Hayashi Rice is Japanese beef stew poured over Steamed Rice. Hayashi sauce has distinct flavors of demi-glace brown sauce and red wine. It has been a popular western style Japanese dish since the early 1900s. Hayashi Rice is often found on a menu at Yoshoku-ya (western style food restaurants) along with Hamburger Steak and Tonkatsu. It is also a popular home cooking dish, although the sauce is usually made from instant roux looking just like instant Curry roux. It was more popular in the 70s and 80s, but Hayashi Rice is still an old time favorite Yoshoku for Japanese people.
If you are tired of Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) or Umeboshi (pickled plum) Onigiri rice ball, try this one with a little twist. Beef Shigureni is seasoned strongly with soy sauce, sugar, and ginger, and goes very well with rice, therefore, it is perfect as an Onigiri filling!
Gyudon is a popular Japanese rice bowl dish featuring thinly sliced beef and onion cooked in sweet and savory sauce which is piled on top of steamed rice. The rice absorbs all the flavorful sauce from the beef cooked in umami-rich dashi and soy sauce. It is a lunch time staple both at home and in restaurants in Japan.
Korokke are potato cakes coated with panko and deep fried. Korokke is a food people of all ages love in Japan. Well, who wouldn’t like deep fried mashed potatoes? It does not seem like a traditional style of Japanese food, but it in fact is since Korokke has been popular for 100 years. People in Japan may not have to make Korokke at home because they can find it anywhere, but we do when living outside Japan. It’s hard to get decent tasting Korokke here… Besides you can’t beat homemade Korokke anyway when it’s hot and crispy!
Sukiyaki is one of the most popular hot pot dishes in Japan. It has a sweet and salty flavor a little bit like teriyaki sauce, but with beef and vegetable in the mix, it has its own Sukiyaki taste people love so much. We usually cook Sukiyaki in a cast iron Sukiyaki pot at the dinner table using a portable gas stove and eat it as we cook. It is a perfect dinner for family or great food to enjoy with guests.
Nikujaga (肉じゃが) is a Japanese dish of stewed beef and potatoes in a savory sauce. The name comes from the Japanese words for meat (niku) and potatoes (jagaimo). It is one of the most beloved home-cooked dishes in modern Japanese cuisine.