavor. Our featured recipe is takoyaki with two different toppings.

Chef Rika makes oyakodon, a Japanese dish of chicken and eggs simmered in a sweet and savory sauce, served over rice. She demonstrates a clever technique for making the eggs soft and golden.

Cool down with a perfect summer rice bowl: chilled tuna ochazuke infused with cold, fragrant green tea, topped with refreshing herbs and condiments. Enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine with Chef Saito.

In a Japanese home cooking class, Chef Saito makes pan-fried eggplant with a savory miso and sesame glaze. Paired with fine white somen noodles, this tasty summer dish is sure to whet your appetite!

Soft bread, fluffy eggs, and a touch of Japanese flavor.  Chef Rika demonstrates how to make Japanese egg sandwiches. Complete the experience with a comforting egg drop soup, perfect with any meal.

Wasabi isn't just for sushi! Add its spicy kick and fresh aroma to everyday dishes. Chef Rika introduces two recipes: salad with wasabi dressing, and pasta with wasabi butter soy sauce.

In the city of Akashi, octopus shapes tradition. Chef Hayashi meets local guardians, and unveils a rice dish with an inventive combination of flavors: octopus and umeboshi—the soul of Japan.

We travel to Rebun, a remote Hokkaido island renowned for its kombu—the seaweed vital for Japanese dashi. We meet a passionate harvester, whose kombu is utilized by Chef Kuwakino in superb cuisine.

Salmon can be enjoyed raw for sushi, grilled, or even stewed. Chef Rika introduces a colorful, nutritious Salmon and Rice plate, beautifully paired with a light, refreshing ginger and celery soup.

Enjoy cute, bite-sized hosomaki: sushi rolls with a nori covering and colorful fillings, like cucumber, crab sticks and natto. They're perfect for a bento. Chef Saito shows us the key to sushi rice.

Tofu with a twist! Try Chef Rika's recipes: crispy Agedashi Tofu bathed in hot dashi broth and a fresh salad with tofu dressing, while discovering the delicate charm of Japanese tofu.

Ebi-fry—deep-fried breaded shrimp with panko—is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Chef Saito serves it as part of a classic Japanese teishoku set meal.

Chef Rika's Beef Tataki is inspired by Kochi's beloved Katsuo no Tataki, seared bonito with vegetables. She recreates it with wagyu beef and chilled udon in a refreshing Japanese herb sauce.

Learn Chef Rika's Japanese-style croquette, Korokke, a family recipe from her mother. She shares quick cooking tips and a simple dessert, coffee jelly with Kokuto, Japanese muscovado sugar.

Join Harry Sugiyama for a fun new series as Master Chef Hayashi shares Kyoto-style salmon Bo-sushi you can make anywhere, plus his surprising 'gari' ginger twist!

Join Harry Sugiyama and chef Hayashi for a fresh, fast master class in ultra-simple Japanese cooking, where shrimp and eggs take the spotlight. Let's get cooking!

Learn about Japanese home cooking, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Chef Saito's authentic recipes: (1) White Miso Ozoni (2) Isobeyaki with Sweet and Savory Butter Sauce.

Let's review the basics of Japanese cooking, with chef Rika. In this third episode, we focus on the utensils a novice chef needs to start cooking Japanese cuisine, such as a knife and chopsticks.

Learn about Japanese home cooking, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Chef Saito's authentic recipes: (1) Fluffy Egg and Crab Stir-fry (2) Tomato with Sesame Syrup.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20240130/2019371/.

A plump and juicy hamburger steak, with a careful balance between different meats. Plus, a carrot soup flavored with Japanese dashi. Rika shares her cherished family recipes.

Cook healthy stir-fries with Rika's recipes. One has sukiyaki beef, vegetables and a sunny-side-up egg. The other has garlic and dashi spinach. The key is to use minimal oil, and control the heat!The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20240220/2019373/.

Urayasu, outside Tokyo, is now an urban leisure town, but for decades it was a fishing village. Yu Hayami discovers the unique food culture of Chiba Prefecture.

Hokkaido Prefecture is a treasure trove of seafood. Chef Hayashi heads to the city of Hakodate to visit the people involved in the production of kombu kelp, the foundation of Japanese cuisine.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20240312/2019375/.

Hokkaido Prefecture is full of fascinating seafood. Join Chef Hayashi as he explores Hakodate's unique food culture, including ikameshi, a beloved food made with squid.

Spring is here! So let's make some colorful spring dishes: Chef Saito's Chirashi Sushi Cake, and Crystal-clear Cherry Blossom Jelly.

Chef Saito cooks Shrimp Spring Rolls with Japanese Herbs, and Butter-fried Nagaimo with Natto Sauce. Yu Hayami joins the chef as we learn about Japanese home cooking.

Indulge in the culinary arts with Chef Saito's original recipes: meat and tofu with juicy tomatoes, and tamagoyaki rolled omelet infused with nori. Join a class in flavorful Japanese cooking!

Have you tried omu-rice? This Japanese favorite is savory, ketchup-flavored rice, wrapped up in a thin omelet. Chef Rika shows her recipe, and an old recipe from a popular Tokyo restaurant.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about Japan's beloved homemade classics. This time, he prepares a teishoku set meal, pairing the Japanese favorite korokke with rice, miso soup and pickles.

We travel north with Chef Watanabe to the historic and beautiful city of Morioka, where we taste several noodle dishes and learn how to cook a meal that has long been enjoyed by local families.

Chef Watanabe visits Morioka, the capital city of Iwate Prefecture and a treasure trove of natural mountain ingredients. A local chef presents the food Iwate offers on that very day.

Yakisoba: Japanese fried noodles. Chef Rika shows us an original recipe with shredded cabbage and a thin omelet, and introduces an authentic recipe from a yakisoba restaurant in Tokyo. Let's dig in!

Dress a thick, fresh pork loin in fluffy breadcrumbs, then fry until golden. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside—savor tonkatsu perfection from Chef Rika's and an artisan chef in Tokyo.

Summer is here! This time, Chef Saito shows us how to cook some special dishes made with fresh seasonal ingredients: Corn and Rice with Scallops, and Yakibitashi Eggplant.

Today's recipes are all about tuna! Chef Saito shows us how to cook Tuna Tartare with Okra, and Marinated Tuna Salad—creative ways to cook a fish that's a Japanese favorite and a global delicacy.

Centuries ago, ninjas roamed the mountains surrounding Iga, a transport hub. Join our host Yu Hayami as she explores this historic town, meets local residents and uncovers its unique food culture.

In Nara, where sacred deer wander, discover food culture echoing the city's time as Japan's capital. Chef Rika meets families passing culinary traditions down through generations.

Wakayama Prefecture is a historic sanctuary on a peninsula near Osaka Prefecture, with hot springs, beaches and a proud fishing culture. Join the top-rated Chef Hayashi on a culinary tour of its rich traditions.

Onigiri—Japanese rice balls—are a classic home-cooked dish that anyone can make. Chef Rika and an expert show us ways to make delicious onigiri, starting from the beginning: cooking the rice.

We're diving into the flavors of autumn, with mushrooms! Chef Saito shares a special recipe featuring a mountain of mushrooms: Shio Sukiyaki with Mushrooms, plus Shiitake-infused Soy Sauce.

Chef Rika's kara-age is perfect as a main dish, snack or lunchbox treat! Try her easy "all 1" recipe. Plus, savor an original recipe that's been passed down for years at a renowned Tokyo restaurant.

In a kaiseki cooking class, Chef Saito adds orange to namasu salad, and fragrant sesame to grilled squid. The dishes are presented in traditional hassun style.

Chewy Japanese udon, savory and umami-rich soup, plus crispy tempura—Chef Rika shows us how to make it all. Also, master the art of making handmade udon from scratch. It's deliciously simple!

Discover the art of Japanese cuisine with rising star Chef Harada Annabell Seiko. In an exclusive class, she introduces seasonal dishes, including her signature mushroom recipes.

Join Chef Harada Annabell Seiko for a cooking class in Tokyo's chic Kagurazaka district. Master two comforting dishes, made with rich, umami dashi: an unforgettable miso soup, and dashimaki tamago.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Coffee Gelatin Parfait (2) Sake Jelly with Kiwi Fruit.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230117/2019341/.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Udon in Egg-drop Soup (2) Salmon with Tofu Wasabi Dressing.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230124/2019342/.

Let's make Dashi from scratch and cook Chef Rika's Japanese dishes! Featured recipes: (1) Dashi (2) Meat and Potatoes with Dashi (3) Cod with Savory Dashi.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230131/2019343/.

Start a day with Chef Rika's Japanese breakfast toast! Featured recipes: (1) Tuna-Mayo and Nori Toast (2) Anko and Butter Toast (3) Julienne Vegetable Soup.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230214/2019344/.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Savory Simmered White Fish (2) Salad with Double Sesame Dressing.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230221/2019345/.

Experience Japan's culinary world. Chef Saito introduces a traditional kaiseki set course meal. First, sakizuke (appetizers). We prepare Gomadofu (sesame tofu) and Karashi Ae Salad (spring salad).The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230321/2019346/.

Let's cook Chef Rika's vinegar dishes! Featured recipes: (1) Tangy Egg Drop Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes (2) Grilled Asparagus with Sesame Vinaigrette Dressing (3) Chicken Glazed with Vinegar Sauce.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230328/2019347/.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The second course is osuimono (soup). We learn how to make seasonal soup for spring and citrus umami udon.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230418/2019348/.

Let's try popular Japanese rice dishes with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Bacon and Egg Stir-fried Rice (2) Rice Gratin with White Miso Sauce.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230425/2019349/.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The third course is Otsukuri. We learn how to make sashimi and salads with sashimi to savor fresh fish.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230516/2019350/.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The fourth course is a grilled dish. We learn how to prepare aromatic miso-flavored dishes and miso cream eggs.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230530/2019351/.

Learn how to make mouth-watering beef katsu—beef fried with tempura flour and panko breadcrumbs—using Chef Rika's recipe. And afterwards, try matcha ice cream.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230620/2019352/.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The fifth course is a simmered dish. Learn the art of simmering vegetables to bring out their inherent flavor.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230627/2019353/.

Discover how sashimi can be served as Italian carpaccio, with a Japanese twist. Plus, we'll use butter and soy sauce to boost the flavor of mushrooms. Enjoy Chef Rika's eye-opening recipes!

Learn about Japanese home cooking, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Chef Saito's authentic recipes: (1) Chilled Ramen Noodles (2) Chilled Tofu.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230725/2019355/.

Chef Rika shows us how to use various summer vegetables, such as eggplant, bell pepper and edamame. We try a dish that's a favorite with Rika's family.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230801/2019356/.

Learn how to make Chef Rika's flavorful meatballs, mixed with crunchy ginger. Rika also makes a fragrant soup, with fluffy shrimp balls. Have fun making meatballs in two very different styles.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230822/2019357/.

Let's embark on an exploration of food from the era of the samurai. In Kanazawa, you can enjoy dishes that lords and samurai used to love—and newly evolved local cuisine too!

Meet traditional yet innovative artisans in Kanazawa. This is a story of people constantly breathing new life into historical food culture, connecting the past to the future.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230905/2019359/.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The sixth course is a fried dish. Learn to make fried dishes with two beautiful sauces, perfect for celebrations.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20230912/2019360/.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The seventh course is rice with konomono. Learn to cook a luxury rice dish in a donabe earthenware pot.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. Today's courses are extra editions: sunomono and hashiyasume. Learn to make two refreshing dishes with vinegar.

Chef Saito continues to teach us about traditional Japanese kaiseki set course meals. The final course is dessert. Learn to make a refreshing matcha jelly and a warm dessert soup with a chewy texture.

Japanese curry rice is characterized by a thick sauce and chunky ingredients. Here is Rika's recipe, which uses a commercial curry roux with additional spices and a particular way of cutting vegetables.

Rika has a delicious and easy recipe for making teriyaki sauce from scratch. Together with Patrick, we learn a classic Japanese dish, "Fish Teriyaki."

Instant ramen, a food that originated in Japan, continues to evolve throughout the world. Rika will show you simple techniques you can use to transform it into a restaurant-quality dish.

Let's visit a kaiseki restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo. Chef Saito shows us how to enjoy a traditional kaiseki meal, and explains how to cook it yourself at home.

Kushi-age is a dish where various ingredients are skewered, coated in batter and deep-fried. Rika prepares each ingredient differently, and adds a twist with a unique sauce, for diverse flavors.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Komeko (rice flour) Okonomiyaki (2) Komeko (rice flour) Deep-fried Seafood.

In this episode, we focus on Saitama Prefecture. We explore the appeal of food in Saitama by meeting people dedicated to producing and cooking with its simple but delicious local ingredients. Featured recipes: (1) Tonjiru (2) Mottainai Sauté (Stir-fried vegetable leaves with bacon)Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220111/2019311/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Buttered Mackerel with Ponzu (2) Deep-fried Marinated Eggplant.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220125/2019312/

This time, we focus on Tokyo. We introduce a chef who is revisiting the city's traditional cuisine, and meet food producers working to bring local foods of the past into the present and future.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220208/2019313/

Mirin is a fundamental element of Japanese cuisine. We meet the oldest mirin brewer in Aichi Prefecture, and take you on a journey through the world of mirin, from traditional production methods to dishes. Featured recipe: Yellowtail Teriyaki.

Let's learn how to make Nagoya Meshi—the unique foods of Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture—with our host, Yu Hayami. Featured recipes: (1) Original Anko Toast (2) Teppan Napolitan (3) Grilled Ooasari (4) Ton Mabushi (Pork rice bowl).

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Ginger Beef Steak (2) Uzaku — Eel and Cucumber.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220301/2019316/

Explore Odawara, a city rich in tradition and history, with our host Yu Hayami. Taste the bounty of land, sky and sea.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220322/2019317/

Let's travel Japan by cooking at home with our chef Rika and master chef Saito. Featured recipes: (1) Chef Saito's Chicken Nanban (2) Rika's Champon Noodles (3) Takanameshi.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220329/2019318/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with chef Saito! Featured recipes: (1) Clear Soup with Hamaguri Clams and Egg Balls (2) Cherry Blossom-shaped Crab Rice.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220405/2019319/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with chef Saito! Featured recipes: (1) Crispy Pork Stir-fry with Myoga and Green Beans (2) Stir-fried Eggplant and Shishito with Miso Sauce.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220419/2019320/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Anago Sushi Stick (2) Clear Kamaboko Soup.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220517/2019321/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Ginger Chicken Wings (2) Ginger, Pork and Walnut Rice.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220524/2019322/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Spoon-molded Sushi (2) Spinach and Shimeji Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220607/2019323/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Dashimaki Omelet (2) Kayaku Rice.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220614/2019324/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Egg & Shrimp Soboro Donburi (2) Tofu and Ground Meat Soboro Donburi.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220621/2019325/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Namban Marinated Tuna (2) White Mizu-yokan with Matcha Syrup.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220712/2019326/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Squid Salad (2) Squid Yakisoba.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220719/2019327/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Chef Saito! Featured recipes: (1) Somen with Tomato and Lemon (2) Crispy Fried Horse Mackerel and New Potatoes.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220726/2019328/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Dry Curry with Canned Tuna (2) Chicken and Naganegi Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220802/2019329/

Chef Rika visits the southwest archipelago of Japan. She meets people who are preserving a unique food culture that cannot be found anywhere else in Japan. Featured recipes: (1) Pork Miso (2) Stir-fried Bitter Gourd with Pork Miso.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220823/2019330/

Chef Rika Yukimasa travels to Amami Oshima, an island in southwest Japan. She meets people who work to raise the profile of the unique food culture and traditions of their homeland. Featured recipes: Spoon-molded Sushi / Rika's Sashimi Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220830/2019331/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Wasabi and Home-dried Mushroom Pasta (2) Rika's Nostalgic Omelet.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20220913/2019332/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Squid, Cucumber and Myoga with Kimizu Sauce (2) Kiriboshi Daikon and Broccoli Salad.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221004/2019333/.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Atsu-age (2) Simmered Atsu-age.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221011/2019334/.

In Tochigi Prefecture, Chef Rika meets one of Japan's best makers of French cuisine. This master chef is dedicated to supporting the food culture in his hometown: Utsunomiya. Featured recipes: (1) Chicken Breast with Cucumber and Wine Vinegar Dressing (2) Roast Chicken Thighs with Chestnuts, and Caramelized Kanpyo and Daikon Radish.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221025/2019335/.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Spicy Meatballs (2) Rika's Potato Salad.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221108/2019336/.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Autumn Fritters with Beets and Chicken (2) Celery Iri-Miso with Rice.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221115/2019337/.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Miso Sukiyaki with Beef and Mushrooms (2) Japanese Turnips with Natto Dressing.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221129/2019338/.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Pork Ginger Rice Burger (2) Japanese-style Coleslaw.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221220/2019339/.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Matsukaze Chicken Loaf (2) Vinegared Lotus Root.The recipes are available at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20221227/2019340/.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Beef with Kombu Dashi Sauce (2) Chrysanthemum-shaped Turnips.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210101/2019282/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Akashiyaki (Egg Balls in Dashi) (2) Kayaku-Gohan (Flavorful Mixed Rice).Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210122/2019283/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Aji - Deep Fried Fish and Asparagus (2) Tangy Celery and Chicken Soup.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210212/2019284/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Shrimp Balls - Ebi Shinjo (2) Mixed Rice with Ebi (3) Shrimp Avocado Salad with Curried Tofu and Mayonnaise.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210226/2019285/

Let's travel Japan by cooking at home with our chef Rika and master chef Saito. Featured recipes: (1) Okonomiyaki (2) Yakisoba Fried Noodles (3) Rika's Umami Oden.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210312/2019286/

Let's travel Japan by cooking at home with chef Rika and chef Saito. Featured recipes: (1) Rika's Napolitan (flavored pasta) (2) Tamagoyaki Sandwich (3) Quick Pork Ginger with Ginger Ale (4) Shiratama Dumplings with Sweet Bean Paste.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210319/2019287/

Let's travel Japan by cooking at home with our chef Rika and master chef Saito. Featured recipes: (1) Chakin Sushi (2) Oshizushi with Crab Meat (3) Deep-fried Shrimp (4) Daikon Radish and Carrot Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210326/2019288/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Easy California Rolls (2) Simple Hosomaki Rolls.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210427/2019289/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Buttered Clams and Broccoli Rice (2) Strawberry Shira-ae.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210504/2019290/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Rolled Pork Roast with Shiso (2) String Bean Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210511/2019291/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Tuna and Chives with Miso Mustard Sauce (2) Fluffy Fried Nori Rolls.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210518/2019292/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Tricolored Fish Fry (2) Aromatic Spicy Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210601/2019293/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Corned Beef with Mayo Omusubi (2) Salmon and Shiso Omusubi (3) Sesame and Nori Omusubi (4) Rika's Tonjiru.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210608/2019294/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Rika's Beef and Fresh Leaves Salad (2) Poached Chicken Breast and Boiled Vegetable Salad.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Vegetarian Chirashi Sushi (2) Hojicha Kanten Jelly.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210629/2019296/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Daigaku Buta (2) Udon with Sesame Sauce.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210713/2019297/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Tomato Oyakodon (2) Octopus and Zucchini with Nori.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210727/2019298/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Rika's Seafood Curry (2) Spinach and Burdock Curry.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210831/2019299/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Shochu-Braised Chicken with Eggs (2) Edamame Mixed Rice.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210907/2019300/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Meatball Sukiyaki (2) Wakame and Cucumber Salad.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210914/2019301/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Yuanyaki Salmon (2) Sawani-jiru.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20210921/2019302/

Let's review the basics of Japanese cooking with chef Rika and master chef Saito. In this episode, we show you how to make a teishoku set meal that contains the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine.

Let's review the basics of Japanese cooking with chef Rika and master chef Saito. In this second episode, we focus on 2 of the most popular seasonings used in Japanese cuisine: shoyu and miso.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20211005/2019304/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Ginger-steamed Whole Fish (2) Stir-fried Rice Noodles.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20211109/2019305/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Japanese Rice Porridge with Toppings (2) Fresh Figs with Creamy Custard.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20211123/2019306/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Assorted Mushroom Tempura (2) Nameko Akadashi Soup.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20211130/2019307/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Duck Teriyaki (2) Sweet Potato Rice.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Yaki-udon with Yuzukosho (2) Lambchops with Yuzukosho.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20211221/2019309/

Learn about easy, delicious, and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Wasabi is great for so much more than just sushi! Recipes: 1) Octopus, Cucumber and Shiso leaf Salad with Wasabi Dressing, 2) Pork Stakes with Wasabi and Butter Sauce, 3) Udon Noodles with Vegetables and Wasabi

Learn about easy, delicious, and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Recipes: 1) Korokke (Camembert cheese, canned sardine, kabocha squash) , 2) Bean sprout and bell pepper salad. These three kinds of korokke are quick and easy to prepare!

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: 1) Mushi sushi 2) Clear dashi with clams.

Learn about easy, delicious, and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: 1) Donabe Okowa Rice, 2) Shichimi Meatball Hot Pot, 3) Daikon and Cucumber Salad.

Learn about easy, delicious, and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: 1) Shredded Vegetable Salad with Roasted Sesame, 2) Tofu Miso Steaks, 3) Deep-fried and Marinated Vegetables. The theme of this episode is "pressing.

Our host, Yu Hayami and chef Yasuhiro Watanabe stroll around Nagasaki to find delicious local foods and cuisine. Featured recipe: Hatoshi (shrimp toast).

Our hosts, Yu Hayami and chef Tatsuo Saito, visit historic places to find the origins of the food culture in Nagasaki Prefecture and cook the local delicacies. Featured recipe: Nanban-zuke

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Rika's Chakin Sushi (2) Sautéed Bell Peppers with Nori.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Lamb Niku-jaga (2) Strawberry Shira-tama Dumplings.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Tai Sashimi with Garlic Sesame Sauce (2) Soba with Spicy Meat.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Beef-wrapped Onigiri (2) Tomato Miso Soup.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: A Hinomaru Bento with Heartwarming Dishes.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Chilled Potato Soup with Dashi Jelly (2) Pork Shabu-shabu Salad with Japanese Herbs.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Soba Noodles with Soboro (2) Octopus and Zucchini Salad with Ume Dressing.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Tonkatsu with Daikon and Ponzu (2) Tonjiru with Ground Pork.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Chef Saito's Chilled Soup "Hiyajiru" (2) Black Kanten with Matcha.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Chicken Thigh Kara-age (2) Chicken Breast and Daikon Soup.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Juicy Pan-fried Yakitori (2) Chef Saito's Miso Cheese Salad.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Uni Sushi Cocktail (2) Scallops with Uni, Butter and Soy Sauce.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Cabbage Rolls in Golden Dashi (2) Butter Shiitake Rice with Ponzu.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Salmon and Ikura Donabe Rice (2) Butter-fried Salmon with Wasabi Soy Sauce.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Strawberry Matcha Parfait with Sake Syrup (2) Matcha Cream Dorayaki.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Teriyaki Chicken with Sansho (2) Yakisoba with Ground Pork and Sansho.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! (1) Vegetable Sticks with Edamame Dip (2) Edamame Tempura (3) Edamame Mixed Brown Rice with Bacon.

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Kakuni (2) Chinese Buns (3) Carrot and Bell Pepper Kimpira.

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Sukiyaki-don (Sukiyaki and rice bowl) (2) Nishiki Soup.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20201113/2019277/

Learn about easy, delicious and healthy cooking with Chef Rika! Featured recipes: (1) Homemade Udon Noodles (2) Homemade Udon Noodles with Poached Eggs (3) Homemade Udon Noodles with Black Sesame Sauce (4) Homemade Udon Noodles with Sudachi Citrus.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20201120/2019278/

Learn about Japanese home cooking with Master Chef Saito, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques! Featured recipes: (1) Squid and Nori Rolls (Isobe-age) (2) Ankake Noodles with Mushrooms.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20201211/2019279/

In this episode, we focus on Nagano Prefecture. It depicts the world of simple Japanese food created by the pure water that flows from the mountainous area.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20201218/2019280/

In this second episode, we learn about Nagano's local specialties, as discovered by a chef who moved from Tokyo. Featured recipes: (1) Negi Miso Rolled Omelet (2) Cumin, Burdock and Rice (3) Sake Lees Gratin with Local Vegetables.Check the recipes: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/dining/20201225/2019281/

In this two-part special, our host Yu Hayami is off to visit the cities of Aizuwakamatsu and Iwaki, in Fukushima Prefecture, and she'll be sharing the joys of Fukushima's food with us. In this first episode, we'll be exploring Aizuwakamatsu, an old capital city that gave rise to Japan's samurai culture. Our trip starts with iconic sights like Tsuruga Castle and the old-fashioned townscape of Nanokamachi Street, and we'll be taking a close look at the traditional techniques and traditional culture of wagashi sweets and Aizu Lacquerware. Finally, we'll be visiting an old ryokan inn in Aizu-Higashiyama Onsen, originally opened in 1873 and registered as a tangible cultural property, where we'll learn how to prepare kozuyu, a traditional local dish.

In this two-part special, our host Yu Hayami is off to visit the cities of Aizuwakamatsu and Iwaki, in Fukushima Prefecture, and she'll be sharing the joys of Fukushima's food with us. In this second episode, we'll be heading to Iwaki City, which was severely damaged by 2011's Great East Japan Earthquake. In Iwaki City, we'll be visiting some of the people working on new efforts to help Fukushima recover. We'll be making pot-au-feu stew as a collaboration between our Chef and the farmers who survived the disaster, using locally grown ingredients like taro root and daikon radish. Finally, dessert will be crème brûlée, made with apples grown here in Fukushima. We hope you'll also try making these delicious recipes!

In this episode, we'll be making ten don, or tempura rice bowls, a popular dish in Japan. We'll be using shrimp, corn, and other colorful ingredients, and Chef Rika will share her secret technique to easily make crunchy, delicious tempura. For our side dish, we'll be making chrysanthemum greens seasoned with vinegar — the perfect match for ten don! The mild bitterness of the chrysanthemum greens goes wonderfully with the flavor of the vinegar, for a deliciously refreshing side dish.

In this episode, we'll be cooking with sake — it's more than just a drink! Steaming salmon and asari clams with sake gives those foods the savory umami flavor of the sake, for a dish with a delicious depth. We'll also be making a dessert with sake: Chef Rika's own original recipe for Castella sponge cake, featuring the light, fragrant aroma of sake, and coarse sugar to provide a crunchy accent.

In this two-week special, Chef Rika is visiting the cities of Nobeoka and Miyazaki, in Miyazaki Prefecture, to explore the delicious foods that Miyazaki Prefecture has to offer. In this first episode, we'll be visiting Nobeoka, which has been compared to Spain's Basque Country for the broad variety of delicious ingredients available there, from the sea, mountains, and rivers. Nobeoka is also home to a chef who strives to develop a unique new style of Japanese cuisine that can be found nowhere else in the country: Zenbei Yoshida. Chef Rika will be visiting his restaurant to see how he works with his ingredients, carefully ensuring that their natural flavors fully shine through. Come join us, along with Chef Yoshida and the people in the area who provide his ingredients, who all work to show their love for Nobeoka through incredible food.

In this two-week special, Chef Rika is visiting the cities of Nobeoka and Miyazaki, in Miyazaki Prefecture, to explore the delicious foods that Miyazaki Prefecture has to offer. In this second episode, we'll be learning about cattle farmer Muneharu Ozaki's unique efforts to take on beef farming in Miyazaki. We'll be meeting Ozaki and taking an up-close look at his research to produce meat with the type of marbling. Chef Rika will also teach us her take on shabu-shabu hot pot with thinly sliced beef.

Our theme this episode is simmering. We'll be simmering yellowtail with sake lees, giving it the mild, sweet fragrance of sake — sure to whet the appetite! Sake lees, or sake-kasu, are the solids that remain after the liquid sake is pressed out of the fermented rice, and dishes made by simmering ingredients with sake lees are known as kasu-ni. The koji mold used to ferment the rice is still present in the sake lees, making the yellowtail tender and incredibly flavorful. To season it, we'll be adding miso, which goes especially well with sake lees, bringing it all together to make a delicious dish, perfect for warming the body in the cold of winter. For our side dish, we'll be making grilled nagaimo yam with ponzu: nagaimo yam is another ingredient that is at its best during winter, and we'll be grilling it to enjoy its crisp texture, and serving it with refreshing ponzu. Both of these dishes are great with sake, too!

In this episode, we'll be making a Teishoku meal: a traditional style of Japanese meal featuring rice, miso soup, and main and side dishes that are collectively known as Okazu, all served together as a single course. These meals can be beautiful to look at, and feature well-balanced nutrition. For our main Okazu, we'll be preparing pork spare ribs: with this easy recipe, anyone can make deliciously tender spare ribs at home. Our side dish will be refreshing marinated turnip, and we'll be adding cabbage and egg to our miso soup to make it particularly hearty and satisfying. Join us, and learn some of Chef Rika's great easy recipes!

Our theme this episode is grilling. We'll be making chicken miso gratin, for a Japanese take on Western-style ingredients: stir-fried chicken and boiled potatoes, covered with béchamel sauce seasoned with miso, then heated in the toaster oven until browned and delicious. The secrets to this dish's rich flavor are kombu kelp dashi, full of savory umami flavor, and miso — and they go great with béchamel sauce! For our side dish, we'll be making spicy simmered konnyaku and lotus root. These two characteristic Japanese ingredients are stir-fried and seasoned with a soy sauce-based sauce, for a great combination of the chewy texture of the konnyaku and the crunchiness of the lotus root. Adding red chili pepper helps give them a delicious bit of heat as an accent, for a side that goes great with drinks, too!

Our theme this episode is frying. We'll be making a traditional Japanese dish called kuwayaki: pan-fried chicken with a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, mirin, and sake. The sweet and savory combination of soy sauce and mirin is an iconic Japanese flavor today; we'll be marinating chicken and frying it to juicy perfection, adding the sauce to coat as we fry. We'll also be making beautiful, delicious shrimp rice. The pink of the sakura shrimp and the green of the Japanese herb mitsuba come together for a wonderful springtime feel, as well as a great combination of textures and flavors. Join us and enjoy a meal that feels like spring is here!

In this episode, Chef Rika will be preparing her special dry curry rice, made by stir-frying curry and rice together in a frying pan. Alongside the spices, she'll also be adding her secret ingredients: sushi vinegar and soy sauce. The dry curry rice is served topped with an omelet, for a wonderfully mild flavor when eaten together. Chef Rika will also be making two side dishes: pickled cauliflower, and spinach and tomato soup. Both of these are simple to make, for an easy way to add more healthy vegetables to any meal.

Our theme this episode is frying. We'll be making hambaagu with plenty of beef, served with grated daikon radish, for a delicious favorite of kids and adults alike! The hambaagu are made with bread crumbs, eggs, and other ingredients to make them juicy and flavorful, while the grated daikon radish helps give these hearty hambaagu a nicely light, clean aftertaste. We'll also teach you the secrets of how to prepare hambaagu that are tender enough to cut with chopsticks. For our side dish, we'll be making miso soup with a Western-style twist: bacon and celery! Miso soup works surprisingly well with nearly anything — the rich flavor of the bacon is an especially good match for miso. The soup makes a delicious side dish for our hambaagu, for a perfect pairing.

In this episode, Chef Rika will be making nori bento, a beloved home-cooked comfort food. Rice is covered with bonito flakes and sprinkled with soy sauce, then topped with a layer of torn nori seaweed, then covered with another thin layer of rice, to make a beautifully many-layered result. On top of the rice and nori seaweed, we'll be adding two quick and easy old-fashioned bento staples: grilled salmon and tamagoyaki rolled omelet. We'll also be preparing kenchin soup with plenty of delicious vegetables. With granulated dashi, this soup is quick and easy to make!

Our theme this episode is deep-frying. We'll be making tempura, an iconic Japanese dish, using ingredients that come into season in spring and early summer. The keys to great tempura are a light, crispy batter, and using fresh ingredients. The great flavors of the ingredients are emphasized by deep-frying them in batter, for a delicious result. We'll also be making aka-dashi red miso soup with shijimi clams, which goes wonderfully with tempura. The shijimi clams give the soup a great flavor along with the red miso, for the perfect palate cleanser after eating tempura. We hope you'll join us and learn how to make tempura, usually found only at specialty restaurants, at home!

In this episode, we'll be focusing on tuna, a widely beloved fish. Our main dish is rolled sushi filled with tuna and bell pepper, with two side dishes. The first of these is tuna mille-feuille: tuna, avocado, and okra served layered in a cocktail glass, for a dish that's as beautiful as it is delicious. Our other side dish is seared tuna served as a salad, with a chopped onion dressing to give it a fabulous aroma and satisfying texture. We'll also share advice on how to thaw frozen fish, to keep it as delicious as possible. These delicious tuna recipes make for fun and beautiful party food!

This episode's theme is thickening sauces. We'll be making light, tender meatballs, deep-fried to crunchy perfection, and serving them in a thickened sweet and sour sauce. The sauce is made with dashi for a rich Japanese-style flavor, seasoned for a combination of savory, sweet, and sour that people of all ages will love. The clear, shiny sauce adds a beautifully special feel, and with the bright colors of the red, yellow, and green bell pepper, this dish is sure to whet the appetite! For our side dish, we'll be making green peas with eggs, a dish that combines the rich flavor of dashi with light, tender eggs, for a wonderfully delicate result. With the green of the peas and the yellow of the eggs, along with the three colors of bell pepper, these colorful dishes are perfect for early summer in Japan.

In this episode, we'll be taking a look at donburi rice bowls, a traditional Japanese fast food, great for all sorts of situations! First, we'll be making a hearty rice bowl topped with seafood kakiage, a type of mixed tempura. We'll share tips to help you easily fry it perfectly at home. Our second rice bowl is a healthy twist on chicken rice, made with chicken and cucumber — ideal for a light meal or a late-night snack! We'll be topping our third and final rice bowl with a combination of egg and onion, for a pleasant balance of sweet and savory that makes a great finish to a meal. It's easy enough to prepare that even beginners should have no trouble! Join us and learn how to make these beautiful and unique rice bowls at home, for three delicious quick and easy meal options!

Our theme this episode is deep-frying. Chef Saito's hometown of Osaka is famous for the casual favorite kushi-katsu, and we'll be making a beautiful twist on these fried skewers: crisp naganegi long onion and juicy tuna, skewered, breaded, and deep-fried to a crunch, and served with two deliciously addictive dipping sauces! We'll also be preparing two kinds of onigiri rice balls with ingredients from the Kansai region of western Japan, too. In addition to triangular onigiri coated with delightful little bubu-arare rice crackers from Kyoto, we'll also be making cylindrical onigiri topped with nara-zuke, a pickled vegetable. Join us for a delicious taste of the Kansai region!

In this episode, we'll be preparing three of Chef Rika's specialties made with ginger, perfect for the summer heat! Our first dish is a salad made with ginger and cucumber — we'll learn about useful knife techniques, as we prepare a refreshing dish that takes advantage of crisp uncooked ginger. Our second dish is fried oysters with a ginger seasoning, coated with a crunchy breading to seal in the flavor. Last, we'll be making sui-gyoza boiled dumplings filled with a mixture of pork and shrimp seasoned with grated ginger, and topped with Rika's sesame sauce, made with plenty of finely chopped ginger. These three simple recipes offer easy ways to master different uses for ginger!

In this episode, we'll be making a lunch platter featuring a Japanese twist on the quintessential fast food, the hamburger. For the buns, we'll be using grilled onigiri, a beloved Japanese comfort food, with chicken teriyaki as the filling. Teriyaki sauce is easy to prepare, making this a great dish for Japanese cooking beginners. Instead of French fries, we'll be deep-frying thin slices of burdock root and carrot to make simple chips as a side dish, full of the great natural flavor of these vegetables. Finally, we'll be serving the meal with sake mixed with soda water, for a clean, refreshing flavor to go along with this uniquely Japanese meal!

Our theme this episode is grilling. We'll be grilling naganegi long onion with sesame oil: a simple recipe with a fragrant and surprisingly sweet result. Grilling the naganegi in a traditional Nambu cast-iron skillet, and serving it directly from the skillet at the table, makes for a main dish that's as quick and easy as it is delicious! We'll also be preparing namafu dengaku, featuring the uniquely addictive chewy texture of yomogi-flavored namafu, topped with plenty of two different sauces made with red and white miso. Both of these dishes may use just a few simple ingredients, but the delicious results are sure to whet the appetite!

Our theme this episode is marinating. After trying chicken nanban in its home region of Miyazaki Prefecture, Chef Saito fell in love with this dish. Chicken is coated and deep-fried, then placed in sweet-and-sour nanban sauce for the coating to soak up, and served with a rich tartar sauce, for a delicious combination of flavors and textures. For our side dish, we'll be making boiled eggplant, served with ginger and soy sauce. Chef Saito will teach techniques for how to cut eggplant and how to keep the color of its skin beautiful, for a simple side dish with an elegant feel.

Our theme this episode is grinding. Our main dish is stuffed shiitake mushrooms with teriyaki glaze: we'll be stuffing shiitake mushroom caps with a ground shrimp filling, then shaping them into balls. These charming stuffed mushrooms are then fried and coated with a glossy teriyaki sauce, for a delicious dish that's certain to whet the appetite. For our side dish, we'll be making suri-nagashi, a smooth Japanese-style soup, with ground kabocha squash. By adding the same dashi stock in two different ways, and with a few little tricks, the result is a deliciously rich and mellow soup.

In this episode, we'll be focusing on miso, an iconic fermented seasoning from Japan. In addition to being a health food with great nutritional value, it's also simply delicious with a wide variety of ingredients — especially vegetables! We'll be learning about two ways to use miso: in an all-purpose miso dressing, and in miso ramen, a widely beloved favorite. Rika's miso ramen is topped with plenty of vegetables, for a delicious and healthy meal. Don't miss this great opportunity to learn easy ways to use this versatile condiment, and make your home cooking even better!

Mt. Fuji has long been a popular destination for visitors from overseas. The area around the foot of the mountain deserves a closer look, as well, for its rich natural features and outstanding food culture. For this two-part installment of Cook Around Japan, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting Yamanashi and Shizuoka, the prefectures that border Mt. Fuji. In this first episode, we'll be visiting Yamanashi, the heart of the Japanese wine industry, which has come to be known for world-class wine in recent years. We'll learn about the history and evolution of Japanese wine culture, including a trip to a unique temple that makes wine, for an exclusive look at shojin-ryori Buddhist cuisine that pairs well with wine. If you're a wine lover, you won't want to miss this episode!

Mt. Fuji has long been a popular destination for visitors from overseas. The area around the foot of the mountain deserves a closer look, as well, for its rich natural features and outstanding food culture. For this two-part installment of Cook Around Japan, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting Yamanashi and Shizuoka, the prefectures that border Mt. Fuji. In this second episode, we'll be visiting Shizuoka's Suruga Bay, one of Japan's preeminent fishing destinations, to enjoy the area's incredible seafood. We'll try Shizuoka oden featuring hanpen fish cake made with fresh horse mackerel and sardines, as well as a famous local chef's luxurious twist on agedashi nasu (Deep-fried Eggplant) that shines a spotlight on delicious dashi made with bonito flakes, a key part of Japanese cuisine. Don't miss this great look at outstanding local seafood dishes!

Our theme this episode is decorating. We'll be making temari sushi, a charming bite-sized style of sushi with beautiful toppings, said to have originated in Kyoto. The colors red and white are considered auspicious in Japan, so this sushi is topped with salmon and scallops, to make a dish perfect for serving at a house party! Our side dish is oyster mizore-jiru soup, a warm dish that's especially good for the colder months. This soup is made with grated daikon radish for a look evocative of snow, and topped with yuzu citrus to give this elegant dish a bright yellow accent and a refreshing aroma. Chef Saito will also share some of the delicate presentation techniques used in Japanese cuisine.

Our theme this episode is seasoning. We'll be making a stir-fry, a home-cooked dish popular for its casual simplicity, and add a seasoning made with miso to give it a deliciously sophisticated flavor. Chef Saito will share his own unique seasoning blend, too: by mixing miso with other distinctively Japanese seasonings, you too can bring out the best of ingredients' flavors and give dishes a satisfying depth! For our side dish, we'll be cooking rice with sweet potato, an ingredient commonly eaten throughout Japan in autumn and winter. We'll also learn about how to use a versatile Japanese seasoning that has long been beloved as a drink, to help enhance the sweetness of other ingredients.

In this episode, we'll be making beautiful chirashi sushi. This dish is perfect for winter, which is a great season for parties: not only is chirashi sushi healthy and delicious, it's also incredibly picturesque and great for sharing on social media! This sushi features toppings in five different colors, arranged in straight lines, for a striking appearance that will make you want to show this dish off! For our side dish, we're preparing chawan-mushi savory custard, a popular side for sushi, served topped with a gorgeous thickened ankake sauce made with crab and naganegi long onion. This meal is a great way to learn about the careful techniques used in Japanese cuisine, including how the rice is cooked, how the ingredients are prepared, and advice for cooking eggs. And the result makes for a spectacular dish to serve at your next party!

In our Cook Around Japan series, we visit different parts of the country and explore their local foods. For this two-part installment, we're visiting Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. This first episode focuses on Kesennuma Port, where the resilient townspeople have rebuilt the area after countless disasters over the years. One of our regular chefs, Rika Yukimasa, will be visiting this port town, and learning about the simple yet sophisticated techniques used by local chefs to serve freshly caught bonito tuna, kichiji rockfish, Pacific saury, and more.

Our chef Rika Yukimasa visits Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture in northeast Japan to meet a sake brewer, and an oyster farmer whose work has achieved worldwide recognition. Today's recipes: 1) Kesennuma Fisherman's Oysters 2) Rika's Oyster and Scallop Tempura.

In this episode of Authentic Japanese Cooking, professional chef and Japanese cuisine expert Tatsuo Saito will be teaching us about the fascinating essence of Japanese cooking. Recipes: 1) chikuzen-ni (simmered chicken and root vegetables), 2) octopus rice. We hope that this look at Japan's food culture will inspire you to try these authentic dishes at home!

In this two-part episode, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting the Tango region of Kyoto Prefecture, known as the "back room of Kyoto" and home to many developments in Japanese cuisine over the years. This region has long enjoyed incredible natural beauty and bounty from both land and sea, such as Amanohashidate — considered one of Japan's three most beautiful views — as well as outstanding foods like premium "taiza-gani" snow crab, and Tango's unparalleled koshihikari rice. In this first half of Yu's visit, we'll be learning about barazushi, a local variety of sushi that is a natural fit for a region that has flourished as a grower of rice. We'll be talking with Chef Osamu Maekawa, who has worked to share barazushi with the rest of Japan, and he'll show us a recipe that anyone can try at home.

In this two-part episode, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting the Tango region of Kyoto Prefecture, known as the "back room of Kyoto" and home to many developments in Japanese cuisine over the years. This region has long enjoyed incredible natural beauty and bounty from both land and sea, such as Amanohashidate — considered one of Japan's three most beautiful views — as well as outstanding foods like premium "taiza-gani" snow crab, and Tango's unparalleled koshihikari rice. In this second half of Yu's visit, she'll be visiting Chef Yukinori Yoshioka, who has recently become a secret sensation in the gourmet world for his focus on dishes that can only be enjoyed in the Tango region. We'll take a look at some of his dishes that rely on exceptional local ingredients, such as female snow crab and Tango beef, for a new style of Kyoto Cuisine.

Our theme this episode is soaking. Chef Saito will be making spinach ohitashi, a very popular home-cooked standard, served with a unique twist: adding Japan's best known edible flower, chrysanthemums, for a beautiful finishing touch. We'll also be making kara-age fried chicken, flavored by soaking the chicken first in a soy sauce-based marinade, with our secret ingredient, Chinese chili oil, rounding out the flavor with just a hint of heat.

In this episode, we'll be making simmered kinmedai alfonsino, by simmering this winter fish in a sweet-and-savory broth. The soy sauce-flavored sauce, featuring the rich flavor of the fish, gives it a depth that goes great with rice. For a side dish, we'll be making grilled shiitake mushrooms, with shungiku chrysanthemum leaves for an herb-like freshness, and a sesame dressing to bring them together. We'll also be making easy fried tofu that uses just a little bit of oil, served with a refreshing ponzu sauce.

In this episode, we'll be making onigiri rice balls, a favorite in Japan among young and old alike. This simple dish is made by lightly salting freshly cooked rice, and shaping it into triangles or rough cylinders, then wrapping it in nori seaweed. Chef Rika will be showing us some tricks to make rice balls even tastier. For our side dishes, we'll be making kimpira and tamagoyaki rolled omelet — perfect for bento meals! Our crisp kimpira is made with potato and carrot, while the tamagoyaki omelet has a deliciously tender, fluffy texture.

Our theme for this episode is marinating. We'll be sandwiching slices of fresh tai sea bream between pieces of kombu kelp, to give the tai lots of rich flavor with a technique known as kobujime. That marinated tai will then serve as a main ingredient in a clear soup. We'll also be making steamed crab rice, featuring the richness of dashi, the distinctive flavor of crab, and the chewy texture of mochi rice. Steaming it in containers made of hinoki cypress gives it a wonderful fragrance to round off its elegant blend of textures and rich, aromatic flavor.

In this episode, Chef Rika will be making her version of a beautifully colorful curry with grilled vegetables, which she encountered in Okinawa. The rich flavor of the spices and the mild heat from the ginger make this a dish sure to whet the appetite! We'll also be making easy seasoned eggs as one of the toppings, by simply marinating boiled eggs in mentsuyu noodle soup. For dessert, we'll be making matcha soy milk pudding, combining the aromatic bitterness of matcha green tea powder with the natural sweetness of soy milk.

Tonkatsu pork cutlets are a standard in modern Japanese teishoku meal sets. In this episode, we'll be making tonkatsu stuffed with cheese as our main dish. We'll also be making two side dishes: for our first, we'll be making clam and daikon radish soup using fresh asari clams, which come into season in spring. We'll also be making a refreshing nori seaweed salad with a dressing made using sesame oil and sushi vinegar, which goes perfectly with fried dishes. We hope you'll enjoy Rika's cheese tonkatsu teishoku meal set as much as we do!

Our theme for this episode is marinating. Saikyo-zuke is a marinating technique that uses a base of white miso from Kyoto Prefecture, to slowly marinate meat or fish before grilling it. We'll be sharing some tips on how to make this fragrant and delicious dish at home. We'll be marinating Spanish mackerel, a fish that comes into season in spring, to make a dish with the sort of flavor you'll usually only find at a high-end Japanese restaurant. For our side dish, we'll be making sake-steamed clams and spring cabbage. Enjoy the tender, juicy spring cabbage, cooked with soup full of the rich flavor of Asari clams.

Our theme this episode is grilling. Yakitori grilled chicken is a popular dish commonly served at izakaya pubs and restaurants that specialize in yakitori. We'll be serving it as a topping on a bowl of rice, for a casual and filling way to enjoy yakitori. A key part of our recipe is seasoning the thigh meat with yakitori sauce, and seasoning the breast meat with just salt, then finishing each with a different spice. The textures of the naganegi long onion seasoned with the yakitori sauce and the salted shishito peppers provide a delicious accent, as well. For our side dish, we'll be making rapini with mustard miso dressing. Using mayonnaise as the secret ingredient helps to mellow out the sharp spiciness of the mustard, while adding depth to the flavor. Enjoy a meal that feels like spring in Japan!

In this episode, we'll be making chicken sukiyaki, a unique twist on a traditional Japanese dish. The norm in Japan is to use thinly sliced, richly marbled beef for sukiyaki, but it's perfectly fine to use chicken for it, too, if you can't get your hands on that type of beef. Cooking it at the table, in the traditional way, makes the meal more fun. For dessert, we'll be making ice cream with sesame sauce -- the perfect way to enjoy the rich aroma of sesame seeds.

Our theme this episode is blanching. Sashimi is a popular Japanese dish best known as fresh seafood, sliced and served raw with soy sauce. In this episode, though, we'll be serving blanched sashimi on a bed of shira-ae sauce made of tofu, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and more, to dip and enjoy. For our side dish, we'll be making bamboo shoots with powdered bonito. When shaved into flakes, dried bonito is a crucial ingredient in the dashi stock at the heart of Japanese cuisine. We'll also be using powdered bonito, sprinkling it on at the end to provide even more of its delicious flavor.

In this episode, we'll be making one of modern Japan's most famous dishes: ramen! Chef Rika's ramen recipe features a light, clean soup made with pork back ribs for great flavor, and seasoned with soy sauce. The pork back ribs aren't just for making the soup: we'll also be serving meat from the ribs on top of tofu, with deliciously tart ponzu, for a great appetizer.

Our theme for this episode is simmering. Okara is a byproduct of making tofu, an iconic Japanese ingredient. We'll be using okara and plenty of dashi, simmered together to make the popular dish unohana-ni. By adding richly flavorful ingredients to the bland okara, we can make a healthy and delicious side that goes perfectly with rice. We'll also be making roasted teriyaki chicken wings — a quick and easy dish to prepare while the unohana-ni simmers!

In this episode, we'll be making a rather unusual dish: roast beef sushi. Chef Rika will be preparing roast beef with her own unique method. The juicy fat from the meat goes perfectly with the tartness of the sushi rice! We'll also be making easy gari pickled ginger, by simply marinating it in vinegar, and using that gari and colorful vegetables to make chirashi sushi.

In this episode, we'll be making Napolitan, a Japanese spaghetti dish flavored with tomato ketchup. Chef Rika will be sharing her own original recipe: the secret ingredient is douban-jiang, a spicy chili bean paste that goes perfectly with the sweetness of tomato ketchup! We'll also be introducing Japanese-style gratin, another popular comfort food in Japan.

Our theme for this episode is marinating. We'll be marinating pork in miso, one of the most iconic Japanese cuisine ingredients, then sautéing it. Chef Saito will be sharing the secret ingredient he adds to his miso marinade, in order to bring out the depth in its flavor. We'll also be marinating green beans in a richly flavorful soup made with sesame seeds, vinegar, and dashi, for a light and tasty side dish.

In this episode, we'll be going on a trip with Chef Yuri Nomura. Chef Yuri's destination is Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, a town surrounded by mountains, which has long flourished through its forestry industry. Chef Yuri will be visiting a friend, Taichi Manabe, who is the originator of these projects to contribute to the region, as well as farmers who have worked with Taichi to hand down and develop their farming lifestyles and traditions. During her visit, Chef Yuri will talk with Taichi and these local farmers about issues that the town faces in the present and future, while trying some traditional local dishes. Chef Yuri will use freshly picked organic produce and umeboshi pickled plums — a local specialty — to make vegetable terrine, a salad full of the natural flavors of its ingredients. We'll also learn how to prepare irizake, a traditional seasoning. Join us for a taste of the delicious food and warm hospitality of Kamiyama's satoyama.

Alongside the dashi made from bonito flakes and kombu kelp, there is another dashi beloved by the people of Japan: iriko dashi, made from iriko, or dried baby sardines. In this episode, we're following Chef Yuri Nomura on her travels in Kagawa Prefecture as she learns more about iriko dashi, visiting people who make delicious iriko. Kagawa is famous for udon noodles, and there are udon noodle shops in Kagawa that make their soup with dashi made using only the finest iriko. We'll visit the fishers and processing plant to discover the secrets behind this clear yet rich and flavorful dashi broth, and find out how to pre-treat the baby sardines to avoid any "fishy" off flavors, for delicious rice cooked with plenty of iriko — a local favorite! We'll also learn about a great blend of iriko and nuts that goes perfectly with drinks, and which makes a great first step into working with iriko!

Our theme for this episode is grilling. We'll be making Goko-yaki, named for its "five aroma" sauce, seared rare tuna with plenty of sesame seeds. Tuna is very popular served as sashimi, but it's also delicious when cooked. The sauce is made with 5 ingredients -- Myoga ginger bud, shiso, natto, wasabi and sesame seeds -- with refreshing flavors that make this a perfect dish for summer. For our side dish, we'll be cooking green bell peppers, a summer vegetable, and seasoning them with umeboshi pickled plums and nori seaweed, for a deliciously Japanese flavor and aroma.

Our theme this episode is deep frying. Our main ingredient is satoimo (Japanese taro), most commonly associated with simmered dishes in Japan. We'll be making fritters that combine taro with tender chicken and crisp green beans, using a batter made with egg and umeboshi pickled plums to bring them together, with a beautifully autumnal color. We'll teach you the tricks to keep them together with a lovely shape. For our side dish, we'll be preparing eggplant by deep-frying it, then briefly cooking it in a sauce made with dashi. Enjoy the contrast between the dark purple and the pale green, as well as delicious flavor full of the umami richness of dashi. These dishes make a great way to greet the coming of autumn in Japan!

In this episode, we'll be showing how to make two electric griddle dishes perfect for house parties. The first of these is okonomiyaki, a popular standard throughout Japan. We'll be mixing vegetables and mentaiko seasoned cod roe into the batter to make the Yukimasa family's okonomiyaki recipe, and we'll show you how to cook it up nice and fluffy. Our second dish is easy fried udon noodles with curry sauce — add curry powder to the same sauce recipe Chef Rika uses for her okonomiyaki, to make fragrant and flavorful fried udon noodles!

Our theme this episode is steam-frying. We'll be preparing a dish perfect to serve on special occasions: salmon is marinated in a soy-sauce-based marinade, then topped with colorful toppings like egg, tofu, mushrooms, and carrot. The various flavors come together to make this a luxurious dish that is as beautiful as it is delicious. For dessert, we'll be making warabi-mochi. Using warabi-ko bracken starch, we can make a deliciously chewy, wiggly dessert with a mild sweetness, and which goes perfectly with kinako toasted soybean powder and kuromitsu black sugar syrup.

In this episode, we'll be preparing five different salads, all made with sushi vinegar. First is namasu, traditionally eaten for celebrations like new year's day. We'll also be making potato salad with sansho pepper powder in the dressing, for a Japanese twist on this popular standard. In addition, we'll show you how to make pork shabu-shabu arugula salad, with briefly cooked thinly sliced pork on a bed of arugula; marinated smoked salmon salad, combining salmon with onion; and even simple smoothies. All of these recipes are quick and easy! The secret is sushi vinegar: if you have sushi vinegar, you can easily add it to other seasonings to make all sorts of delicious dressings. We hope you'll try experimenting with sushi vinegar at home!

Our theme this episode is simmering. We'll be making a shiny yuba-an sauce that is as beautiful as it is delicious, served on top of a bowl of rice mixed with ground chicken and egg. The sauce is made with lots of yuba, a traditional Japanese ingredient made from soybeans, mixed in to a sauce base made with plenty of flavorful dashi, for a truly elegant combination. For a side dish, we'll be making refreshing sweet pickled cucumbers, topped with dried small sardines. We'll show you how you can make the pickling brine in the microwave, for a quick and easy side dish that can be prepared in just a few moments.

Our theme this episode is grilling. We'll be using horse mackerel, a popular and commonly eaten fish in Japan, and we'll show the best way to grill it on a mesh grill. Of particular note is our chef's unique sauce, made with sake and soy sauce: coating the fish with the sauce while grilling it results in light, tender, and wonderfully aromatic grilled fish. Adding sudachi citrus gives it a clean, refreshing tartness and aroma, too. For our side dish, we'll be making a home-cooked standard: miso soup with potato and onion, using dashi stock made with niboshi (dried small sardines). Niboshi dashi has a unique flavor distinct from the more common dashi made with bonito tuna and kombu kelp, and it goes particularly well in miso soup. Join us and learn how you too can master this popular Japanese cooking combination!

On this episode of Dining with the Chef, we'll be focusing on Aichi, located halfway between Tokyo and Osaka. In particular, we'll be making two dishes that are popular in Aichi's capital, the castle town of Nagoya: tenmusu rice balls with tempura, and hitsumabushi, mixed rice served with soup or tea. Chef Rika will be showing us two different and delightful ways to combine tempura, a popular Japanese food, with onigiri rice balls. Chef Saito will teach us how to make hitsumabushi with kabayaki-style sardines — usually, this dish is made by mixing unagi eel kabayaki with rice, but Chef Saito's version uses much more affordable sardines in place of the unagi eel, making it perfect to try at home. Don't miss both chefs' great presentation techniques, too!

In this episode, we're focusing on ginger, a great way to warm the body as the weather gets colder. We'll be preparing ginger pork salad, topped with a Japanese standard: fried pork coated with a sweet and savory ginger sauce. The salad is made with plenty of cabbage, too, making it great for digestion! We'll also be making ginger rice. By adding scallops, we can get a mouth-wateringly fragrant and flavorful result, even without dashi. For our side dish, we'll be making instant ginger soup -- this simple recipe uses only convenient ingredients, and you won't even need a pot! These 3 delicious ginger dishes make a great way to warm both the body and soul.

Our theme this episode is hot pots. In Japan, hot pots are beloved as a delicious way to warm up as winter gets colder. In this episode, we'll be looking at one type: the "puka puka" meatball hot pot, featuring tsumire meatballs made of ground chicken, with a secret ingredient to make them deliciously light and tender. This hot pot is named for the charming way the meatballs float — "puka puka" is a Japanese word that refers to something gently floating or drifting. For our side dish, we'll be making "pine needles" from tea soba noodles, with crunchy sweet potato cut into maple and ginkgo leaf shapes. The tea soba noodles are made with matcha green tea powder, to give them a beautiful green color that complements the sweet potato. Both the sweet potato and the tea soba noodles are fried, for a deliciously crunchy side dish that perfectly fits the season.

Our theme this episode is deep-frying. We'll be making crispy fried swordfish, served with a thick an sauce full of the rich flavor of dashi and plenty of vegetables. This hot, delicious dish is certain to warm both the body and soul in the cold of winter. We'll also be making mushroom rice with three kinds of mushrooms commonly eaten in Japan: shiitake, maitake, and eringi mushrooms. The mushrooms are cooked along with the rice — and we'll be adding the Chef's own original seasoning, made with dried shrimp, that makes any mixed rice dish even better!

In this episode, we'll be making three uniquely Japanese sandwiches, made with Japanese ingredients, to be served like a multi-course meal. Our main sandwich features a menchi katsu ground meat cutlet: the crunchy fried panko bread crumbs and the juicy pork go perfectly with bread. We'll also be making a side sandwich with burdock root — a popular vegetable in Japan — and chicken, tossed with mayonnaise. For dessert, we have one more sandwich, filled with a combination of cream and a sweet bean paste made with azuki beans, an indispensable ingredient for Japanese sweets. We hope you'll join us for these three convenient and delicious tastes of Japanese cuisine!

Oysters are one of the culinary highlights of winter. Japan's oysters are known for their size and creamy flavor, and in this recipe we'll be using them for two different dishes. Our first is deep-fried oysters, breaded with Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs to make them crunchy outside yet tender inside. We'll also be making oyster rice, letting the rich flavor of the oysters soak into the rice for a delicious finished dish. We'll round things out with a light cabbage salad — the perfect match for a fried main dish — to complete our "oyster festival."

Today's recipe: Chef Rika's Seared Tuna and Avocado, Udon Noodles with Chinese Chives and Pork, Sauted Mushroom with Wasabi. You can cook modern Japanese home meals by yourself with her fun lesson!

In this episode, Chef Saito will be making sukiyaki, a popular Japanese dish known around the world. The chef will be preparing his own take on two different dips for the sukiyaki: egg and kudzu starch sauce. For a side dish, we'll be working with cucumber and wakame seaweed. We'll also be talking about Japanese salads and vinegar-seasoned items, which go wonderfully with meat or fried dishes.

In this episode, we'll be cooking tatsuta-age deep-fried mackerel, a fish that isn't just delicious and in season, but is rich in healthy fats that help the blood run smoothly and help prevent lifestyle diseases. We'll be marinating it in a delicious marinade made with soy sauce and ginger, and frying it coated in a starch powder to keep it flaky and juicy. For our side dish, we'll be making a light soup, using plenty of cabbage — the perfect complement to fried fish. By using a bit of bacon, we can bring out the sweetness of the cabbage. We'll also be preparing a rich, flavorful salad made with asparagus and onsen eggs, one way of preparing boiled eggs.

In this episode, Chef Saito will be making oden, simmering meat, seafood, vegetables, and other items in a pot of hot dashi broth. Simmering these items together helps them share their delicious flavors and pick up the great flavor of the simmering broth, while the simmering broth gets the flavors of the other ingredients at the same time — it's the secret to why oden is so delicious! Chef Saito will share useful tips and advice for how to prepare the ingredients beforehand, making sure that they're cooked through and that any off flavors have been removed before adding them to the simmering broth, to keep everything tasting great.

In this episode we'll be making simmered kinki fish, considered one of Japan's finest simmered dishes. One distinctive quality of Japan's simmered fish dishes is that they are often simmered in a small amount of simmering broth, rather than simmering for a long time in a lot of broth to heavily flavor the fish — even after the fish simmer, they still retain much of their original flavor, with only the outermost layer of the fish being seasoned by the simmering broth. Chef Saito will be teaching us the secrets of great simmered fish prepared this way. We'll also be making a side dish featuring the popular fish tuna, and natto, which is famously considered an acquired taste. Even if you don't think you like natto, this recipe uses chopped natto in a way you're bound to love, for a dish that goes great with sake.

The island of Kyushu, at the southwest end of Japan, is home to the prefecture of Kumamoto. One thing that draws people to the area is its outstanding local cuisine, featuring the finest ingredients from both land and sea. To learn more about Kumamoto's cuisine, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting one of Kumamoto's preeminent chefs. In this episode, they'll be making Dago Soup, a traditional dish made with plenty of spring vegetables from Kumamoto, as well as mustard miso-stuffed lotus roots, an iconic local favorite.

In this second episode in Kumamoto, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting chef Ai Hosokawa, a Kumamoto resident. Chef Hosokawa says that ingredients from Kumamoto have strong flavors, and she'll be using those flavors to make simple Italian-style dishes. She'll be using Kumamoto's famous horse meat and akaushi beef to make a tagliata sliced steak dish, served with a sauce that uses plenty of fresh local strawberries — strawberries that have attracted international attention of late. She'll also be making fragrant and delicious gnocchi, served with a sauce made with aonori seaweed, a sea plant that grows in brackish water.

Our main ingredient for this episode is Spanish mackerel. Spanish mackerel is known in Japanese as sawara, and is beloved as a sign of spring. We'll be sautéing it with butter and soy sauce, for a Japanese-style sauce. For our side dish, we'll be making 2 easy spring dishes. For our first, we'll be cooking freshly picked green peas and bacon with rice for an easy and delicious rice dish that combines the aroma of the peas with the rich flavor of the bacon. We'll also be making salad-style tempura with lots of seasonal vegetables, for a casual yet delicious side dish full of the flavors of spring in Japan.

Our theme for this episode is sushi. We'll be making chirashi sushi, a staple dish for happy days in Japan, whether a cherry blossom-viewing picnic or for the Hinamatsuri doll festival. Chirashi sushi is known for being a particularly colorful and beautiful type of sushi, and the colorful ingredients suit it perfectly. Sea bream and shrimp provide the red and white that are so closely associated with celebrations in Japan, while castella egg, decoratively cut cucumber, and shiitake mushrooms provide beautiful splashes of yellow, green, and dark brown. With a little bit of extra effort, each of these ingredients can be made extra special, too. We'll also be making a soup featuring oboro kombu, an item made with Japan's famous kombu kelp.

Our theme this episode is deep frying. We'll be making menchi katsu, a western-style dish born in Japan. Chef Saito's family recipe for menchi katsu adds shiitake mushrooms to the standard onion, for a healthy blend of meat and vegetables in the filling. We'll learn how to cook the filling through, yet keep it juicy. For our side dish, we'll be making grilled onigiri rice balls. In this case, though, rather than balls, they'll be the traditional triangular shape, and we'll learn how to shape them that way. Chef Saito will show us how to make his miso sauce for them, and then it's a matter of simply grilling them in the toaster oven until they're ready to serve.

In this episode, we'll make a steamed dish with beef and lots of spring vegetables. By adding soft-boiled onsen egg, we make this recipe as nutritious as it is delicious. Rika will show us how to make two different sauces for this dish: a soy sauce-based sauce, and a sauce made with a mix of lemon and sesame oil. For our side dishes, we'll be making green pepper tossed with a sesame coating, giving it the great flavor of sesame seeds. We'll also be making ginger syrup, a popular item to have around in both summer and winter. Ginger warms the body and boosts immunity, making it a great ingredient to add to your diet particularly as the seasons change. This ginger syrup goes great mixed with soda water or black tea — we hope you'll try making it, too! The theme of this episode is "pressing."

Our theme for this week is frying. We'll be using an electric griddle, a kitchen appliance commonly found in Japanese homes, to make two popular dishes: yakisoba fried noodles and ikayaki savory squid pancakes, a local favorite from Osaka. Rather than the usual yakisoba sauce, though, we'll be using Japanese-style seasonings for a delicious result that is the very essence of yakisoba. We'll also show you how to make perfectly chewy ikayaki at home without needing a special press. For dessert, we'll be preparing a unique twist on shiratama dumplings, made with tofu.

Our theme for this episode is simmering. We'll be making gomokuni, a beautifully colorful simmered dish with six different ingredients, including soy beans, an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cooking. In addition, we'll also be making agedashi tofu, a popular standard at izakaya pubs. We'll show you how to prepare your ingredients to make your gomokuni look all the more delicious, and the right times to add each seasoning. For the agedashi tofu, we'll teach you the techniques to fry the tofu with a deliciously crisp coating, and the trick to making a wonderfully glossy sauce perfect for coating the tofu.

In this episode, we'll be making steak, a dish well known around the world. After cooking it medium-rare, we'll be flavoring it with soy sauce and butter for a steak that pairs perfectly with wine, serving it on rice in a uniquely Japanese style. For our side dish, we'll be making fried kabocha pumpkin. We'll cut it into bite-sized pieces, then flavor it with nam pla and coat it in potato starch, before frying it to a delicious crisp. Rika will also be preparing a refreshing salad of boiled turnip, fresh arugula, and a special dressing made with sushi vinegar and olive oil.

Our theme this episode is sushi. We'll be introducing bo-sushi, a unique variety of sushi that takes advantage of the natural shape of the fish. Different regions use different ingredients for bo-sushi, such as mackerel or crab; in this episode, we'll be using horse mackerel, a fish commonly eaten throughout Japan. We'll teach you how to marinate the horse mackerel in vinegar to help it keep longer, as well as knife techniques to fillet and spread open the fish while keeping its shape. For our side dish, we'll be making egg drop soup, with tender bits of beaten egg floating in it like blossoming flowers.

In this episode, we'll be making simmered stuffed peppers, stuffed with seasoned ground chicken and then simmered, for a deliciously tender dish that is easy to make. We'll also be making natto rice, which combines the Japanese superfood natto with cucumber, tomato, and okra for a tasty and colorful result. Chef Rika will also show us how to make an easy soup with bamboo shoots, with a flavor that brings together the tartness of vinegar, the heat of chili oil, and the richness of ground meat.

Our theme for this episode is grilling. We'll be making yakiniku, or Japanese-style grilled meats, using beef, pork, and chicken, served with three seasonings and three sauces, for all sorts of delicious combinations. Chef Saito will also demonstrate his skills by beautifully presenting the meat with plenty of fresh vegetables, as well as wasabi, ginger, and umeboshi pickled plum, to give it a Japanese-style accent. We'll also be making thick, hearty, and nutritious barley rice with grated yamaimo Japanese yam: we'll add rolled barley to rice before cooking it, to add plenty of nutrition and a nicely firm texture, and then top it with thick grated yamaimo Japanese yam for a delicious way to beat summer lethargy!

Ever since the Hokuriku Shinkansen line opened in 2015, getting from Tokyo to Toyama has become easier than ever. This two-part episode will help to share the delights of rural Japan with the rest of the world, with a focus on Toyama's food. In this first half, Chef Rika Yukimasa will be visiting the Himi, Toyama area and making local specialties like fresh carpaccio from this port town, as well as Himi's famous udon noodles, specially topped with minced nigisu deep sea smelt - a popular ingredient in Toyama home cooking.

Ever since the Hokuriku Shinkansen line opened in 2015, getting from Tokyo to Toyama has become easier than ever. This two-part episode will help to share the delights of rural Japan with the rest of the world, with a focus on Toyama's food. In this second half, Chef Rika Yukimasa will be meeting Eiji Taniguchi, the avant-garde owner-chef of a trendy Toyama restaurant, to learn about his cuisine. He'll be preparing two of his specialties: firewood-grilled baby chicken, with a special breed of chicks, and roast baby boar with wild mountain vegetables. We'll also be leaving the usual studio behind, to go meet farmers and dish makers who are also working to raise Toyama's profile on the international stage.

Our theme this episode is topped rice bowls. A bowl of rice with delicious toppings is a quick and easy single-dish meal popular in Japan. We'll be introducing one of the many common rice bowls: oyako-don. We'll show you the techniques needed to prepare the chicken and onion, with the great flavor of dashi and beaten egg, cooked until the egg is perfectly rich and fluffy, and then we'll top it with deliciously crisp naganegi long onion to provide a great accent. We'll also be making another variant on oyako-don, using flaked salmon — a popular ingredient in bento lunches — and salmon roe, for great taste and a fun texture. The green, yellow, red, and pink of these dishes are sure to make them a colorful delight!

In this episode, we'll be making crunchy fried horse mackerel, marinated in a delicious sweet-and-sour nanban sauce! Vinegar has come to be known for its health and beauty effects, making this a great way to add more to your diet. For our side dish, we'll be making an easy simmered dish, allowing the flavors of soy sauce and dashi to soak into atsu-age fried tofu and spinach. Chef Rika will also teach us how to make a deliciously gingery salad by cutting carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers into strips, then adding a dressing made with ginger (known to help improve blood circulation), sesame oil, and ponzu.

In this episode, we'll be making deliciously fragrant fried rice with kabayaki eel, which is dipped in a sweet and savory sauce and grilled. Our chef will demonstrate some techniques to make it beautiful and delicious. We'll also be making another popular dish: steam-fried gyoza dumplings. These are different from standard gyoza — the filling is made with plenty of uniquely Japanese herbs, giving Chef Saito's recipe its own distinct flavor. These bite-sized gyoza are crispy on the outside and juicy inside, for a delicious dish you won't get tired of!

In this episode, we'll show you the basics of how to make a Japanese favorite: hambaagu, or hamburg steak. We'll be serving it with shredded daikon radish and ponzu, contrasting nicely with the flavor and texture of the juicy hambaagu. For our side dishes, we'll be making a vegetable soup with a secret ingredient, as well as an easy salad with some traditional Japanese snacks: smoked squid and mentaiko salted cod roe.

Our theme for this episode is deep frying. Chef Saito will be frying fresh bonito with bonito flakes, for a dish known as tomo-age. This delicious dish uses plenty of bonito flakes, which are a key ingredient in the dashi stock that is so central to Japanese cuisine. The texture of the finished dish is crucial for tomo-age, so we'll be frying it for just long enough to cook the bonito until it's rare inside, leaving the bonito flakes outside nice and crispy. For a garnish, we'll be deep-frying shishito peppers uncoated, to bring out their brilliant green color.

In this episode, we'll be making spaghetti with Japanese flavors: scallops and nori seaweed, and tossed with a soy sauce-and-butter sauce with just a hint of wasabi. For a side dish, we'll be making tonteki, or pork steak, a simple recipe with a deliciously sweet and savory sauce. We'll also be making a tasty salad as beautiful as a mimosa flower, featuring green beans seasoned with soy sauce and anchovy.

Our theme this episode is simmering. Chef Saito will be making a home-cooked Japanese favorite, simmered kabocha squash with soboro sauce. Simmering kabocha squash slowly and gently gives it a wonderful feel and flavor reminiscent of a high-end restaurant. In this episode, we'll be serving it with a thickened soboro sauce, made with finely crumbled ground chicken. We'll also learn about the tastiest way to cook rice, which is at the center of every traditional Japanese meal. Finally, we'll also be preparing sansho-flavored shirasu, a delicious topping for rice.

In today's episode, we'll be making oden, a winter favorite. Chef Rika will be preparing her special soup, with a dashi base made with kombu kelp and bonito flakes, and seasoned with nam pla. We'll be simmering a variety of ingredients in this soup, including daikon radish, konnyaku, eggs, handmade ganmodoki, and handmade mochi kinchaku (fried tofu pockets stuffed with mochi). We'll also be preparing delicious brown-tinted rice, with the rich flavor of dashi and the fragrance of soy sauce. For dessert, we'll be making a refreshing Japanese-style sorbet with yuzu citrus, rich in vitamin C.

Our theme this time is hot pots. Chef Saito will be making hari-hari hot pot, a delicious favorite perfect for cold winter days. Thinly sliced daikon radish, mizuna potherb mustard greens, and pork are briefly dipped in a rich dashi soup to cook them. With Chef Saito's techniques, it's a delicious hot pot that you can make even without a lot of ingredients. After those ingredients have all been eaten, we'll be adding thin inaniwa udon noodles to help pick up the soup for a delicious finish to the meal — these noodles go great with hot pots! And for dessert, we'll be having persimmon topped with a homemade sesame sauce.-hari hot pot with thinly sliced daikon radish, mizuna potherb mustard greens and pork; inaniwa udon noodles; persimmon topped with sesame sauce.

Our theme for this episode is steaming. We'll be making kabura-mushi, or steamed turnip, steaming pure white grated turnip together with shrimp and vegetables for a beautiful traditional Japanese dish. The fluffy white of the grated turnip is evocative of snow, and the thick and shiny yet clear sauce shimmers like ice, giving it a look wonderfully reminiscent of winter scenery in Japan. We'll also be making delicious and nutritious kayaku gohan, or rice with chicken and various vegetables mixed in.

Our theme this episode is "one soup, three dishes," the traditional structure for Japanese meals. Our main dish is yellowtail teriyaki, made by cooking deliciously fatty yellowtail with a sweet and savory soy sauce-based sauce that complements it perfectly and goes great with rice. For our side dish, we'll be making a simple daikon radish and cucumber salad with blended vinegar, and our soup will be miso soup full of the rich flavor of mushrooms. Our final dish is karashi mentaiko or marinated spicy pollock roe, a very popular side to rice in Japan, and a very easy way to add a fun bit of variety to your meal: we'll also show you an easy and unique twist using karashi mentaiko.

In this episode, we'll be talking about kamo-nabe duck hot pot. We'll be making Rika's unique take on this dish, which is more like a multi-course meal than a standard hot pot. By cooking tofu, duck, vegetables, and other ingredients in the same pot, you can enjoy the flavors of all of the ingredients to your heart's content. As an appetizer, we'll be making a tomato and cucumber salad that uses a tomato peel as a bowl, and we'll also be making a refreshing pickled turnip side dish with a hint of yuzu.

Townscapes from the Edo period still exist in the Sawara District of Katori City, Chiba Prefecture, an unexplored tourist spot where visitors can experience traditional Japan. Visiting this town, where skilled chefs demonstrate Japanese cooking techniques, is just like traveling back to that period in time. In this episode, we'll introduce Kaiseki banquet-style cuisine, a feast for both the eyes and the tongue, made using original high-grade ingredients that are unique to Japanese cuisine, such as traditional seasonings, mizu-shio salted water and kuzu starch.

In this episode, we'll be visiting Chiba. Its location on the Pacific coast gives it a temperate climate perfect for farming and fishing, making it a great place to find delicious foods. Our host Yu Hayami will be visiting the town of Isumi, located in southern Chiba, to show us the joys of the town through the local people. We'll also be meeting a local chef who will show us a local type of futomaki sushi, a popular food for special occasions in the area. The variety of different traditional rolling techniques on display has earned this local dish a lot of attention in recent years. By using local ingredients, we'll see how to make a futomaki sushi roll full of Chiba flavor.

Our theme for this episode is hot pot cuisine. We'll be making mizutaki, a standard among Japan's many varieties of hot pots. By cooking a chicken over low heat for a long time, the delicious flavor is extracted all the way down to the marrow of the bones, for a collagen-rich soup that goes great with chicken and vegetables. This Hakata favorite has grown popular nationwide, and restaurants specializing in mizutaki can be found all over Japan. In this episode, Chef Saito will teach us how to bring the restaurant-style flavor of mizutaki home with his own recipe, using kombu kelp and rice to quickly reproduce a soup that usually requires simmering a chicken carcass for hours. We'll also learn how to finish off the hot pot with ramen noodles, taking advantage of all of the delicious flavors the soup gets from the ingredients cooked in it.

In this episode, we'll be making Japanese-style fried meatballs. Rika's mother taught her this unique recipe, where instead of stewing them, the meatballs are fried. By pre-heating onions in the microwave, their flavor can be integrated into the meat more easily. To add seasoning, we'll be using soy sauce, ginger and nutmeg, to give the flavor plenty of complexity. We'll also be focusing on side dish soups made with ginger, and showing a simple recipe for one of the many different Japanese dishes made with ginger.

In this episode, we'll be focusing on super-fast recipes. Chef Saito will be teaching us about 2 popular home-cooked Japanese dishes, and easy recipes to make each of them in just 15 minutes! Chef Saito is an expert in authentic Japanese cuisine, not just quick cooking, making for some surprising recipes that you won't want to miss. Our first dish is ginger fried pork, with a sweet and spicy sauce bound to make anyone hungry. Ginger has a lot of fibers in it, so it usually takes a lot of time and effort to grate, making it a dish that can take a while to prepare, and getting the balance of flavors in the sauce just right can be difficult, but by using Chef Saito's unique trick of using ginger ale, you can have the sauce ready in no time! We'll also be making quick niku-jaga, simmered potato and pork, using a surprising technique that involves heating the boiled potatoes in a dry pan.

Our theme for this episode is deep frying. We'll be making fried shrimp, covered in 3 different coatings: white sesame seeds, aonori and kakinotane rice crackers, making them a beautiful white, green and red for visual variety to match the different flavors. Chef Saito will also demonstrate a variety of techniques for preparing shrimp from start to finish to make them look as good as they taste. For our side, we'll be making a soup with the springtime flavors of hamaguri clams and rapini, and showing how to make a beautifully clear dashi stock, as well as how to choose the freshest clams.

In this episode, we'll be cooking with fukinoto butterbur shoots, a spring vegetable with just a hint of bitterness. For our first dish, we'll be making an easy-to-eat variation on a rural Japanese home-cooked dish, fukinoto with miso. Our main dish is crispy and delicious tempura with spring shoots, featuring fukinoto butterbur shoots, as well as taranome shoots and kogomi fiddlehead ferns. You won't want to miss the way we show you how to make crispy tempura batter using carbonated water! The tempura is served with salt and sour sudachi citrus. We'll also learn about how to combine new potatoes with avocado for a beautiful green potato salad.

Our theme for this episode is making soboro, or tiny seasoned bits. Chef Saito will be showing us how to make soboro that come in very handy for home cooking or bento lunches. Whether it's the sweet and savory simmered chicken soboro or the deliciously fine scrambled egg soboro, they both go great with fresh snow peas for a beautifully colorful topping to rice. We'll learn Chef Saito's useful techniques and tricks for making soboro, including how to make all of the pieces evenly sized. For our side, we'll be making paper-thin pickled turnip, an elegant Kyoto specialty. We'll teach you everything you need to know to make this traditional and beautiful type of pickled turnip at home.

In this episode, we'll be making deep-fried rockfish. By frying these spring fish whole at a low temperature, we can seal in their rich flavor to enjoy their flaky white meat and firm red skin, and serve the fish plated beautifully with grated daikon radish and ponzu sauce and scattered slices of green onion. For our side dish, we'll be making vegetable agebitashi with seasonal vegetables, by deep-frying these vegetables plain and then coating them with a special sauce, for a dish as beautiful as it is delicious. We'll also learn about how to make an Italian-style twist on Japanese octopus rice using a donabe clay pot, for a fragrant and delicious dish.

In our next two episodes, we'll be focusing on the Ise-Shima, Mie area of central Japan, which has been in the spotlight recently for the G7 Summit being held there. This scenic area is a treasure trove of fresh, delicious seafood, and we'll be learning about Kaiseki-style cuisine, which uses expert skills to bring out the very best of this incredible seafood. This episode will be focusing on two dishes: onigawara-yaki style grilled spiny lobster, made with one of Ise-Shima's best known catches, and handmade sushi balls, topped with a wide variety of the best of land and sea that Ise-Shima has to offer.

This second episode is dedicated to the Ise-Shima, Mie area of central Japan, where the G7 Summit will be held, and has long been a beloved traditional sightseeing destination. We'll learn from an expert how to make Ise Udon, a local noodle dish served to weary travelers to rejuvenate their minds and bodies. We'll also learn all about how to eat it from the "Ise Udon Ambassador," including easy instructions for how to make your own Ise Udon at home. For our second dish, we'll be focusing on Tekone Sushi, made with some of Ise-Shima's famously fresh and delicious seafood.

In this episode, we'll be making chikuzen-ni, a local favorite from Rika's hometown of Fukuoka beloved for the delicious texture of its chunky ingredients. Perfect for family gatherings or even just as a side in a bento lunch, this is an easy-to-make simmered dish once you just memorize the proportions of the seasonings. For our side, we'll be making eggs with tuna and green onions mixed in and cooked until golden brown. We'll also learn about miso soup, and how to make Rika's favorite, miso soup with daikon radish and abura-age fried tofu, among the many other possibilities offered by the incredible versatility of miso soup.

Our theme for this episode is "cutting." In the world of Japanese cuisine, cutting is counted as a cooking technique alongside other techniques like grilling or stewing. We'll be introducing some of the cutting techniques found in Japanese cuisine that help to bring out the best of the ingredients. The simplest cutting of all can be found in sashimi, one of the most famous examples of Japanese cuisine. To make sashimi, we will use cutting techniques developed over the years to make raw fish both delicious and beautiful.

In this episode, we'll be introducing beef cutlets, a popular dish from the Kansai region, prepared in Rika's own style. This delicious dish consists of juicy world-famous wagyu beef, coated in crunchy breading to seal in the great flavor. The meat is cooked rare to bring out the best of the beef, and is served with a Japanese-style sauce made with soy sauce and wasabi. For our side dish, we will be making akadashi miso soup with summer eggplant and tofu. Akadashi is made with bean-based miso, giving it a distinct aroma that makes it a great palate cleanser for a rich and fatty main dish. Finally, at the Chef's Personal Corner, Rika will be making a salad with fragrant watercress, meaty mushrooms, and Rika's special dressing, to go perfectly with the beef.

Our theme for this episode is "Dashi." dashi is often considered the characteristic foundational flavor of Japanese cuisine. Kombu kelp and bonito flakes have come to be relatively well known overseas, but in Japan, there is a third ingredient considered vital to making dashi: niboshi dried sardines. Kombu kelp dashi goes well with fish, and bonito flake dashi goes well with vegetables, while niboshi dashi has a light and clean flavor with a distinctive depth that comes from using whole fish, leading it to be a popular choice in homes all across Japan to make everyday miso soup since long ago. In this episode, Chef Saito will provide a lecture on making niboshi dashi, and we'll make hot nyumen noodles, a great way to enjoy the flavor of the dashi.

In this episode, we'll be making cabbage rolls with a recipe Rika learned from her mother. Cabbage leaves are wrapped around a tender, juicy meat filling, then stewed in a soup full of the sweetness of the vegetables, for a Western-style home-cooked favorite. For our side dish, we'll be making egg and shirasu rice bowl with sansho pepper: rice topped with scrambled egg and shirasu small sardine, with sansho pepper and sesame oil to provide the finishing touches on this original dish. Rika will also teach us about miso-marinated tofu, a simple yet great recipe for a side or snack, known for its deliciously cheese-like flavor.

"In this two-week special episode, chef Saito and host Yu Hayami step out of the studio and visit the Kamakura and Shonan regions of Kanagawa, introducing the wonders of the local ingredients. The first week covers Kamakura, a popular destination for top chefs and tourists from Tokyo in recent years. Produce of this region includes the fresh Kamakura vegetables, numerous varieties ranging from ancient local breeds to the newest foreign plants grown in small batches. They go on to visit the leading producers of the area to discover the allure of the vegetables of Kamakura. Using the seasonal produce they've just bought, Chef Saito will be showing how to make three basic dressings used in Japanese homemade dishes--the sesame and rice vinegar, tofu and vegetables, and Japanese mustard and miso. We'll be learning about a Japanese way of eating vegetables, choosing the most suiting vegetable for each dressing that enhances the seasonal flavor."

"In this two-week special episode, chef Saito and host Yu Hayami step out of the studio and visit the Kamakura and Shonan regions of Kanagawa, introducing the wonders of the local ingredients. On the second episode, the duo heads to Shonan to enjoy the summer flavors native to Sagami Bay. The complex underwater terrain and the kuroshio current makes the bay a prime fishing ground, which is a home to about 1300 species of fish of which 300 varieties are caught for caught. Shirasu small sardines caught in Sagami is particularly famous across Japan, and eating these raw is a Shonan specialty. Freshly boiled shirasu has also been loved by all around the Kanto region. The chef and Yu visit the Shonan morning market and shirasu fishers, getting their hands on some fresh seasonal ingredients. We'll be making a rice bowl using plenty of boiled shirasu, and a fried mackerel and plum roll made with fragrant plum and nori seaweed."

In this episode, we will recreate the maze-sushi or mixed sushi that Rika's mother used to make her for dinner. This sushi is vibrant, using the Japanese cuisine principle of five colors. It is perfect if you don't like fish, as it uses chicken and other vegetables. As a side dish, we'll make a traditional nutritious spinach dish mixed with tofu and aromatic sesame (spinach shiraae). In the Chef's corner, the Rika will be making a soup full of littleneck clams and green onions, which can help you recover from fatigue and increase your metabolism – a great way to survive the hot summer!

In this episode, we'll be making curry with gyusuji, or beef tendons. Beef tendons slowly stewed in a sweet and savory broth made with sugar and soy sauce are a popular addition to okonomiyaki, yakisoba, udon, and more. In the Kansai region, beef tendons simmered as part of simmered daikon radish with miso to make dote-ni are variations long beloved as everyday dishes. Rika will be demonstrating her pressure cooker prowess to quickly stew beef tendons until they're tender, then add Japanese curry roux, coriander seed, cardamom, garam masala, and other spices to put together a delicious curry. For her side dishes, she'll be making octopus sautéed with wasabi, butter and soy sauce, as well as pickled myoga ginger buds and okra.

In this episode, we'll be making tamagoyaki sandwiches, a dish that has seen rising popularity of late. The standard Japanese egg sandwich is generally thought of as being made with chopped egg and mayonnaise, but in the Kansai region of western Japan, sandwiches made with omelets are common as well. Recently, this type of egg sandwich is becoming a popular trend in Tokyo, and Rika will make her own tamagoyaki sandwich with a thick omelet for a filling meal. For her sides, she'll be making fried chicken wing kara-age that uses nam pla sauce for a finishing touch, and a simple yet nutritious carrot soup.

In this episode, we'll be making hand-rolled temaki sushi, a staple of Japanese house parties. Instead of the usual fresh seafood, we'll be filling the sushi with more laid-back items like cheese and ham, for simple sushi that's bound to delight kids and grown-ups alike. In addition to cheese and ham, we'll be making sushi filled with surimi, tuna and mayonnaise, watercress, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, and takuan pickled daikon radish, for a spread that offers a delicious variety of flavors and textures. We'll also be making mizu-yokan, a popular summer treat. By making cuts into a bamboo leaf and rolling it around the mizu-yokan, it can be served in a dish with ice, keeping it chilled to make the most of its juicy texture.

In this episode, we'll be making nanban-zuke marinated swordfish with some heat from a chili pepper, the perfect dish for appetites lost to the hot summer days. Chef Saito will be using bell peppers, onion, basil, and more for a beautiful and delicious dish, and he'll also show the tricks to getting the best flavor out of vegetables. For our side, we'll be making braised dried daikon radish. With its sweet and savory flavor and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, it makes the perfect accompaniment, rounding out the meal alongside rice, miso soup, and freshly pickled vegetables.

In this episode, we'll be making rice with healthy chicken breast and umeboshi pickled plums. We'll be cooking the chicken rare, to help it keep its flavor, with green shiso leaves and a refreshing ume plum sauce. For a side dish, we'll be making egg drop soup, using the water we cooked the chicken in. With the glutamic acid from kombu kelp and the inosinic acid from the chicken, this soup has plenty of umami for a rich, delicious flavor. We'll also be making potato salad with green beans. This simple salad is made by lightly boiling our vegetables, then adding a special sauce made with mayonnaise and wasabi.

In this episode, Chef Saito will be making teriyaki chicken, a Japanese standard. Teriyaki is a distinctly Japanese style of cooking, where a soy sauce-based sweet and savory sauce is added to foods being pan-fried or grilled to coat them. This style of cooking is becoming well known worldwide, and Chef Saito will explain the basics. And for our side dish, nothing says fall in Japan quite like salmon, so we'll also be making salmon rice, full of plenty of other fall ingredients too, like mushrooms, Japanese herbs, and mitsuba trefoil.

In this episode, we'll be making omelet rice, deliciously flavored with butter and ketchup, and with a tender, fluffy omelet. This simple recipe for this western-style Japanese dish is made without wrapping the omelet around the rice, for easier preparation. For our side dish, we'll be using eggplant, a fall ingredient, grilling it and serving it with a miso dressing. The dressing is made with sushi vinegar, giving it a deliciously light and clean flavor. We'll also learn about how to make a Japanese-style jelly from soymilk and black sesame seeds, for a healthy dessert that makes the most of the mild sweetness of the soymilk and the rich aroma of the sesame seeds.

The prefecture of Okinawa at the southern tip of Japan once flourished as the independent Ryukyu Dynasty, and its unique and colorful culture remains to this day. Ayaka Yamamoto is a legendary chef who draws on the traditions of the Ryukyu Dynasty for modern Ryukyu cuisine, and in this two-part special she will introduce us to Ryukyu cuisine. In this first episode, she will be preparing three dishes. The first of these is minudaru, a dish made by topping steamed pork with plenty of black sesame. This dish is representative of Okinawa's food culture, and was once served as an appetizer to foreign dignitaries visiting the Ryukyu Kingdom, as a way of demonstrating hospitality. The second dish is stewed pork spareribs, considered the finest delicacy. Finally, her third dish is rúyìzomin, a beautiful clear soup made with somen noodles, with a name representing its auspicious meaning.

In part 2 of this special, we will be learning more about Ryukyu Cuisine, the unique food culture developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom through exposure to Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian cultures. Our host Yu Hayami will visit Ayaka Yamamoto, the leading authority on the traditional cuisine of the Ryukyu Islands, and both learn about the essence of Ryukyu culture and cuisine, while sharing Okinawa's food culture with the world. In this second episode, we will be learning about Ryukyu home cuisine, including how to make three dishes: fu-irichi, bira-garamachi, and kufa-jushi.

The Japanese noodle dish udon has garnered a lot of attention from overseas in recent years. In this episode, we'll be making curry udon, which combines traditional Japanese udon noodles with curry, a western-style Japanese food. Chef Saito will be sharing the secrets of the recipe he makes at home for his own family, made with kombucha and soy sauce. We'll also be making jumbo shrimp tempura, the perfect addition to make curry udon feel extra special, and we'll learn techniques for how to make crispy tempura, like how to scatter the batter when deep-frying.

In this episode, we'll be preparing three dishes that make the most of some of the incredible ingredients available in fall. Our main dish is simmered pacific saury with ginger, made by chopping these deliciously fatty fish into large pieces and simmering them until tender, with plenty of ginger and other seasonings commonly used in Japanese cuisine. We'll also be taking advantage of some of fall's delicious seasonal ingredients, making chestnut rice as well as a clear soup that combines shrimp dumplings with matsutake mushrooms, the "king of autumnal flavors." To bring out the best flavor from the mushrooms, we'll be cooking them separately from the shrimp dumplings, only bringing them together at the very end in the serving bowl — a preparation style befitting this exquisite dish.

In this episode, Chef Saito will be making chawanmushi savory egg custard, known to be a particularly difficult steamed dish to prepare. He'll be teaching us how to avoid all the common pitfalls, from the difficulty of maintaining the right temperature to the risk of the custard separating or developing holes. For our side dish, we'll be making crab rice, a delicious dish prepared in a donabe clay pot. The red of the crab and the green of the mitsuba trefoil sprinkled on top give it a beautifully colorful look, and a hint of ginger serves as a finishing touch to bring the flavor together.

Our theme of this episode is kneading. We'll teach you how to make chicken tsukune meatballs for a soup, by kneading ground chicken until it develops enough stickiness to come together into balls. We'll also show you the unique Japanese ingredient you can add to make your tsukune meatballs light and tender. Our soup this week has a wonderfully high-class feel to it as well. Finally, we'll show you an alternative way to serve the tsukune meatballs, with a sweet and savory mitarashi sauce.

Our main focus this episode is on shabu-shabu, a famous Japanese dish on par with sushi or tempura. We'll be using soy milk, a convenient way to get the healthy protein of soy beans, to make the shabu-shabu broth with Chinese and Japanese chili spices, and use it to quickly and deliciously cook plenty of pork and vegetables.

This week, we'll be making the famous Japanese dish tempura, but with a twist! For our main dish, we'll be making rice balls — a Japanese favorite — with shrimp and scallop tempura inside. We'll also be making a light beef shank soup to help warm the body on these cold winter days, as well as a delicious sauté made with vitamin-rich spinach, fresh cream, sesame oil, and soy sauce, for a surprisingly delicious combination of flavors.

Our theme for this episode is "simmering." We'll be using the unique Japanese ingredient, koya tofu, as our main ingredient, and simmering it alongside three other ingredients. Koya tofu is freeze-dried, so it soaks up soups and liquids, making it a delicious ingredient to use. Our other ingredients, shrimp and chrysanthemum leaves, are both simmered with different methods, and then all three ingredients are brought together at the end for a finished result as beautiful as it is delicious. We'll also be making a unique variant on fried chicken, using crumbled koya tofu for its breading.

Our theme in this episode is marinating. We'll be making Yuan-yaki, a dish originating in Japanese traditional culture, by marinating ingredients in yuan sauce and then grilling them. We'll be adding miso to our soy sauce and mirin-based yuan sauce, then marinating salmon and chicken in it to flavor them.

Our theme of this episode is making hot pots! We'll be introducing oki-suki, a dish that was once prepared by fishers on their boats during downtime while fishing. The "oki" means "offshore," and the "suki" comes from the name of the dish sukiyaki. With seasonal seafood, including buri yellowtail, and a rich soy sauce-based soup, this hot pot features flavors you'll only find in Japanese cuisine. We'll also show you how to finish up the leftover soup in the traditionally delicious Japanese way.

We'll be visiting the far northern prefecture of Akita and learning about Akita's local cooking over two episodes. In the first episode, we'll learn about Kiritampo-nabe, a hotpot dish once cooked by the Matagi, hunters who lived in the mountains. This hotpot contains local Hinai chicken, seri, maitake mushrooms, burdock root, and kiritampo, the item that gives the dish its name. Made by mashing rice, then spreading it on a stick and grilling it, kiritampo are perfect for soaking up the rich flavor of the Hinai chicken soup. We'll also learn about Akita's unique food culture, full of the flavors of nature.

We're visiting the far northern prefecture of Akita and learning about Akita's cooking over two episodes. In this second episode, we'll learn about koji, used to make indispensable Japanese ingredients like miso, soy sauce, sake, or mirin. The town of Yokote, Akita is famous nationwide for its rice, and the town's food culture features many fermented items based on the use of this exceptional rice has been used to make koji since long ago. By mixing koji and salt, we can make the all-purpose condiment shio-koji that has been sweeping Japan in the past few years. We'll learn a simple recipe to make shio-koji, and see ways to use it to make Japanese dishes even more delicious. This week, we hope to introduce the world to the mysterious and wonderful powers of koji!

Our theme of this episode is seafood. For our main dish, we'll be making asari littleneck clam rice. Littleneck clams are in season right now, so Rika will be introducing this original recipe inspired by Fukagawa-meshi, some of Tokyo's regional cooking. We'll also be learning how to make a soup with oysters and turnips, which are sweeter and tenderer in the spring, as well as nokke tofu, or tofu topped with whitebait and shrimp, rounding off our three seafood dishes for this episode.

Our main recipe in this episode is tofu hamburger steaks, a healthy variation on the Japanese western-style standard, made with tofu and low-fat ground chicken instead of beef or pork. By steam-frying these hamburger steaks in a frying pan, they'll come out nicely light and juicy, and the sauce we'll make for them with ponzu and grated daikon radish gives them a deliciously light, clean flavor. For our sides, we'll also be making pumpkin salad, sugar-glazed carrot and shiitake mushrooms, and sugar snap peas, making for a beautifully colorful spread perfect for spring.

This episode's theme is Japanese home cooking, bridging the gap between East and West. Our main dish this episode will be shrimp doria with fava beans. While doria looks like a dish originally from Western Europe, its roots actually trace back to a long-established hotel in the port city of Yokohama. Buttered rice, topped with seafood and white sauce, then covered in cheese and baked, is the usual simplified homemade style that Rika will be making her own variant on, using a microwave to make a simple white sauce and flavoring the buttered rice with soy sauce. As a side dish, Rika will be making a fresh mushroom and shungiku chrysanthemum leaf salad with a hint of sesame oil, and for dessert, we have pudding made with matcha green tea, well known even overseas nowadays. We'll show you the secret to heating your pudding to give it a perfect, beautiful finish!

Delicious food served on top of a deep bowl of rice, known as donburi (or just -don), is a favorite style of Japanese cooking. In this episode, we'll be introducing one of the most popular donburi, Oyakodon, topped with egg and chicken. We'll show you how to prepare Rika's own spicy variation, made by simmering chicken and onions in a sweet and spicy sauce. Add some beaten egg to bring it together and ladle it on top of rice for a bowl of happiness. We'll also be making a salad and a soup with chicken, culminating in a full course meal perfect for enjoying a variety of different textures, all from the same type of meat.

Our theme this time is frying. We'll be making golden-fried scallops and shrimp, shaped like old gold coins used in Japan. Our chef will show off how to make the unique sauce with butter and soy sauce that coats the scallops and shrimp before they're fried to a golden finish. We'll also be making rapini flavored with mustard. The pungency of the mustard gives the rapini an addicting flavor. Finally, in The Master Chef's world, we'll learn about the importance of expressing the feel of each of the four seasons in Japanese cuisine.

The theme of this episode is "pressing." We'll be making pressed crab sushi, concentrating the delicious flavor of crab. By using crab, egg, and mitsuba honewort, we'll be making layered that's as beautiful as it is delicious. For our second item, we'll be making clear soup with bamboo shoots and wakame seaweed, taking advantage of the tender bamboo shoots that are currently in season.

Our theme this time is "rolling." We'll be making harumaki spring rolls: crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The ingredients include firm yet tender shrimp, fluffy egg, and nori to give them a hint of distinctly Japanese flavor. For our side dish, we'll be making the Japanese favorite kimpira, a colorful and delicious combination of sweet carrots and fragrant sesame oil.

In this episode, we'll be cooking rice with the increasingly popular worldwide favorite, edamame. Our main dish will be a steamed dish featuring celery, our MC Patrick's favorite. We'll layer the celery with both pork and chicken and flavor it all with a sauce made from doubanjiang, a spicy seasoning paste from China, and miso paste from Japan. This easy-to-make recipe provides a wonderfully complex blend of vegetable and meat flavors, making it the perfect dish to serve guests.

In this episode, we'll be cooking rice with the increasingly popular worldwide favorite, edamame. Our main dish will be a steamed dish featuring celery, our MC Patrick's favorite. We'll layer the celery with both pork and chicken and flavor it all with a sauce made from doubanjiang, a spicy seasoning paste from China, and miso paste from Japan. This easy-to-make recipe provides a wonderfully complex blend of vegetable and meat flavors, making it the perfect dish to serve guests.

Our theme this episode is kabayaki grilled unagi eel. We'll introduce you to the traditions of this Japanese favorite, starting with the chef cutting up the eel while it's still alive, then putting the meat on skewers, dipping it in a soy sauce-based sauce, then grilling it until it's perfectly browned and delicious. On this episode, we'll be visiting a long-established unagi eel restaurant, where we'll learn about the impressively complex world of working with unagi eel, and we'll find out what their saying "three years for skewering, eight years for cutting up, and a lifetime for grilling" means. We'll also be taking a look at the secret techniques used to raise the perfect unagi eels for kabayaki.

Our theme this episode is sakura shrimp. These clear pink shrimp can only be caught in fall and winter, off the coast of Yui, Shizuoka, in the Suruga Bay, making them a rare treat. We'll meet the third-generation chef of a seafood restaurant in Yui that boasts 65 years of history, and he'll show us a number of dishes made using these unique shrimp. In particular, we'll learn about sakura shrimp kaki-age, made with the lightest batter possible to give it a light, crisp crunch, while letting the sakura shrimp's natural sweetness and color shine through.

Our theme this episode is the home cooking of Japan's southernmost prefecture, Okinawa. Okinawa has its own unique food culture, as you might expect from islands so far south, and it has less in common than you might expect with the general Japanese cuisine. Our main focus will be on Okinawa soba noodles, featuring a light soup made from katsuo-bushi bonito flakes and topped with tender pork belly simmered in awamori, Okinawa's famous local spirits. We'll also introduce two vegetable stir-fries that you can make easily and quickly as side dishes.

Our theme this episode is grilling. We'll be using a popular ingredient, salmon, to make shallow-fried salmon. We'll marinate it in a delicious sauce, then sprinkle it with sesame seeds and ao-nori powder and fry it in a small amount of oil. For our side, we'll also be making a salad with firm octopus, crisp celery, and our chef's secret-recipe ume dressing for a light and refreshing Japanese flavor. Finally, we'll talk about the many versatile ways that salmon is used throughout Japan, from shio-yaki grilled in salt to sashimi, sushi, hotspots, and more.

Our theme this episode is vinegar. We'll be exploring the world of vinegar, from the rice vinegar considered a staple of Japanese cooking, to sushi vinegar seasoned with sugar and umami, to red vinegar made from aged sake lees. Rika will show us her own recipe for vinegared sushi rice, topping it with vinegar-marinated aji horse mackerel for a light and refreshing chirashi-sushi with a decidedly grown-up flavor. We'll also be making simmered squid and potatoes with sesame seeds as two simple sides guaranteed to make any dinner lively!

Our theme this episode is "soaking." We'll be making a shojin ryori (vegan Buddhist monk dish) called ganmodoki tofu fritters, simmered for plenty of flavor. The dish starts with carefully strained tofu, with shiitake mushrooms, carrot, lotus root, and ginkgo nuts added, and finally nagaimo yam added before forming it into balls and frying until golden brown. Ganmodoki fritters are delicious on their own, but today we'll be simmering them in a flavorful soup made with kombu kelp. We'll also be making jade-simmered eggplants by half-peeling eggplants in strips, then frying them in oil, and finally soaking them in a kombu kelp dashi to let them soak up the rich, delicious flavor. We'll also talk about the history of shojin ryori, a traditional Japanese form of cooking practiced by Buddhist monks, designed to minimize food waste and to make vegetables look and taste like fish or meat.

In this episode, we'll be introducing the Japanese favorite gyudon, or "beef bowl." Beef is simmered in a flavorful mixture of equal parts mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and sake, making this an easy and delicious recipe even for beginners, and it's made with Japan's unique cut of thinly sliced beef trimmings, making the dish affordable as well. As a finishing touch, we'll add a poached egg on top of the simmered beef topping the rice, perfectly complementing the beef's sweet and savory flavor.

In this episode, we'll be making yaki-udon noodles. Udon noodles are available in Japan dried or frozen. We'll be cooking frozen udon noodles in a frying pan to prepare a simple yaki-udon dish, flavored with the Japanese staple soy sauce and Chinese oyster sauce, as well as the secret ingredients curry powder, giving it a pan-Asian flavor. We'll also be using our spicy seasonings in a simple side dish that lets Rika's personal style really shine.

In this episode, we'll be learning about Chanchan-yaki, a local dish from Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, and our chef Rika will show us her own unique take on the dish. Chanchan-yaki is made by steam-frying salmon with vegetables like cabbage and onions on a griddle, and it's a great example of Hokkaido's hearty cuisine. Rika's slightly spicy miso sauce really brings out the best of the rich, fatty salmon that's in season! We'll also learn about two delicious side dishes made with seasonal Autumn ingredients, like figs and matsutake mushrooms.

Our theme this week is "hand-shaping." We'll be making bento meals: a small box packed full of the many different sides. We'll show you a variety of quick sides that you can make even on a busy morning: the Japanese simmered standard chikuzen-ni, the indispensable egg omelet, and pork with a deliciously gingery sauce. And of course, we'll be making hand-shaped salted rice onigiri rolls, a bento staple and this week's theme. We'll also learn about the fundamentals of Japanese cooking through Chef Saito's specialty bento lunch, with five colors for plenty of nutrients. Finally, Chef Saito will show us the history of how bento meals have long been closely connected with seasonal events and traditional culture year-round in Japan.

Our theme for this episode is "cooking rice," and we'll be introducing the Japanese celebratory staple sekihan rice. Its chewy texture is beloved all across Japan. We'll teach you the secrets to making the azuki beans a beautiful red, and the trick to making sesame salt, the perfect finishing touch to bring out the natural sweetness of the beans. We will make it in a special way that even Japanese people don't know about! For our side dish, we'll be making simmered shrimp coated with egg. This dish is a celebratory standard at high-class Japanese restaurants, and Chef Saito will be teaching us every step of how to make it, from preparing the shrimp to cooking it perfectly. We'll also learn about the history of sekihan: since long ago, it has been said to have the power to drive off evil spirits, so sekihan has long been a special dish in Japanese cooking. Watch as we unravel the mysteries of the special significance of its red color.

Our theme this episode is seared bonito tuna. We'll be learning about Kochi Prefecture, located on the Pacific coast and positively overflowing with outstanding seafood, for famously delicious seared bonito tuna. These fresh and wonderfully fatty tuna are caught with rods and lines, and then briefly grilled to a sear over a straw fire, sealing in the delicious wild tuna flavor that makes this such a popular local dish. We'll learn from the head chef of one of Kochi's most famous high-class restaurants, which has been in operation for centuries. We'll also try moray eel, one of Kochi's most popular foods, both lightly breaded and deep-fried, and in a hotpot. Finally, in our Master Chef's World corner, we'll learn about sawachi-ryori, a style of local cooking that grew out of Kochi's culture of hospitality.

Our theme this episode is cooking with the su-mikan fruits of Kochi. Kochi is not only a major producer of yuzu, a su-mikan fruit that has garnered attention worldwide of late, but with its plentiful sunlight and clean, pure water, Kochi is a veritable agricultural treasure trove. These su-mikan fruits such as yuzu, encompass a huge number of fruits such as bushukan, naoshichi, and hanayu. We'll learn from a master chef who has learned in his 45-year career how best to use this abundant variety of local produce as different varieties come into season throughout the year.

The first of two episodes where we introduce Osechi-ryori, the special cooking for celebrating the new year in Japan. We'll be focusing on O-zoni soup and kurikinton, two of the many different Osechi-ryori dishes. Using a carefully prepared and richly flavorful dashi stock as a base, we'll be adding daikon radish and carrot cut into auspicious turtle and crane shapes to pray for a long life, as well as other ingredients for a colorful dish full of good luck for the new year. We'll also learn about regional O-zoni variations like different dashi or differently-shaped mochi. Finally, we'll also be preparing an indispensable Osechi-ryori dessert, kurikinton, made with fresh cream and egg yolks, for a recipe that has a slightly more "international" flavor than usual.

In this episode, we'll be making Japanese-style beef stew. This simmered dish, beloved the world over, is particularly popular in Japan. Usually, stir-frying the ingredients first and then cooking them over low heat takes a lot of time and effort, but in Rika's hands, it's ready in just a moment's time. This dish's combination of delicious flavor and ease of cooking makes it perfect for guests. For our side dish, we'll be making a refreshing salad that combines the slight bitterness of shungiku chrysanthemum leaves with orange, and for dessert, Rika will be making a shortcake of her own devising that combines the best elements of sponge cake and chiffon cake.

The second of two episodes where we introduce Osechi-ryori, the special cooking for celebrating the new year in Japan. In this episode, we'll be focusing on items served inside of a traditional ju-bako box, in particular Chef Saito's own unique take on nishime and a colorful namasu salad. Nishime is a fairly common household dish, and for the new year, we'll be preparing it with shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, burdock root, and carrot, cut into shapes reminiscent of pine, bamboo, and ume plum trees, signs of good luck in Japan; each item is selected for its meaning, and carefully prepared. Because Osechi-ryori dishes have strong flavors to help them keep, our second dish, namasu salad, makes a great palate cleanser, with the slightly tart vinegar giving a light flavor to the daikon radish and carrot. We'll be garnishing it with yuzu citrus peel, which has the perfect fragrance for ringing in the new year.

This episode we have a rice porridge created using soup stock made from dried scallop, an ingredient used in Chinese cuisine. With ginger added too, it is a perfect winter dish that will warm your body to the core. We will take a look at it together with a rich-flavored sautéed chicken with teriyaki sauce and a wonderfully nutritious egg dish that both go superbly with a light porridge.

The theme for this episode is Cream Stew. A variety of delicious ingredients in a soup nicely thickened with milk, it is a popular home-cooked meal in Japan in winter. It uses seasonal oysters lavishly, and has a light flavor that goes perfectly with rice. Accompanied by a salad seasoned with sushi vinegar and a Japanese sake jelly, it is a full course of Rika's original Japanese nouvelle cuisine.

The theme for this episode is Dressing Techniques (Part 1). Japanese cuisine contains a magnificent array of aemono, or dressed dishes. Here we will take a look at one of such dishes known as shiraae. Vegetables and seafood, such as tuna, cuttlefish, and scallops, are colorfully dressed using a paste made from tofu. Another variation is a tofu paste and persimmon aemono, which is also wonderful as either an appetizer or dessert.

The theme for this episode is Dressing Techniques (Part 2). We will take a look at the dressed dish known as nutaae that uses a dressing made with miso, the characteristic Japanese food. The rich, golden sauce and luscious green onion produce a beautiful spring feel. Another variation is the Japanese favorite macaroni salad prepared in the nutaae style.

The theme for this episode is the ever-popular gyoza. A filling of minced meat and chopped vegetables is kneaded together, wrapped in a dough skin and fried. There is an incredible variety of gyoza depending on the ingredients and cooking method used by individual restaurants or households. Rika-style gyoza use pork mince, and four vegetables including Chinese cabbage and shiso, to create a light and tantalizing flavor.

This episode features bamboo shoots - the ingredient that symbolizes spring in Japan! We take a look at takikomi rice, as well as chawan mushi which is given a smooth, velvety texture with egg and which brings out the full umami flavor of dashi. In addition to these two fine examples of Japanese cuisine that use bamboo springs lovingly, we will also present a simple steamed fish dish.

We take a look at chakin sushi, which consists of sushi rice carefully wrapped in thinly fried egg and then colorfully decorated. Garnished with shrimp and rapini, it brings a wonderful feeling of spring to the table. The second dish is a soup that uses dashi and egg white, and creates a delightful appearance of blooming flowers.

A tonkatsu sandwich of fresh pork loin covered in a crisp bread-crumb coating and wrapped in lovely soft bread, is wonderful when you feel like treating yourself for lunch. Packed in a lunch box with some pickles, it's also perfect for a picnic amongst the cherry blossoms!

The theme for this episode is "cutting". We take a look at ushio-jiru soup using an in-season fish, sea bream. We'll show you how to fillet a sea bream and create a delicious soup with a fantastic aroma. It's garnished with iris-shaped udo and rapini to add a lovely touch of spring. The second dish is rice with sea bream, which uses dashi and leftover fish from the ushio-jiru soup, bringing out the umami of the sea bream.

The theme for this episode is a hand-rolled sushi party that children can enjoy, too! Our main sushi roll fillings will be chicken soboro and egg omelet. It is perfect for people who don't eat raw fish or who live in areas without easy access to fresh fish. We'll also show you how to make grilled tofu with a miso sauce which is perfect as an appetizer, as well as a warming Japanese comfort food, shiratama-shiruko (sweet azuki bean soup with rice dumplings) for dessert.

The theme for this episode is sautéing. We're going to cook a world-famous Japanese food, teriyaki swordfish. The thick-sliced, nicely-browned swordfish is sautéed in the sweet, aromatic teriyaki sauce until it's been glazed beautifully. For our second dish, we're making daikon radish steak, sautéed in great-smelling sesame oil, and topped with grated daikon to add a refreshing flavor.

Our main dish in this episode is udon, the Japanese noodles that are becoming popular worldwide. We'll show you how to make chilled udon with Rika's delicious dipping sauce that combines the appetizing aroma of sesame seeds with the flavor of the Chinese condiment douban-jiang. The sauce also goes great with Chinese noodles or phở, too, making it a great recipe to know.

Rika grew up in a large city named Fukuoka. It is considered to be one of Japan's culinary destinations with everything from delicious street food to high-end cuisine. Today, she is making 3 dishes and all of them are local Fukuoka specialties.

The theme of this episode is "Deep frying." We'll be making crispy deep-fried chicken wing Kara-age, flavored with sake and soy sauce and served with a Japanese-style negi green onion sauce made with dashi stock, and beautifully garnished with shishito chili peppers and white negionion. We'll also show you how to easily remove chicken bones! For another variation, we'll try something unique with our chicken wing Kara-age lettuce wraps, made with red miso paste and mayonnaise — perfect for any party!

In this episode, we're going to take a look at Kushiage or deep-fried skewers, one of the popular local foods of Osaka's unique food culture. We'll be using Rika's selection of pork, asparagus and three other ingredients, and we'll deep-fry them using two types of breading, for two different textures. In addition, we also will make three sauces to add more variety.

In this episode, we will learn about Nikujaga, the very popular Japanese food. Its ingredients are very simple, so even if you are not in Japan, you can still make it easily. Our version of this recipe adds a Chinese chili paste, Douban-jiang. The chili's fragrance and the miso's richness will enhance the complexity of the dish's flavor. This Japanese home cooking classic will turn out to be something unique and surprising.

Our main dish in this episode is Yakisoba, a staple of Japanese summer festivals. We're using plenty of shrimp and vegetables, and adding some salt and nam pla to give it a light, clean flavor. We'll also be preparing a squid salad with lemon, and a sautéed liver side seasoned with a variety of Asian flavors to give us the energy to beat the heat, for a meal perfectly suited to the season.

Our theme of this episode is handmade soba noodles. Our teacher will be the handmade soba master, Akila Inouye, showing us a fail-safe method for delicious soba noodles that even beginners will have no trouble with! We'll be cooking mori-soba, the best way to enjoy their natural buckwheat flavor. In addition to soba noodles, we'll also show you how to make a dipping sauce, and a delicious bukkake soba recipe with seasonal vegetables and duck! This will be the perfect first steps on your journey to becoming a soba master yourself!

Our theme of this episode is marinating, and our teacher will be Chef Saito, mentor to a number of famous chefs worldwide. We'll be learning how to prepare fish by tossing it with salt to remove the moisture, then marinating it in vinegar. Vinegar marination is a technique invented long ago in Japan to preserve fresh fish, and has been passed down for generations. It's great for not just preserving fish, but for using the vinegar to give fish a delicious flavor that's unlike sashimi. We'll also be learning a modern spin on the recipe that's rolled up in nori with uniquely Japanese herbs — don't miss it!

Our main dish in this episode is made with edamame, in season for summer and finding popularity all around the world! East meets west for our edamame pasta dish, and with a cold eggplant salad on the side, and the popular Japanese summer dessert mizu-yokan, all three of our recipes will help you stave off the summer heat!

The theme of this episode is pan-frying. Chef Saito will be showing us a Japanese twist on steak, a worldwide favorite. The secret is the ume-sesame sauce: the tartness of the sauce goes perfectly with the fattiness of the steak, for a clean, delicious flavor. We'll also be leaning how to make miso soup with tofu and wakame seaweed, a Japanese standard. We'll be making it with a niboshi dried fish dashi as the base, for a delicious side to go perfectly with our steak!

Our theme this week is the American-born Japanese food, the California Roll. Featuring colorful fillings like salmon and avocado, and with decorations on the outside, too. We'll also be making a side dish that'll teach you the secrets of how to use the sushi staples, wasabi and nori.

There are many variations of curry, which is popular around the world. It is said curry was originally brought to Japan from the U.K. and it has evolved, adjusting to Japanese palates. In this episode, Rika is making Japanese-style curry and rice. Using her creativity, she makes it extra special.

Our main dish in this episode is menchi katsu, just as delicious hot and fresh as it is cooled down. Mix meat and vegetables, make patties, and bread them. Fry them up and they're nice and crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and absolutely irresistible. We'll also take a look at three great sides to go perfectly with menchi katsu in your next bento lunch box!

Our theme in this episode is simmering. We'll be making Simmered Taro and Beef with ingredients that are in season for autumn. With its sauce made with a shiitake dashi stock, and its beautiful glaze, this is one dish sure to make anyone hungry. We'll also be putting a unique spin on a classic by making chewy croquette with the simmered taro and ginger.

The theme of this episode is deep-frying. We'll be using top-quality flounder and preparing it ikada-age style, making even the bones delicious. We'll fillet the flounder into five pieces, soak it in salt water, and fry them up to look like little rafts that could float on water. After frying the flounder to get crispy bones and tender meat, we'll be making green tea soba noodles with chili-seasoned grated daikon and ten-tsuyu sauce for a dish as beautifully reminiscent of pine needles as it is delicious.

The theme of this episode is "grilling." We'll be introducing the Japanese favorite, kabayaki. We'll learn the easy way to spread open sardines for kabayaki without even using a knife. We'll also learn about how to make a variation on kabayaki by flaking the sardines and adding dashi stock, to make delicious hitsumabushi.

Our theme of this episode is deep-frying. We'll be working with mushrooms, in season for fall, and making Autumn Kakiage mixed tempura with a variety of ingredients, like lotus root, maitake mushrooms, scallops, shrimp, and more, for a deliciously crunchy and colorful dish. We'll also make a variation on the recipe, letting the flavor of nori shine in our chicken tenderloin nori-fry.

Our theme this of episode is the fall harvest. We'll be cooking a meal with the ingredients and flavors of fall. Our main dish will be salmon and three types of mushrooms, wrapped in foil and baked. We'll also be making beautiful sweet potatoes simmered in syrup, with the purple of the skins contrasting with the yellow of the inside. Finally, for our third dish, we'll be making a delicious bacon and burdock root soup with dashi made from kombu kelp and bonito flakes.

Our theme of this episode is warm noodles, full of the best of land and sea, to make cold winter days better. The port city of Nagasaki, on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan, remained open to foreign trade even when Japan closed itself off from the 1600s to the 1800s. As a result, Nagasaki developed its own unique food culture, and this week Rika will be making her own version of Nagasaki's famous noodle dish, champon.

Our theme of this episode is sushi. We'll be introducing sushi, that most famous of Japanese foods. We'll invite Chef Yasuda, who has dedicated himself to sushi for thirty years, including running New York's top sushi shop. He'll show us how to make Edo-style sushi with the finest ingredients, sharing the secrets of how to cook the rice, prepare the fish, put the sushi together, and even the best way to eat it. He'll also teach us about nori-wrapped negitoro rolls.

Yakiniku is basically a very simple dish of grilled meat. So, today's point is Rika's original sauce that she developed through trial and error! We are sure you will be addicted to her original sauce once you try it and then you can't stop eating!Japanese-style BBQ [Ingredients] *Serves 2 200g beef round 200g beef flank 200g beef sirloin Red leaf lettuce Boston leaf lettuce Shiso leaves Cucumber White part of leek [For dipping sauce] 4 tbsp chopped leek 2 tbsp grated apple 2 tsp grated garlic 2 tsp grated ginger 6 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp sake 2 tsp honey 2 tsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp salt Wasabi, to taste Gochujang and vinegar, to taste [Method] 1. To make Rika's original dipping sauce, chop the leek, grate the apple, garlic and ginger. Add the seasonings and mix well. 2. Rinse the vegetables well, and cut into hand-size pieces as needed. Thinly cut the cucumber. Cut the white part of the leek and immerse it in cold water to crisp it, arrange on a plate. 3. Cut each part of the beef into 4mm thick slices. If the slices are a little tough, lightly pound to tenderize. 4. Marinate the slices as if you are massaging. Do this 3 to 5 minutes before grilling. 5. Grill both sides until the surface gets burned. 6. Rika recommends a healthy way to eat the meat slices by wrapping with vegetable leaves. Serve with wasabi, and the mixture of gochujang and vinegar. Fluffy Egg Drop Soup [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 cups water 1 tsp granulated dashi 1 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1 egg 10 cm piece of leek [Method] 1. Heat the water, granulated dashi, and nam pla in a saucepan. 2. Place the leek strips in a bowl, crack the egg, and beat. 3. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the gently simmering pan, wait, then turn off the heat just before the egg mixture coagulates. 4. Ladle into a bowl, being c

Today's main dish is Japanese hamburger steak, "hambagu"! One of the most popular dishes served in Japanese homes. Rika's hambagu is a thick, fluffy patty which is cooked in a frying pan. The meat juice is sealed into the hambagu, and it's delicious when combined with the flavor of soy sauce and wine!Hamburger Steak with Soy Sauce & Wine Sauce [Ingredients] *Serves 2 200g ground beef 100g ground pork 1/2 onion 1 egg 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 tsp salt Nutmeg Black pepper Olive oil 1 tsp vegetable oil 1/3 cup red wine 1 tsp soy sauce 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 tbsp honey [Method] 1. Mince the onion and microwave for 2 minutes. 2. In a bowl, place the ground beef, ground pork, onion, breadcrumbs and egg. Add the salt, nutmeg, pepper and olive oil, and knead well by hand. 3. Divide the mixture in half. Shape each half between your palms into a patty, 1.5 cm thick. 4. Put some oil in a heated frying pan, cook one side for 2 minutes over medium heat. Then flip and decrease the heat to low. Cover and cook with natural steam for 13 minutes. 5. For the sauce, add the tomato ketchup, honey, soy sauce, and red wine into a frying pan. Flip the patties 2 or 3 times and dress with the sauce. 6. Arrange each of them onto a plate, and garnish with broccoli. Broccoli with Sesame Sauce [Ingredients] *Serves 2 3 tbsp ground sesame seeds 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 head of boiled broccoli [Method] 1. Microwave the ground sesame seeds for a minute. 2. Mix in the sugar and soy sauce. 3. Then dress the broccoli with the sauce. Four Mushroom Soup [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 cup shiitake mushrooms 1 cup enoki mushrooms 1 cup maitake mushrooms 1 bag (about 100g) nameko mushrooms 2 cups water 1 piece of dried kombu kelp 1 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1 tbsp mirin Sesame oil, to taste Shichi

Ginger and soy sauce are the keys to delicious tatsuta-age. This represents scenery with autumn foliage. Tatsuta-age and rice are the best match! We will introduce a recipe for a combination of tatsuta-age and rice!Tatsuta-age Fried Chicken [Ingredients] *Serves 2 250g chicken 2 spring onions 20g ginger 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 2 green bell peppers 1/2 lemon 1 tbsp sake 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp soy sauce Batter 2 egg whites Salt 4 tbsp potato starch 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds Oil for deep-frying [Method] 1. Cut the chicken by tilting the knife. Marinate for 15 minutes in the mixture of sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Remove the chicken from the marinade and drain. Mince the ginger. Cut the spring onion into thin rounds. Cut the lemon into wedges. Shape the bell peppers into leaves using a cookie cutter. 2. For the batter prep, first whip the egg whites. Add the salt to stabilize the foam, then gently mix in the ginger, onion, sesame seeds and potato starch. 3. Carefully coat the chicken pieces with potato starch. Then dredge the chicken pieces with the egg white batter. 4. Deep-fry the chicken pieces in 160 °C oil for 4 to 5 minutes. When they get nicely browned, remove from oil and shake off any excess. The bell peppers are deep-fried without batter for 10 seconds, then sprinkled with salt. Arrange the chicken, bell peppers, and lemon wedges on a plate! Rice Balls with Tatsuta-age Fried Chicken [Ingredients] *Serves 2 350g cooked short-grain rice 5 dried nori seaweed Sliced takuan pickles (25g) 5 shiso leaves [Method] 1. Cut each tatsuta-age in half. Make triangular rice balls. 2. Make an indentation on top of each of the balls and insert a half piece of chicken. Dress each with nori like a kimono, then it's done! 3. Put shiso leaves and takuan on the side.

Kaki-age is usually made by combining small pieces of seafood and vegetables with batter and deep-frying it. It is a well-known variety of tempura. With one bite, you can enjoy various flavors in your mouth. Crispy and satisfying, kaki-age has become a main dish. The second was the soba noodles with kaki-age. It's a traditional Japanese soba dish. You won't forget the deliciousness!Kaki-age Tempura [Ingredients] *Serves 2 6 to 8 scallops (150g) 1/2 burdock root (120g) 1/3 sweet potato (150g) 1/2 carrot (50g) 1/2 bunch mitsuba 3 to 4 tbsp flour Batter 1 egg yolk 2/3 cup cold water 1 cup flour Dipping Sauce 200ml dashi stock 50ml mirin 50ml soy sauce Ginger, daikon, lemon to serve [Method] 1. Cut the scallops. Cut the sweet potato and soak in water. Cut the carrot smaller than the sweet potato pieces. Cut the mitsuba into 3 long pieces. Shave the burdock root, and plunge in water to remove bitterness. Pat the drained sweet potato and burdock root with paper towels to dry. 2. Mix the scallops and vegetables evenly and sprinkle with flour. Add the flour little by little into the mixture of egg yolk and water, and mix until no lumps remain. Add the batter into the bowl of the mixed ingredients and combine well. 3. Place the mixture on a spatula and fry in the 160 degree Celsius oil. Increase the oil, and finish frying at a high temperature. 4. For the dipping sauce, combine the dashi, mirin and soy sauce, and bring to a simmer. Combine with daikon and ginger. Arrange the lemon wedges and salt, and it's done! Soba Noodles with Kaki-age Tempura [Ingredients] *Serves 2 250g dried soba noodles 1/2 naganegi long onion Soup 10cm dried kombu 50g dried bonito flakes 4tbsp mirin 1tbsp sugar 150ml soy sauce 1500ml water Powdered chili pepper, to taste [Method] 1. Cook the soba, drain, and rinse off exc

Japanese love fish. Rika will teach you a stewed fish recipe you can make at home. Today's theme is the standard home-made dish, Misoni, Stewed Mackerel with Miso!Rika's recipe is Korean-style and spicy so it is good for people who are not so keen on fish.Stewed Mackerel with Miso [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 mackerel fillet 8 thin slices of fresh ginger 1 tbsp miso 1 tbsp gochujang 1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp sake 2/3 cup / 130ml water [Method] 1. Cut the fillet in half. Blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds, take it out when it becomes opaque, then, soak in cold water. 2. Slice the ginger. 3. Combine the miso, with the gochujang and other ingredients, place the mixture in a frying pan, simmer and stir over medium heat. 4. Place the mackerel fillet skin-side up. Add the ginger slices, Then cover with a paper towel with a hole in the center. 5. Cook for 20 minutes over low heat, and it's done. Chicken and Grated Daikon Soup [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1/2 chicken thigh 1 cup water 1 cup grated daikon radish 2 tbsp sake 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1 pinch of salt Watercress, for garnish [Method] 1. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Grate the daikon radish. 2. Add the chicken and water, to a pan, and cook over medium heat. Once it boils, skim, lower the heat and cook for 10 more minutes. 3. Remove from the heat and leave for another 10 minutes. 4. Reheat the soup. Add the sake, sesame oil, nam pla and grated daikon radish. 5. Have a little taste, and adjust with salt if needed. Arrange the soup into a bowl and top with watercress. Sautéed Spinach [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 bunch spinach 1 clove garlic 1 dried red chili pepper 1 tsp soy sauce 1 pinch of salt 1 tbsp sake 3 tbsp water 1 tsp vegetable oil [Method] 1. Cut the spinach

Japanese adore Italian food. Today, Rika is teaching us something she loves to eat, Japanese-style pasta. The perfectly cooked, al dente spaghetti, is combined with nutritious, seasonal oysters. Enjoy them hot and dressed with soy-sauce and olive oil.Pasta with Oysters [Ingredients] *Serves 2 10 oysters 160g spaghetti 2L boiling water 2 tbsp salt 2 cloves garlic 2 dried red chili peppers 1/2 cup cilantro 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp granulated chinese soup stock Extra virgin olive oil, to taste [Method] 1. First, begin boiling the spaghetti. Meanwhile, start on the sauce. 2. Chop the garlic, chili pepper and cilantro. 3. Place the garlic and olive oil in a frying pan and turn the heat to medium. When the garlic gives off a good smell, and it is lightly browned, turn off the heat. Add the chili pepper, chinese soup stock and soy sauce. 4. When the spaghetti has 1 minute left to cook, add the oysters and finish cooking them both at the same time. 5. Add the oysters and spaghetti to the frying pan with the sauce. And add the extra virgin olive oil. 6. Arrange the cilantro on the plate. Tuna and Vegetable Carpaccio [Ingredients] *Serves 2 100g fresh tuna 1/2 cup arugula 1/3 celery 1/2 cucumber 5 shiso leaves 1/2 fresh green chili pepper 1 tbsp ponzu soy sauce 1 tbsp olive oil 4 pinches salt Ground black pepper, to taste [Method] 1. Cut the celery, cucumber and shiso into thin strips. Cut the green peppers into thin slices. Tear the arugula by hand. 2. Sprinkle salt over the serving plate. Arrange the tuna slices on top and sprinkle with salt once more. 3. Mound the vegetables in the center, drizzle the ponzu soy sauce and olive oil over the top and sprinkle with black pepper. Sautéed Yellow Bell Pepper and Nori [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 yellow bell pepper 1 tbsp sesame oil 1

Rika will show us how to make three different sea food dishes that makes a casual dining perfect. Today's main course is steamed Sea Breams with clams and potatoes on the side. Potatoes are perfectly steamed with Sea Breams and clams in sake based broth which makes all the ingredients taste even better.Steamed Tai Sea Bream in Sake [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 fillets Tai sea bream 2 potatoes 230g live steamer clams 1 naganegi long onion (or leek) 1 clove garlic 1 dried red chili pepper 1 tsp salt 50 ml sake 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp soy sauce [Method] 1. Wrap the potatoes in plastic wrap, and microwave for 4 minutes. 2. Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. 3. Peel the potatoes, and slice into 1.5 cm thick pieces. Slice the long onion diagonally. Thinly slice the garlic and chili pepper. 4. Spread the potatoes in a pan, add garlic and chili pepper, and top with fish fillets. Add the long onion and clams. Then pour the sake and sesame oil over the top. 5. Cover and turn the heat to medium. When the steam begins escaping from the pan, lower the heat and steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Place on a plate and sprinkle it with soy sauce. Lettuce and Crab Meat Salad [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1/4 head lettuce 1/2 cucumber 5 shiso leaves 60g canned crab meat 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds 2 tbsp mayonnaise 2 tbsp sushi vinegar 1/4 tsp salt Black pepper [Method] 1. Cut the lettuce and shiso leaves into shreds. Thinly slice the cucumber. 2. Mix those vegetables with the canned crabmeat, mayonnaise, sushi vinegar, salt, pepper and ground sesame seeds. 3. Stir well, and it's done. Octopus Sashimi with Hot Sesame Oil [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 boiled octopus tentacle 1 naganegi long onion, white part only Asatsuki or chives, for garnish 1 clove garlic 1 dried red chili pepper 1 tbsp

Today's dish is sashimi with tuna and squid. Sashimi is the supreme form of Japanese cuisine. To achieve the simple beauty, there are many tips and techniques.Thickly cut tuna and thinly cut squid are arranged on a plate. The sashimi is then arranged with decoratively cut fresh vegetables.Cutting Part1 Tuna and Squid Sashimi Plate [Ingredients] *Serves 2 200g lean tuna 100g sashimi-quality squid Garnish ideas to your liking: Daikon radish Carrot Cucumber Red radish Boiled green asparagus Watercress Shiso leaves Chef Saito's special soy sauce 100ml soy sauce 1 tbsp sake 1 tbsp mirin 2.5g dried bonito flakes Grated ginger Grated wasabi [Method] 1. Cut the tuna into 1 cm thick straight slices. Score the inner side of the squid and cut into 2 mm thick strips. 2. Cut the daikon and carrot to resemble pieces of ice. Peel the cucumber into a long strip, roll it up and cut to resemble water droplets. Thinly slice the red radish and plunge it into ice water for 40 minutes. Quarter a spear of asparagus. 3. For the sauce, bring soy sauce, sake, mirin and dried bonito flakes to a simmer. Then skim and strain. Arrange the fish and vegetables to resemble a mountain and a river. <For Arranging> Marinated Tuna Rice Bowl [Ingredients] *Serves 2 200g lean tuna Marinade 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds 3 tbsp sake 3 tbsp mirin 3 tbsp soy sauce 1tbsp juice from grated ginger 400g cooked short-grain rice Powdered nori, to taste [Method] 1. Blanch the tuna in boiling water for 5 to 7 seconds, and take it out when the surface becomes opaque. Dry well. 2. For the marinade, combine sake, mirin and soy sauce with sesame seeds and the juice from grated ginger and sesame seeds. 3. Thinly slice the tuna by tilting the knife. Place the slices in a single layer, pour the marinade over and let it sit for 2 hours. Pl

Today's first dish is the octopus and rapini with egg vinegar dressing. This is a popular vinegary sashimi dish in Japan, and a perfect spring dish. Next dish is octopus and avocado caesar salad. The red octopus is outstanding in contrast to the pale greens. The avocado mingles with the caesar dressing, and it's so good!Cutting Part2 Octopus and Rapini with Egg Vinegar Sauce [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 octopus tentacles, 150g in total 1 bunch rapini Salt... to taste Usukuchi soy sauce ...to taste Egg Vinegar Sauce 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp usukuchi soy sauce Salt ...to taste 1 tbsp rice vinegar [Method] 1. Slice the octopus by sazanami-cut, and score. Cut the rapini in half, blanch in salted water, and immerse in ice water. Lightly squeeze out the excess water, and sprinkle with usukuchi soy sauce for seasoning. 2. Combine the egg yolk with sugar, mirin, soy sauce and salt. Stir in the vinegar at the end. Stir well over a warm water bath until it reaches the consistency like mayonnaise. Transfer into a bowl and cool in an ice bath to stop it from thickening further. 3. Mound the rapini and octopus, spoon the sauce on top, and it's done! <For Arranging> Octopus and Avocado Caesar Salad [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 octopus tentacles, 150 g in total 1 avocado (200 g) 1/2 lemon 2 leaves of romaine lettuce Salt and pepper... to taste 3 tbsp grated mountain yam 50 g caesar salad dressing Croutons [Method] 1. Make deep cuts on the octopus and cut into chunks. Cut the avocado into 2 cm cubes and sprinkle the lemon juice to prevent it from discoloring. Tear the Romaine lettuce by hand. Grate the mountain yam and mix with the caesar dressing. 2. Add the avocado, octopus, lettuce and mix. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with croutons as desired. Enjoy this variation of the octopus texture!

Japanese love to serve fried chicken with beer. Rika's fried chicken, is extra crispy, with a tasty batter. A perfect combination of a fried dish, salad, and soup! Enjoy with some delicious Japanese beer.Rika's Quick Fried Chicken [Ingredients] *Serves 2 300g chicken thigh 1 tbsp ground ginger 1/2 clove garlic 2/3 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1/3 tsp soy sauce 1 pinch of salt 80g potato starch (or cornstarch) [Method] 1. Cut the chicken thighs, into about 8 pieces. 2. Grate the ginger and garlic. Add them to the chicken, and also add the nam pla soy sauce and salt and rub into the chicken. 3. Add the potato starch, and toss well. Fry in 170 to 180°C oil for 7 to 8 minutes. Ground Chicken and Bean Vermicelli Salad [Ingredients] *Serves 2 100g ground chicken 50g bean vermicelli 1/2 red onion 1/3 cucumber 3 tbsp crushed peanuts ---For dressing--- Lemon zest from 1/2 lemon 1 dried red chili pepper 2 tbsp Nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1 tbsp sushi vinegar 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp sugar 1 clove garlic [Method] 1. Thinly slice the onion and soak it in water. Cut cucumber in half, lengthwise, and slice each on a diagonal. Chop the chili pepper. 2. Rinse the lemon with warm water, and grate only the yellow part of the peel. 3. Combine the chopped chili pepper and lemon zest, with the other dressing ingredients. 4. Cut the garlic clove in half, and rub it against the bowl to draw out its flavor. 5. Cook the vermicelli and ground chicken in the same pot. Drain well and add to the bowl of dressing. 6. Add the cucumber, peanuts and onion, and stir. 7. We recommend chilling the salad in the refrigerator for better flavor. Daikon and Dried Scallop Soup [Ingredients] *Serves 3 20 cm long piece of daikon radish 4 dried scallops 4 cups water 1 tbsp sake 1 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1/2

Today's theme is stuffing. First dish is Inari Sushi, an example of a casual dish at home. Inari Sushi is made with abura age, which is seasoned with sugar and soy sauce, and it is stuffed with seasoned rice. It is a very popular item for picnics or box lunches.Inari Sushi [Ingredients] *Serves 2 6 slices abura-age ( Deep-fried tofu pouches) Simmering liquid: 400ml dashi 25ml mirin 40g coarse sugar 30ml soy sauce Prepared sushi rice: 2 cups rice 5cm square piece of dried kombu Sushi vinegar: 100ml rice vinegar 60g granulated sugar 20g salt 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Gari (pickled ginger) [Method] 1. Roll chopsticks on the abura-age to incorporate the air inside and then cut them in half. Blanch them in hot water for a minute to wash off some of their oil. Drain abura-age in a colander to let them cool and dry the excess water and oil with paper towels. 2. For simmering the abura-age, heat dashi, mirin, coarse sugar and soy sauce until they are mixed well. Add the abura-age, then cover them with a drop lid and gently simmer them for 10 to 15 minutes over low heat. Keep on simmering them until the simmering liquid evaporates completely. Be careful not to let the abura-age get completely dried. It is important to keep them moist with the liquid. Lay the abura-age on a tray and let them cool. 3. Next is the preparation of sushi rice. Cook the rice with the kombu in it. For seasoning the rice, mix vinegar, sugar and salt together over heat and cool it after they are dissolved. Transfer the cooked rice to a wooden tub, pour the vinegar mixture on top of the rice and mix them with a cutting motion. Fan the rice occasionally while you are mixing it with the other ingredients, so that the rice would not absorb extra moisture from air and vinegar mixture. Cover the wooden tub with a clean damp cloth to let the grains absorb the vinegar. Mix in the sesame seeds. 4.

Japanese-style, stuffed peppers are popular menu among kids and adults, which are half-cut grilled pepper stuffed with ground pork. For a applied variation on the dish, the whole stuffed peppers will be battered and deep-fried to a delicious, crispy texture.Pan- fried Stuffed Peppers [Ingredients] *Serves 2 3 small green bell peppers Filling 100g ground pork 2 dried shiitake mushrooms 20g dried shrimp 10g fresh ginger 8cm piece naga-negi long onion Salt and pepper 1/2 tbsp sake 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil Potato starch, for dusting peppers 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp sake, for steaming peppers Chervil Ponzu-soy sauce Grated daikon radish [Method] 1. Cut the peppers into half, lengthwise, and remove the stem and white pith. Cut the rehydrated shrimps and shiitake mushrooms into small pieces. Thinly slice the long onion and mince the fresh ginger. 2. Season the ground pork with salt, pepper, sake, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well by hand until it becomes opaque and viscous. Add the chopped filling ingredients into the pork and mix them well again. 3. Generously dust the inside of the pepper cups with potato starch. Heap each pepper with the filling. It is important to stuff corners completely with the filling so that the filling won't come apart from the peppers. Generously sprinkle the potato starch on the filling side. 4. Add oil to a frying pan and set the pan over medium heat. First, panfry the peppers from filling side down. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes until they are browned and gently flip them over. Pour in the sake and cover the pan and steam them for 4 to 5 minutes. Arrange them on a plate with chervil. <For Arranging> Deep- fried Stuffed Peppers [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 medium red bell pepper 1 medium yellow bell pepper Filling 150g ground chicken 2 dried shiitake mushrooms 20g dried shrimp

Buckwheat flour is made into soba, the buckwheat noodle, and loved in Japan. Zaru-soba, the chilled soba served with cold dipping sauce is the best way to enjoy its scent and texture simply. Let's get a taste of Japanese' favorite popular noodle with its apt side dish, tempura.Chicken and Cucumber Salad [Ingredients] *Serves 2 300g chicken breast Salt 1 cucumber Cilantro leaves for garnish For sauce 5cm naganegi long onion (or leek) 1tbsp minced fresh ginger 1tbsp minced cilantro 1tbsp soy sauce 1tbsp sesame oil 1tbsp rice vinegar 1tbsp sugar [Method] 1. Remove the skin from the cut chicken breast and rub the salt on the chicken. Put them in boiling water, and turn off the heat. Check one of them 5minutes later whether they are cooked through or not. 2. Peel the cucumber into thin slices with the peeler. Soak the cucumber slices in cold water to make them crispy. 3. For making the sauce, chop the long onion and combine with minced ginger and cilantro in a bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar in the bowl and mix them well. Shred the chicken while they are still warm. Dress with the sauce. 4. Place the drained cucumber slices on the center of the plate. Mound the chicken on the cucumber slices. Garnish with the cilantro leaves. Shrimp & Mushroom Tempura [Ingredients] *Serves 2 4 jumbo shrimps, thawed if frozen 50g maitake mushrooms 1cup tempura flour 3/4cup (150ml) sparkling water, chilled Vegetable oil for deep-frying [Method] 1. Prepare the shrimps. Remove the shell and legs and devein them. After that, rub them with salt and rinse in order to remove the fishy odor. Cut off the hard spike on the tail. Put the small slices on the inside to prevent them from curling up when they are fried. 2. Tear the maitake mushrooms into chunks. 3. Add sparkling water to the tempura flour and mix. 4. Heat the oil to 170℃. Coat each shrimps and maitake mushrooms with the batter, and gently place them in the oil. 5. When the batter turns golden brown, remove them from the oil.

Ma Po Tofu is a representative Sichuan dish. Ground meat and tofu can be enjoyed with spicy chili peppers. Today, Rika is making 3 dishes, featuring Tokyo-style Chinese cuisine. Rika's Ma Po Tofu has fluffy tofu pieces and the spiciness and the sweetness goes well together.Rika's Ma Po Tofu [Ingredients] *Serves 2 300 to 350g momen tofu (or firm tofu) 100g ground pork 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 2 tsp grated garlic 1/2 naganegi long onion (or leek or spring onion) 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp doubanjiang (Sichuan chili-bean paste) 1 tbsp tianmianjiang (Chinese sweet bean paste) 1 tsp gochujiang (Korean chili paste) 1/2 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1 tsp powdered sansho pepper 1 tbsp potato starch (or corn starch) 2 tbsp water [Method] 1. Grate ginger and garlic. Roughly chop the long onion. Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes. Place them in a strainer and cook briefly in the boiling water until they start moving. 2. Heat the frying pan over the medium heat. Put vegetable oil in the pan and heat doubanjiang, tianmianjiang and gochujiang. Add the grated garlic and ginger. After that, add the ground pork. Cook the ingredients until most of their moisture is gone. Add the leek at this point and cook it lightly. 3. Add water, soy sauce and nam pla. After mixing them in the pan, add the sansho pepper. When the mixture comes to simmer, add the potato starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water. 4. Add the tofu at this point. Mix the tofu with the sauce, and heat the mixture about 30~40 seconds to thicken the sauce. Stir-fried Egg and Tomato [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 eggs 1 medium tomato Salt 2 to 3 shiso leaves 1 pinch salt (to flavor the egg) 1 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 1 tsp sesame oil [Method] 1. Roughly cut the shiso leaves. Mix the eggs with a pinch of salt and nam pla, and add shiso leaves. 2. Cut a tomato into bite-

Rika will introduce healthy attractive Japanese party dishes. The appetizer is vegetable finger food salad, served with savory Japanese dipping sauce. The roast pork is presented sashimi-style with soy sauce-based sauce. Enjoy your weekend party at home with these wonderful dishes!

Today's first dish is Chikuzen -style Chicken and Vegetables. When you quick-braise the food with soy sauce, it will turn to a beautiful caramel color. A bright green element like green beans adds a great contrast. For the variation, chef Saito will use the chicken and vegetables for making stir-fried rice.

Today's theme is"Itameni Quick Braising Part 2". We are going to learn this technique along with kimpira. Kimpira is one of the most popular dishes in restaurants as well as at home. Chef Saito is using lotus root instead of burdock root today, so that we can enjoy the crunchy, fun texture. By using the same technique and seasonings as kimpira, Chef Saito is going to make Gyudon, a beef rice bowl. Let's try cooking!

Rika grew up in a large city named Fukuoka. It is considered to be one of Japan's culinary destinations with everything from delicious street food to high-end cuisine. Today, she is making 3 dishes and all of them are local Fukuoka specialties.

Today, Rika introduces us to a chilled noodle dish that is a favorite of Japanese. Hiyashi Chuuka or Chilled Ramen Noodles is a classic summer dish in Japan. Rika is making Chilled Ramen Noodles as the main dish and 2 additional summer vegetable dishes.

Today's menu consists of 3 dishes each with its own flavorful composition. Our 1st dish is Spicy Seafood and Vegetable Salad seasoned with sweet and hot Korean miso called gochu-jang. Our 2nd dish is Green Spicy Aromatic Rice. Our last dish is black-pepper flavored dessert for the adults. These bold flavors will give you a boost, during the hot summer months!

Today's theme is "marinating". We are learning how marinating elevates the flavor of fried vegetables by infusing them in a dashi stock and soy sauce mixture. For one variation on this dish, our chef is making a noodle dish, using marinated and fried vegetables.

Today's theme is "Marinating Part2". We are making "Chicken Namban", Fried Chicken Marinated in Sweet Vinegar. Fried chicken pieces quickly become pickled in a sweet and sour marinade. They are eaten with tartar sauce. It's a type of Western-influenced, Japanese chicken dish. For one variation, the fried chicken will become an open-faced sandwich.

The theme of this episode is "Yoseru"(setting together and congealing) part1. With the help of gelatin, Chef Saito makes softly-set Creamed Corn Tofu and "matcha warabi mochi", a popular Japanese sweet dumpling.

The theme of this episode is part two of "Yoseru" (setting together and congealing). Chef Saito uses an agar stick, called kanten in Japan, to make a dish which represents clear running river water. Another dish is mizuyokan, a traditional Japanese dessert – a smooth, sweet azuki bean paste jelly made with powdered kanten.

This episode features dishes that go well with a refreshing highball. The main dish is fried aji (Japanese horse mackerel), covered in crispy breadcrumbs and served with Rika's original tartar sauce made with fresh cucumber and celery.

In this episode we will look at nabe cooking using autumn seasonal mushrooms. Rika will be using chicken with five different kinds of mushrooms. She will also make two types of dipping sauces. The first with a lemon flavor inspired by Vietnamese cooking, and the second is a hot sauce that uses Japanese soy sauce.

The theme for this episode is Rolling (Part 1). We look at Rolled Dashi Omelet: egg with a lavish amount of dashi full of umami flavor, which is rolled while being fried nice and thinly. As a different variation we added vegetables and some sweetness from sugar, which creates a lovely colorful touch.

The theme for this episode is Rolling (Part 2). We look at beef and burdock rolls, a dish that in Japan often finds its way onto the table during celebrative occasions. Burdock root is wrapped in beef, and sautéed with a sauce, creating an exquisite flavor. As a different variation, we then wrap the rolls in rice and seaweed to create futomaki (thick rolls). The perfect dish for parties!

This menu includes 3 dishes sure to warm you to the bone in the cold of winter. The main dish is cuisine that uses the seasonal root vegetable daikon radish with pork belly, stewed slowly until soft, and seasoned with salt and sugar. Why not try it with the Japanese liquor shochu as they go very well together.

In this episode we look at a warm and hearty Japanese udon noodle dish - Udon Hot Pot with a rich chicken stock base. This wonderfully nutritious hot pot, made with udon, fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables, is sure to warm you to the bone. Perfect for the company of family or friends on a cold winter's night.

The theme for this episode is Thickening Techniques (Part 1). We will take a look at Fried tofu with dashi sauce, which is extremely popular both at home and at Japanese-style pubs. Enjoy the smooth texture of fried tofu covered in a thick sauce that uses plenty of dashi. As a different variation there's Yuba no Ankake, which is chopped up bean curd skin in a lovely thick sauce. Topped with vegetables it makes a wonderfully healthy dish!

The theme for this episode is Thickening Techniques (Part 2). We take a look at jibuni, a local dish from Kanazawa in the Hokuriku region. It uses flour to thicken the sauce which is quite unique among Japanese cuisine. As a different variation the jibuni sauce can be poured over deep-fried bean-starch vermicelli creating an attractive, colorful dish!

Chef Tatsuo Saito shows us how to make a light, soft and healthy Japanese Teriyaki Hamburger Steak. He serves it with Garlic Chives with Grated Daikon Radish that's easy on the digestion and Cabbage Miso Soup.

Chef Rika Yukimasa visits a sukiyaki beef hot-pot restaurant that's popular with foreign tourists and builds on this traditional cuisine to devise a Chicken Sukiyaki from poultry, leeks and other ingredients that are easy to find abroad.

Chef Saito grills fresh salmon with yuzu citrus, in a classic style called Yuan-yaki. He also cooks "Green Peas and Rice" and "Egg Drop Soup", and each menu item welcomes the new taste of spring.

Chef Yukimasa cooks Okonomiyaki, what she calls "Japanese healthy pizza." It's one of the most popular cheap and casual dishes. She explores professional techniques for making Okonomiyaki, and its history at an authentic Okonomiyaki restaurant.

'Five tastes, five colors' with ingredients from both sea and mountains is the secret of Japanese-style cuisine's balanced nutrition. The representative dish this week is fish boiled in soy broth.

Chef Saito will share his knowledge with you, enabling you to cook perfect Ginger Pork at home without fail. He utilizes every part of the cabbage, serving the leaves in a salad and then pickling the core to serve alongside the pork. Tomato and Bacon Miso Soup rounds out this hearty early summer lunch menu.

Master Chef Saito demonstrates how to cook the authentic Japanese dish Nanban-zuke -- fried fish in sweet vinegar. He also prepares Avocado and Grapefruit with Wasabi Soy Sauce, and Okra Miso Soup. Both of these please our palates with refined flavors.

Chef Rika Yukimasa will cook "Shoyu Ramen", Japanese ramen noodles in soy sauce broth which have become increasingly popular and are often spotted on menus in Paris, London, and New York. Shoyu ramen is healthy and easy to make at home.

Chef Tatsuo Saito will cook a tofu set meal which consists of "stir-fry tofu crumbles", "tomato with sweet tofu sauce" and "tofu and chilled corn soup". Tofu is one of the healthiest Japanese ingredients.

Chef Rika Yukimasa will introduce you to how to make the popular classic izakaya dishes easily; Rika style ham cutlets, potato salad, and onigiri rice balls. And we explore the original Izakaya culture at a typical Japanese Izakaya crowded with many office workers.

Master chef Saito will teach you how to cook eggplant as a satisfying and summery main dish. He'll also introduce you to a vinegar-dressed salad and a refreshing lemon-scented soup. Country-style Miso-flavored Eggplant [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 eggplants 2 bell peppers 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds 2 1/2 tbsp sesame oil 2 1/2 tbsp sugar 45g yellow miso 2 tsp soy sauce [Method] 1. Cut both ends of the eggplant, and peel strips of skin down, creating stripes. Then cut into chunks. 2. Plunge the pieces in water to stop discoloration, and changing the water two to three times. 3. Sop up excess water or the water will cause the eggplant to repel the oil during frying. 4. Cut the bell peppers into chunks. 5. Place the sesame oil into a pan over medium heat and cook the eggplant. When the oil has coated the eggplant well, add the bell pepper pieces. 6. Add the sugar. When sugar is added, the vegetables release their own juices, and they will cook in these juices. 7. Add the miso, and cook over low heat so that it does not burn. 8. For extra flavor, add soy sauce and sesame seeds. Octopus and Cucumber with Vinegar Dressing [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 octopus tentacle, boiled 1 cucumber 20g ginger Salt A small bowl of salted water (1 tbsp salt per 500ml water) <For the vinegar dressing> 50ml water 3 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp soy sauce A pinch of salt 3g dried bonito shavings [Method] 1. Cut the boiled octopus tentacles. Grate the ginger. 2. Sprinkle cucumber with salt, and roll it in the salt. Then, rinse off the salt, and then cut the cucumber, jabara style, serpent's belly cut. Make narrow regular cuts, but don't cut all the way through. 3. Cut into 2-cm long pieces, and soak in salted water for 5 minutes. 4. In a saucepan, combine water with vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and Bonito shavings, bring to a

"Yoshoku" is a unique type of cuisine where Western dishes have been adapted to suite Japanese tastes. Let's cook one of the most popular yoshoku dishes, omuraisu with chef Rika Yukimasa!Omuraisu [Ingredients] *Serves 2 Rice with soy sauce and butter 1/2 onion 2 slices of ham 300g cooked rice 2 tbsp butter 3 tsp soy sauce 1/3 tsp pepper 4 tbsp green peas Omelet 3 eggs 1 tbsp butter 3 pinches of salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp milk Parsley, to taste [Method] 1. First, cook the rice, using less water than usual. 2. Cut the onion and sliced ham into 1 cm pieces and cook with a small amount of vegetable oil. Add the butter and cook a little. Add in the rice and stir with a spatula in a cutting motion to separate the grains. Season with pepper and soy sauce, then add green peas. Transfer the rice into a bowl while hot and press. 3. Crack the eggs, mix with sugar, salt, and milk, and beat with a fork about 50 times. Heat a frying pan well, then melt in the butter. Add the beaten eggs at once, and stir by drawing in circular motion with chopsticks. Using a spatula, fold the half cooked omelet in half. 4. Cover the bowl of fried rice with a plate, and flip. Now the rice dome is molded in the plate. Place the omelet on top. Make a cut with a knife on the omelet and open the omelet to naturally cover over the rice. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Sengiri-cut vegetable salad [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1/4 head of cabbage 1/2 carrot 1/4 stalk celery 80g tuna 2 tbsp. mayonnaise 1/4 tbsp salt Juice of squeezed 1/4 lemon [Method] 1. Cut the cabbage, carrot, and celery into 2 to 3 mm. thick, long strips. Combine all the vegetables and dress with mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and canned tuna. Mound on a plate. Further Info: - Specialist's restaurant Taimeiken Opening Hours: Weekdays/Saturday...11:00-21:00 Sunday/National Holiday...11:00

Today's theme is tempura, the king of "Washoku". Master chef Saito will teach you how to fry tempura professionally! Using seasonal vegetables will make tempura so summery! Let's deep-fry it so it is very dry and crispy.Summer Tempura [Ingredients] *Serves 2 6 jumbo shrimp, thawed if frozen 4 shiitake mushrooms 60 - 80g sweet potato 4 shiso leaves 2 sprigs basil leaves Flour, for coating Vegetable oil, for deep-frying [For the batter] 1 egg yolk 1 cup / 200ml cold water 1 1/4cup / 250ml flour [For the dipping sauce] 200ml dashi stock 50ml mirin 50ml soy sauce Grated daikon radish, to taste [Method] 1. Peel the shrimp, and rinse in salted water to remove the fishy odor. Carefully wipe off moisture or it will splatter in the hot oil. Make a cut on the back, and devein. Cut off the tip of the tail, on a diagonal, to draw out the water, remaining in the tail. 2. Make several cuts on the belly side. Pound the back with a knife, flattening the muscle fibers, to straighten. 3. De-stem the shiitake mushrooms, and make cuts on each cap. Remove the stem from the shiso leaves and pick the basil leaves. Cut the sweet potato into 5 mm thick slices, soak in water, and pat dry. 4. Bread the all ingredients, with flour, using a brush. 5. For the batter, combine egg yolks and cold water, and lightly mix with sifted flour. 6. Pour 3 cm of oil into a pan, and heat to about 175 degrees Celsius. 7. Dip the shrimp in the batter, and add to the hot oil, one by one. You might want to fry 1 to 2 minutes at first, and when the ingredients feel lighter when lifted, they are done. 8. Dip the potato slices in the batter, and deep-fry. Dip only the top of the cap of the shiitake, and deep-fry. 9. For the shiso leaves, only dip one side. For the basil, you can dip the entire leaf. When they are a light gold colour, they are done! 10. For the tempura dipping sauce, bring the

Chef Rika Yukimasa shows you how to cook oyakodon, chicken and egg rice bowl at home. Side dish is sunomono, vinegar dressed salad. They give you the energy to get through the hot summer!Oyakodon (Egg and Chicken Rice Bowl) [Ingredients] *Serves 2 200g chicken thigh 1/2 onion 3 eggs 2 bowls of cocked rice Spring onion, to taste 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp sake 3 tbsp sugar 9 tbsp water [Method] 1. Remove the skin and sinew from the chicken thighs and cut into thin slices. Cut the onions into 4 mm thick slices. 2. Place one part sugar, one part sake, one part soy sauce, and three parts water in a frying pan. When the mixture is warmed up, add the onion slices and cook until tender. Then, add the chicken pieces, and cook until the surface becomes white and firm to the touch. Then, remove from the heat. 3. Separate the egg yolks and whites. For the egg whites, beat until the large lumps crumble. For the yolk, quarter each and break each quarter. 4. Reheat the chicken in the frying pan and lower the heat when simmering. First, pour the egg whites over it. When the whites are half cooked, add the egg yolks and cook undisturbed. When the yolks become a bit sticky, turn off the heat. You can adjust the egg texture by covering with a lid and cooking further with residual heat. 5. Place the chicken and egg over the rice and pour some of the soup on top. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions. Sunomono [Ingredients] *Serves 2 3 tbsp dried wakame seaweed, soaked in water 1 cucumber 1 tomato 1/4 tsp salt 2 tbsp sushi vinegar 2 tbsp water 1 ice cube [Method] 1. Reconstitute the dried wakame seaweed in water. Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Cut the cucumbers into thin rounds, rub with the salt, and squeeze out excess water. 2. In a bowl, combine the seasoned sushi vinegar, water, and ice cube. Then mix in the tomato, cucumber, and wakame pieces. When th

Our main dish is Simmered Chicken Wings and Soybeans, very nutritious with both animal and plant protein. For the salad, lettuce is used. It is served with ponzu, a very light citrus soy sauce. A cucumber miso soup, served cold, helps to alleviate the summer heat!Chicken Wings and Soy Beans [Ingredients] *Serves 2 6 chicken wings 160g cooked soy beans 100g daikon radish 1 tsp vegetable oil for frying 1 tsp soy sauce 200ml dashi stock 50ml sake 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp mirin 3 tbsp soy sauce Lime peel, for garnish [Method] 1. Make cuts on the wings, rub in the soy sauce, and leave for 5 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and brown both sides of the chicken. 2. Cut the daikon radish into 1 1/2 centimeter cubes. 3. In a saucepan, place the chicken, daikon, and cooked soy beans separately, add the dashi and sake, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 4. Skim, and add sugar and mirin. Place the drop- lid on top, and simmer for 10 minutes. 5. Then add 1/3 of the soy sauce, place the drop-lid on top, and simmer for 3 minutes. 6. Add the rest of the soy sauce for flavoring and simmer for 3 minutes. Swirl the pan to dress and shine all the ingredients with the sauce. 7. Arrange each ingredient on a plate, and garnish with a lime peel for color and aroma. Blanched Lettuce with Ponzu Soy Sauce [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1/2 head of lettuce, about 240g 1 lime 2 tbsp fruit vinegar 1 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp soy sauce 3g dried bonito shavings [Method] 1. Strain the lime juice with a tea strainer, combine with the fruit vinegar and soy sauce and mirin. 2. Tear the lettuce leaves by hand, wrap, and microwave for 3 minutes. 3. When the lettuce is has cooled, spoon the ponzu soy sauce over the top and sprinkle with dried bonito shavings. Cold Cucumber Miso Soup [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 cucumber Salt, for rubbing cucumber 20g

Chef Rika Yukimasa shows you a nutritious, healthy curry that allows you a well-balanced meal, a ethnic style salad that compliments the curry and a Japanese sweet with green tea. Each dish utilizes lots of Japanese healthy cooking ideas.Rika's bean curry [Ingredients] *Serves 4 1/2 onion 1/2 carrot 1 tomato 1 clove garlic 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 tbsp curry powder 1/2 tbsp garam masala 1/2 tbsp cumin 1/2 tbsp coriander 1/2 tbsp dou-bang-jiang (Chinese chili beans paste) 400g ground beef and pork mixture 1/2 cup water 1/8 cup sushi vinegar 100g canned beans 1 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 bouillon cube, crushed 1/2 tsp salt [Method] 1. Cut the onion and carrot into small pieces. Cut the tomato into bite-size pieces and mince the garlic. Cook the onion, carrot, and garlic about for 10 minutes. 2. Using a spatula, stir the curry powder, spices, and dou-bang-jiang (or Chinese chili paste) together, and when they are fragrant, add the ground meat. 3. When the meat is nicely browned, crumble it and combine with the vegetables. Add the tomato and water, and cook until the water is almost gone--about 10 minutes. 4. Add the sushi vinegar, then beans, and season with soy sauce and bouillon. It's done after simmering for 5 to 6 minutes over low heat. Pour curry sauce into a dish of cooked rice. Avocado and tomato salad [Ingredients] *Serves 4 1/4 head of lettuce 1 avocado 1 tomato 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sushi vinegar 1 tsp sesame seeds [Method] 1. Cut the lettuce leaves into 2 to 3 mm thick strips. Halve the avocado and tomato, and cut each into 7 mm thick pieces. Scatter the lettuce onto a plate, and alternate the tomatoes and avocados on top. 2. Scatter the lettuce onto a plate, and alternate the tomatoes and avocados on top. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, and chill in the refrigerator

Professional chef Mr. Saito will teach you Japanese cooking techniques. Today, in the primary simmering lesson, we'll learn how to simmer food with light seasonings. Kabocha pumpkin is delicately seasoned with soy sauce and sugar to highlight the pumpkin's original flavor.

Our second session in simmering, with rich seasonings. Even the though the taste is rich, it's still Japanese cuisine! Chef Saito will teach you how to simmer a fresh, fatty pork belly.

Japanese people loves Nabe hot pot! Because there is a functional reason that we can eat not only a good balance of vegetables, meat, and seafood, but also warm ourselves. Rika will teach you her original nabe, a fusion of Taiwanese nabe and Japanese nabe.

Rika will teach us how to make korroke, Japanese potato croquets, with her original Asian sauces. Crispy bread crumbs outside and fluffy potato inside, with sweet onion and juicy ground beef. Everyone from children to adults, love this combination. Korroke can be a fabulous dish for your parties at home! So give it a try!

Delicious and healthy Japanese food is catching the attention of global eyes. This program delivers the profound Japanese culinary experience including the background food culture and scientific corroborative of the techniques. Linking with November's theme 'food', we jump out of the studio for this special edition and explore the fun and wisdom of Japanese culinary skills in autumn Hokkaido. Master chef Tatsuo Saito arranges the dishes with fruit of the sea and earth, while introducing the harvesting of potatoes and other vegetables, and the catch of hairy crabs and sea urchin.

The grilled fish, are prepared displaying a curvature in their body, as if they are swimming in the sea. Japanese grilled fish are very artistic! Today, Chef Saito is cooking the fish with a traditional Shichirin, a portable cooking stove, with charcoal.The salt-grilled Aji Horse Mackerel [Ingredients] *Serves 2 2 aji (horse mackerel) Salt 400g daikon, grated 2 lemon wedges [Method] 1. Remove the "zeigo"-hard protrusions, on both sides of the fish, near the tail. (When you buy fish, ask the fish shop to clean and descale the fish for you.) 2. Make cuts on both sides, thread a metal skewer through, and thread the two fish, with a bamboo skewer. 3. Apply the of kesho-jio, "cosmetic salt" to the fins and tail. 4. Grill over charcoal, beginning with the presentation side first. Grill one side about for 7 minutes. Then flip, and grill for another 3 minutes. Remember to turn the metal skewers. Maintain a high temperature by keeping a consistant air flow to the charcoal. <For Arranging> Ochazuke Rice in Tea with Horse Mackerel [Ingredients] *Serves 2 1 grilled aji (horse mackerel) 2 umeboshi 1 piece of dried kombu, about 3 cm square 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds Salt Cooked rice 10 shiso leaves,Wasabi ,Strips of nori seaweed [Method] 1. For the ocha-zuke, remove the skin and flake the aji meat from the bones. 2. Place the skin, bones, fins and tail, into a pan along with water, add a piece of kombu and make the soup. 3. Skim when boiling. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and strain through a paper towel. 4. Combine the aji with umeboshi paste and sesame seeds. 5. Place on cooked rice, and pour the hot aji soup on top just before serving. Kimpira with Daikon Radish [Ingredients] *Serves 2 120g daikon peels 2 tsp sesame oil Cayenne powder Toasted sesame seeds 1 tbsp sake 1 tbsp mirin 1/2 tbsp sugar 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce [M

Kuwayaki is said to be the original "teriyaki" dish, now loved all over the world. Chicken is first sautéed, then basted and glazed to a glossy sheen with a rich, sweet soy sauce.It is a satisfying main dish, and is well complemented by cooked white rice.Chicken Kuwayaki [Ingredients] *Serves 2 300 g chicken thighs Potato starch 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp sake 3 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 bunch spinach Boiling water Salt White sesame seeds Powdered sansho pepper [Method] 1. Pierce the chicken skin with a fork and trim off the excess fat. Place the chicken skin-side down and cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle the tray with salt, lay the chicken pieces on top, and sprinkle them with salt again. After about 5 minutes, after water begins to seep out, pat the chicken dry. 2. Combine the sake, mirin, and soy sauce in a bowl and marinate the chicken pieces in it. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 10 minutes total. (After 5 minutes have passed, turn the pieces in the bowl.) 3. Allow the chicken to drain naturally in a sieve, and then sprinkle evenly with the potato starch. 4. Sauté the chicken on both sides, then pour in the sauce over it (and flip chicken) to coat. Be careful not to scorch it. Sprinkle with the powdered sansho pepper, and it is finished! 5. For the spinach garnish, make a cross cut on the bottom of each root. Plunge the bottom part first into salted boiling water. After 5 seconds, plunge the leaves into the water. When the water returns to a boil, take the spinach out and plunge them into an ice bath. Lay the spinach out onto a bamboo mat, alternating the leaf-end and the root-ends. Squeeze out excess water and cut into 3 to 4 cm thick rounds. Decorate each with sesame seeds and press to adhere. <For Arranging> Chicken Kuwayaki and Eggs [Ingredients] *Serves 2 300g Chicken kuwayaki 1/2 bunch boiled spinach 1/2 onion 2 eggs

The most important holiday for Japanese people is January 1st, New Year's day. On that day, they celebrate with family by eating osechi - traditional New Year foods. It is a hassle to make an authentic osechi meal. So this time, Rika will introduce easier recipes instead. But they are just as gorgeous as traditional osechi !Chirashi-sushi [Ingredients] *Serves 4 1 4/5 cup/360ml short-grain rice or sushi rice 2 cups/400ml water A piece of dried kombu kelp, about 6 cm square 3 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp salt 2 tbsp sugar Toppings 5 cherry tomatoes 3 scallops 2 cucumber pickles 5 shiso leaves 1 avocado 1/2 lemon 3 pieces lemon peel Toppings: Kinshi tamago 2 eggs 4 pinches salt 4 pinches cornstarch 2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds 100g ikura (salmon roe) Soy sauce, to taste [Method] 1. Cook the rice with kombu and water. When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave the rice uncovered for 30 minutes to naturally steam. 2. Cut the toppings, such as cucumber, pickles, shiso and avocado, into 5 mm pieces. Sprinkle the avocado with lemon juice. Cut the blanched scallops into 5 mm pieces. Mince the lemon peel. 3. For the kinshi tamago, mix the beaten egg with salt and cornstarch, then spread evenly in a frying pan. 4. When the surface of the omelet becomes dry and the edges begin to turn up, remove the egg crepe, by hand and cut into 5cm long strips, stack them, then cut into very thin strips. 5. To make the sushi vinegar, combine the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar, sprinkle over the cooked rice, and fold the rice with a cutting motion. 6. Add half of the toppings and sesame seeds. Lightly fold together. 7. Arrange the kinshi-tamago on top of the sushi rice, then sprinkle with the ikura salmon roe and the rest of the ingredients. Finish with lemon peel. Daikon Radish and Carrot Salad

We'll be making Chawan Mushi, a savory egg custard. There are lots of ingredients in it, and it's exciting to see what's in the custard... like a treasure box. The various textures elevate the Chawan Mushi. Enjoy Japanese winter comfort food.Chawan Mushi Savory Custard [Ingredients] *Serves 4 4 shrimps 2 chicken fillet 2 shiitake mushrooms 8 gingko nuts 1/4 (50g) kamaboko fish cake 1/4 bunch mitsuba Light thin color soy sauce (soy sauce) , to taste Salt to taste 3 eggs (150ml ) 600ml dashi stock 2 tsp mirin 1/2 tsp salt 1tbsp light thin color soy sauce (soy sauce) 1/4 yuzu [Method] 1. For preparing shrimps, peel them, and devein with a knife. Rub with salt to remove the odor. Wash off the slimy film with water. Blanch the shrimp, in hot water, for 10 seconds, bath ice water, and dry with paper towels. 2. Remove the sinew from the chicken fillet, and cut into bite-size pieces. Blanch in hot water for 10 seconds, until the surface becomes opaque, bath in cold water, and dry with paper towels. Marinate the shrimps and chicken pieces with soy sauce. 3. Remove the stem of each shiitake, quarter the caps, blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, bath in cold water, and drain. Shell the gingko nuts, and blanch in salted water or 2 to 3 minutes. Cool in cold water, and peel the thin skin. Cut the kamaboko in half, lengthwise, and cut each into 1 cm thick pieces. Let's use mitsuba to add character and aroma. Tie into a knot. 4. Beat the eggs, as if cutting them, until the egg whites have nearly disappeared into the yolks. Combine the dashi with mirin, salt, soy sauce, and mix with the beaten eggs. Strain through a sieve, to get an extra smooth mixture. 5. Place the ingredients in each bowl, showing the red color of the shrimp on the surface. Pour the egg mixture into bowls, and begin steaming. 6. First, steam over high heat. After 3 minutes, check that the surface has turned o

The ice formed on water, or a snowy winter scene.The sweetness of the winter turnip is highlighted by grating it, and it is steamed into an attractive airy mound. Silvery ankake tastes of dashi, and it is accentuated with the heat of the wasabi. It is a very good balance in taste.Kabura-mushi (Steamed Grated Turnip) [Ingredients] *Serves 2 8 turnips (350g in total) 4 shrimps 1/2 lily bulb (edible kind) 1/4 pack shimeji mushrooms 1 piece of carrot 3cm long 1/2 bunch mitsuba 1 egg white 1/4 tsp salt 2 tbsp potato starch mixed with 2 tbsp water into a slurry 300 ml dashi 2tbsp mirin 1tbsp light thin color soy sauce (soy sauce) Grated wasabi to taste [Method] 1. Peel the turnip and grate. Squeeze out about half of the moisture. Devein the shrimps in the shell, with a bamboo skewer, then thread the skewer between the shell and flesh to keep each shrimp straight. Cook in boiling water and cool in cold water completely. Remove the shell and cut into 3 pieces. 2. Cut any browned parts off the lily bulb, peel the layers, and cut each layer in half. Blanch, bath in cold water and drain. Divide the shimeji mushrooms into clumps, blanch, bath in cold water and drain. Cut the edges of the carrot, cut into 2 mm thick slices, then cut the slices into sticks. Blanch the carrot sticks, bath in cold water and drain. For the mitsuba, cut only the stems into 3cm lengths. 3. Whip the egg whites and mix in the salt. Add the grated turnips into the whipped egg whites, fold, and lightly mix in the shrimp, mushrooms, lily bulb, mitsuba, and carrot. Mound the mixture in a dish, and steam over high heat for 10 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, make the ankake, thickened dashi sauce. Combine the dashi with mirin, salt, soy sauce, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Thicken with the slurry of potato starch. Pour the ankake sauce over the steamed turnips, and top with the grated wasabi. Done! Steamed Sea