Kokoro’s smoked mentaiko are made in Miyagi by Minato Suisan. The company marinated the roe in salt, sugar, mirin, bonito shavings, kelp, and chili peppers. And uniquely, this mentaiko is smoked using sakura wood chips for added aroma and flavor. The omakase experience starts off with a selection of otsumami, or small bites, and offers modern interpretations of classic Japanese dishes like the wagyu dumpling with aged Parmesan; the decadent shokupan, a grilled piece of milk bread, topped with a layer of toro and final heap of golden kaluga caviar, finished off with a dash of gold flakes; and chawanmushi, an egg custard with snow crab and winter truffle. Herbaceous wines like Gruner Veltliner and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc are also good pairings. And so is dry Riesling. Salads are a good option when splitting food amongst a group. Wakame seaweed salad, tofu salad, and onion salad are all common Japanese salad offerings. Many restaurants in Japan also offer caesar salad if you’re looking for a Western-style salad. While some places keep it simple and just add salt, pepper and sesame oil to their yamitsuki cabbage, I used a couple of extra ingredients to turn this simple dish into the ultimate umami bomb!

I mentioned that this yamitsuki cabbage is typically an izakaya dish, but you might be wondering what an "izakaya" is exactly. Izakaya is a traditional Japanese casual eatery that serves a wide variety of Japanese cuisine (tapas style) along with drinks and alcoholic beverages, making them great spots to hang out with friends or unwind after work. You can simply think of them as Japanese tapas bars or pubs. We all have unique taste buds, and that's what makes yamitsuki cabbage so awesome! It has a simple base, letting you mix and match ingredients and seasonings to create your perfect dish. Mentaiko is salted and marinated cod roe. It’s essentially a flavored version of tarako and is an uber-popular Japanese delicacy used in all kinds of dishes. And once again, it’s an excellent otsumami. Kinme is from Choshi, Chiba Prefecture. Its skin is seared then served with grated daikon in soy sauce for a refreshing taste. The red vinegar rice is used. Not every piece of fish needs soy sauce, otherwise everything would taste the same. My favorite way to prepare nigiri is simply with lemon and salt, so that you can taste the quality of the fish and the purity of the ingredients shine. The best way to enjoy nigiri is right off the chef’s hand. Timing and temperature are key with the omakase experience, which is why we prefer to serve each piece one by one. Our nigiri is seasoned for the perfect bite — our sushi rice is dressed with our secret vinegar, served at body temperature, and each piece of fish tempered with special attention to any accompanying accoutrement. Talk about the fish, how it's sourced, the aging methods... How long do your fish normally age and what was the process like to create this system of offering the freshest fish to your guests?The medium fatty tuna on this day was approximately 100 kilograms, caught in a fixed net in Yamaguchi Prefecture. It has been aged for four days then marinated for four hours. The marinated fish is brushed with more sauce and served with the dark red rice.

Not all restaurants offer dessert, especially izakaya, but you may find some items like ice cream, fresh fruit, or traditional Japanese sweets such as mochi. This recipe is my version of an izakaya style "Addictive" salty cabbage. It's a 5 minute dish which is very cheap and easy to make, I highly recommend it! What does "yamitsuki" mean in Japanese?

Shio kombu (A Japanese ingredient made from dried seaweed cooked with salt. It is rich in flavor and gives food a deep taste.): for extra complex umami for your cabbage. And there are many other ways people enjoy iburigakko. This includes wrapped in meat, with rice, chopped in mashed potatoes, and sandwiches. Many beer styles will work too. In general, I recommend a beer that is malty and relatively rich. Brown ale, amber ale, ESB, porter, and Marzen can all work. Food-friendly Saison also comes to mind. And if you can find it, Iwate Kura Sansho Ale is worth a try. On the other hand, these dried strings of scallop mantles retain some moisture but have a tough crunchy texture.

The Otsumami has the perfect balance between sweet and savory and goes incredibly with sake and other alcoholic beverages! Ingredients At one point, he thought about opening a restaurant in his hometown in Hyogo, but now he is wholly devoted to running Sushi Kou in Aoyama and challenges himself every day. As you can easily guess, the former “Chii (チー)” stands for cheese, while the latter “Tara (タラ, 鱈)” means codfish in Japanese. Ebi mayo is simply fried prawn coated with mayo sauce. It's a crowd pleasing otsumami that is popular in pubs all over Japan in China. It was created by a popular Chinese chef born in Japan. Shu Tomitoku was inspired by a mayonnaise shrimp dish to create Ebi mayo. He coated the shrimp in starch, fried it and dipped it in mayonnaise. Yum… people get explorative and add several flavors to this dish. It goes great with all drinks. finest quality and flavour, coming to you from the hidden corners of Japan. Prepared with meticulousness and

Japanese butterfish from Nagasaki Prefecture are served to guests while freshly caught. The white flesh has a refreshing texture, and the white rice accompanies it. Sushi Kou is in the basement of a building on Kotto-Dori in Aoyama, also known as the antique street. Going down the narrow stairs, expectations start to rise, and upon entering through the door, there is a luxurious space with impeccably arranged seats, which provides a sense of relaxation and liberation despite its underground location. When seated, a white Japanese paper wall with a refined texture that gives off a warm light comes into view, and a cypress counter made of one single piece promises an extravagant time. Rice vinegar: Again, be careful not to add too much because it might overpower the dish, a dash would be enough. Mentaiko looks like it will have a strong flavor, but it’s very mild. There’s a hint of smoke and brine. And it tastes kind of like fresh bonito flakes.