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WHAT'S COOKING : Japanese Food
 
Japanese cuisine, commonly known as nihon ryori, or washoku, in Japan usually combines staple foods (shushoku), typically rice or noodles, with a soup, and okazu - dishes made from fish, meat, vegetable, tofu and so on. These are typically flavoured with dashi, miso, and soy sauce, and traditionally tend to be low in fat and high in salt. Different cooking techniques can applied to the okazu. They may be raw (sashimi), grilled, simmered, steamed, deep-fried, pickled, or dressed.

Traditionally, the rice bowl is placed on the left and the soup bowl on the right. Behind these, each okazu is served on its own individual plate and behind the rice and soup. Lastly, chopsticks are generally placed at the very front of the tray near the diner with pointed ends facing left and supported by a chopstick rest.

Known to be healthy and wholesome, Japanese food is one cuisine that is now loved by the world over. This is one reason why Apex-Pal International ventured into Japanese food and set up its first Sakae Sushi restaurant in 1997. Today, we have more than 50 Sakae Sushi outlets worldwide serving more than 200 items.

Sushi
Very simply, sushi is vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, fish, seafood or vegetables such as seaweed. Instead of the usual vinegared rice, Sakae Sushi adds Vitamin E. It is fat-soluble, non-toxic and has many other benefits. It:
  • supplies oxygen to the body

  • helps maintain muscles and tissue

  • protects Vitamin A and fatty acids from oxidation

  • promotes healing

  • effective in preventing scar tissues
There are many types of sushi including:
Nigiri-sushi: This is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice. Inari-zushi: Another favourite of locals, rice is placed inside a brown beancurd bag and eaten plain or topped with your favourite ingredients such as tuna mayo. Maki-zushi: This is "roll sushi", this is where rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed (nori) and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat before being cut into smaller pieces. Temaki: Also known as handroll, the rice is rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Chirashi: Translated as "scattered", this is sushi rice in a bowl where fresh seafood, vegetables or other ingredients are placed on top of or dish.
Donburi
This is a one-bowl lunchtime dish, consisting of a full bowl of hot steamed rice with various savory toppings.
  • Katsudon: donburi topped with deep-fried breaded cutlet of chicken (teriyaki chickendon).

  • Tekkadon: donburi topped with tuna sashimi.

  • Oyakodon: donburi topped with chicken and egg.

  • Gyudon: donburi topped with seasoned beef.

  • Tendon: donburi topped with tempura (battered shrimp and vegetables).

  • Unadon: donburi topped with broiled eel with vegetables.
Noodles
The three most common type of noodles used are soba, udon and ramen. Different soup bases and accompaniments are given.
  • Soba: thin green buckwheat noodles that are usually served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in a hot soy-dashi broth.

  • Udon: thick wheat noodles served with various toppings, usually in a hot soy-dashi broth, or sometimes in a Japanese curry soup.

  • Ramen: thin light yellow noodles served in hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings.
Agemono
(Deep-fried dishes)
  • Karaage: bite-sized pieces of chicken, fish, octopus, or other meat, floured and deep-fried.

  • Korokke (croquette): breaded and deep-fried patties, containing either mashed potato or white sauce mixed with minced meat,
  • vegetables or seafood.

  • Kushikatsu: skewered meat, vegetables or seafood, breaded and deep-fried.

  • Tempura: deep-fried vegetables or seafood in a light, distinctive batter.

  • Tonkatsu: deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork or chicken.
Yakimono
(Grilled & pan-fried dishes)
  • Gyoza: Chinese ravioli-dumplings filled with pork and vegetables and pan-fried.

  • Teriyaki: grilled, broiled, or pan-fried meat, fish, chicken or vegetables glazed with a sweetened soy sauce.

  • Unagi, including Kabayaki: grilled and flavored eel.

  • Yakitori: barbecued chicken skewers, usually served with beer.

  • Yakizakana: flame-grilled fish, often served with grated daikon.
Nabemono

These are one pot ‘steamboat’ consisting of a soup base and different meats and vegetables.

  • Kaminabe: assortment of seafood, meats or vegetables cooked in a paper pot with light soup base.

  • Shabu-shabu: hot pot with thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and tofu, cooked in a thin stock at the table and dipped in a soy or sesame-based dip before eating.

  • Sukiyaki: thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked in a mixture of soy sauce, dashi, sugar, and sake. The food is usually dipped into individual bowls of raw egg before being eaten.
Teppanyaki

Meat, fish or vegetables cooked over a metal griddle. At restaurants specializing in teppanyaki dishes, the food is usually cooked in front of the customers and often, a display of the chef’s showmanship.
Sashimi

Sashimi is raw, thinly sliced foods served with a dipping sauce and simple garnishes; usually fish or shellfish served with soy sauce and wasabi.
Chinmi

Chinmi are light delicacies that can be pickled, sautéed in soy sauce and sugar or mixed with salad dressing.

  • Ajitsuke Idako: Sweet and savoury baby octopuses.

  • Chuka Wakame: Seaweed salad with sesame oil dressing.

  • Chuka Kurage: Jelly fish salad with spicy sesame oil dressing.
Soups

  • Miso soup: made with miso dissolved in dashi, usually containing seaweed, vegetables or tofu.

  • Dobinmushi: Small pieces of meat, seafood, tofu or mushroom brewed and served in a little teapot.
Sake

Sake is a rice wine that contains 12~20% alcohol and is made from fermented rice. It is usually considered as an equivalent to rice in Japan and not simultaneously taken with other rice staple food except sushi.

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