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Japanese Dinner Menu 2

Japanese Dinner Menu 2






Dinner is the meal everybody is looking forward to the most in the day.  It is the biggest and most fulfilling meal of all in many parts of the world.  Japanese dinner is the same way.  Even if you’re OK to eat a simpler and lighter breakfast of toast and then Udon noodles for lunch, you would like to eat more significant food at night.

A proper Japanese dinner consists of one soup and three dishes along with rice.  That is called Ichijyu Sansai (一汁三菜）in Japanese.  The soup could be Miso Soup or a clear broth soup.  The three dishes include one main dish like Tempura, grilled fish, Tonkatsu, and so on, and two other smaller vegetable dishes like salads and boiled veggies.  It doesn’t have to be an elaborate menu, but Japanese people like to eat a variety of foods which are cooked in different ways for dinner.  If the main dish is fried, the other dishes could be boiled, marinated in vinegar, or grilled, for example.  Each food is served in a separate dish.  Japanese dinner presentation can be very pretty with many dishes having different sizes, shapes, and materials (ceramics, wood, bamboo, iron, etc).  A drawback is, however, you end up with a lot of small dishes to wash after dinner.  You’d better have a nice American size dishwasher or husband to put to work.

We made our Japanese dinner here with Hamburger Steak as a main dish, Hijiki Nimono and Onion Salad as side dishes.  Miso Soup with Tofu and Wakame and Genmai (Brown Rice) are also served with other dishes, of course.  Hope you like this combination!

Japanese Dinner Menu 2



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Shumai Recipe

Shumai Recipe


Shumai originated from Chinese-style dumplings,  but changed to match Japanese taste just like Gyoza.  Shumai are steamed pork fillings stuffed in Shumai wrappers. They are eaten alone or dipped in vinegar soy sauce with mustard.  In the US, you can find Chinese shumai at Dim Sum in Chinese restaurants for breakfast/lunch.  They can be wonderful in your lunch box and also as a tasty main dish for dinner.

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Tonjiru Recipe

Tonjiru Recipe

Tonjiru (or Butajiru) is a kind of Miso Soup with pork and a lot of root vegetables such as Gobo (burdock root) and carrot.  Even though it is a Miso soup, Tonjiru tastes very different from ordinary Miso Soup.  Tonjiru has a distinct pork flavor and strong taste from Gobo.  Don’t get alarmed because of Gobo, it actually tastes very good.  All the flavor of the pork and vegetables mix very well, and you will like it if you like Miso Soup.

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Carrot Ginger Dressing Recipe

Carrot Ginger Dressing


Carrot Ginger Dressing is the dressing used in many Japanese restaurants in the US.  The more American the restaurants are, the more likely they use this dressing for their salad, it seems.  We have never seen the Carrot Ginger dressing in restaurants in Japan, so this must be an American thing. Where this originally came from is a little unclear, but it is said that some Japanese steak house restaurants started serving or something.  Even though this may not be very authentic Japanese food, still the bright orange dressing is quite tasty and we would like to include it in our Japanese recipes.

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Yakisoba Recipe

Yakisoba


Yakisoba is Japanese stir fried noodles. It is served with Yakisoba sauce, similar to Tonkatsu or Okonomiyaki sauce.  Yakisoba is usually fried with sliced pork and vegetables like cabbage and bean sprouts.  It is a very popular casual food (or snack) everyone likes in Japan.  You can find Yakisoba at many places like Okonomiyaki restaurants, festivals, supermarket delis, and of course, home.

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Kinpira Gobo Recipe

Kinpira Gobo is braised burdock root and carrot in a sweet and salty sauce.  This is another mom’s home cooking kind of dish rather than restaurant food.  The name Kinpira comes from legendary muscleman, and that shows how nutritious the dish really is.  Kinpira Gobo is a great side dish you can make ahead.  These strongly seasoned vegetables can be kept in the fridge up to a week.  It’s perfect for lunch and busy weekday dinners when you want one more thing for the menu.

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Katsudon Recipe

Katsudon Recipe


Katsudon is Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork) and eggs cooked in a sweet and salty broth and placed over rice. Don (donburi) means a bowl, and Donburi dishes are a popular kind of casual rice dish in Japan. Because you have to prepare Tonkatsu first, it is a little bit of work involved since you cannot cook everything in one pan.  Katsudon is a hearty dish compared to other Japanese food because Tonkatsu is breaded and deep-fried, but the taste is so good that you will not mind the extra calories from the oil.  Besides, since deep-fried Tonkatsu is cooked in tasty broth and is crunchy yet juicy, you may not notice the grease at all (well, maybe, just maybe, calories might stay in, or near, your tummy).

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Hiyashi Chuka Recipe

Hiyashi Chuka / Cold Ramen

Hiyashi Chuka or Reimen (冷やし中華, 冷麺) are cold Chinese style noodles with a sweet tangy sauce.  Hiyashi Chuka is served at Ramen restaurants in Japan only during summer.  Chuka Men (中華麺), wheat flour noodles that are the same kind in Ramen, are used in Hiyashi Chuka.  The light and refreshing taste of this dish, on top of the coldness itself, make this the perfect food for hot summer days.

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