Ham Katsu (ハムカツ) is Panko-coated deep-fried thinly sliced ham. It was a popular food in the Showa era (1926-1989) in Japan. Ham Katsu has been more of a nostalgic food than anything else, but it’s getting more attention lately, and making a small come-back in the restaurant scene there.
Demon Slayer Bento (鬼滅の刃 牛鍋弁当) is a popular Bento that appeared in the mega-hit anime movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. It is a beef bowl or Sukiyaki beef over Steamed Rice in a Bento box. Whether you like this anime series or movies or not, this is one of the great tasting train station Bento of all time.
Abura Zomen (油そうめん) is Somen noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables. It is a Japanese southern island regional food, but there are no hard-to-get ingredients or difficult steps in the recipe. This easy-to-make but tasty noodle dish will appeal to a lot of people from the young to the old.
Abura Zomen is originally from the southern Amami islands of Kagoshima, Kyushu. The name means “Oil Somen noodle,” but it’s not greasy at all. It uses a not insignificant amount of water, or Dashi stock if you prefer, in the process of making fried noodles, so it may really be more braising than stir-frying. The water and oil emulsify along the way, and it becomes like a thin sauce for the noodles.
Fried Squid Ring (イカリングフライ) is squid sliced into “rings,” coated with Panko and deep-fried. It could be an appetizer dish to go with drinks or a tasty entree for dinner.
Fried Squid Ring is more a home cooking dish than restaurant food. It can be served at some diner-type restaurants, but more often, you may find it at Izakaya, food and drink bars. It is like fried calamari in the US, but Fried Squid Ring is definitely always coated with Panko bread crumbs.
Chuhai (酎ハイ) is a Japanese cocktail which includes Shouchu liquor and carbonated water flavored with fruit syrup, juice or other sweeteners. Chuhai has been a popular drink in Japan at bars and restaurants, as well as canned versions you can easily find at stores there.
Shouchu is a clear distilled liquor favored by many alcohol lovers in Japan. Shouchu can be made from various things, such as by distilling rice, potato, wheat, etc. There are generally two kinds of Shouchu; one has a stronger flavor from such ingredients (Otsu kind) and the other with much less flavor (Kou kind), similar to vodka. For making Chuhai, since the drink is mixed with something else for flavor, the latter more mild Kou Shouchu is often preferred.
Dry Curry is a kind of curry dish that is made of ground meat and minced vegetables. It has been a popular home cooked meal in Japan for a number of years, although it’s not as widely known as the Japanese Curry and Rice outside of Japan. As the name indicates, the curry is “drier” than the typical curry with gravy, and it requires a lot less time to cook.
Vanilla Purin (バニラプリン) is a cold custard dessert in Japan. The name Purin comes from the word pudding, but it is not the same thing as the gooey pudding in the US at all. This custard pudding has more the feel of a jelly dish because of its gelatin content. It is a very basic sweet but everyone in Japan adores it. It is a great alternative dessert to ice cream in summer.
Piman Nikuzume (ピーマン肉詰め) is Japanese green pepper stuffed with a ground meat mixture and pan-fried. The meat stuffing is just like hamburger meat, and the sauce is also similar to what we use for hamburger steak. Piman Nikuzume is very much a home cooking meal, but you can sometimes get it at diners and Izakaya food bars.
Japanese Breakfast usually consists of Steamed Rice, some kind of protein such as eggs or fish, Miso Soup, and a small vegetable side dish like pickles. It is crucial to adjust how you prepare a traditional Japanese breakfast to be able to suit modern busy mornings.
Soba Sushi (そば寿司) is rolled Sushi made with cooked Soba inside instead of Sushi rice. The soba is seasoned with rice vinegar just like Sushi rice. This interesting and refreshing taste of a Soba dish may not be an everyday dinner, but it is a wonderful appetizer for special gatherings.