I don't know whether people know this, but unagi can be purchased frozen. It's already cooked and just needs to be reheated. In my understanding, this is exactly what restaurants do -- they're not cooking it from scratch since it's a very specialized skill to prepare eel. They just heat it up and add a bit more unagi sauce (which can also be easily bought at a store). Plus, when bought at a market, it costs about half what you would pay at a restaurant! It's so much easier than you would think and it's exactly the same as unagi from a restaurant.
yes!! I recently found frozen unagi in my local hypermarket, the package says to just cook it for 15 minutes in pre-heated oven. I served it over some multicooker rice and it was simply majestic!
One item I see on a lot of Japanese restaurant menus that I feel is overlooked is tempura udon. It's basically udon noodles in broth, and it comes with tempura fried shrimp and veggies. Kids go absolutely nuts for it.
it's very popular in indonesia, most indonesian don't really like raw fish so when we go to Japanese restaurant many of us just order anything that looks safe and tampura udon is our favorite choice
@@GenevaCat oh, interesting, the places I've tried it, serve it in separate bowls: noodles in broth, and then the fried bits separately, and then some sauce. So you combine or not, as you see fit.
If you ever go to a Japanese place and see ochazuke, I'd recommend trying it. It's a comforting dish of tea/broth poured over rice and topped with nori and pickles/preserved fish/etc. The kind of dish that's basically a warm hug from the inside
I bought some instant ochazuke to have when I was sick, and when I got a cold, it was the most delicious thing ever! It was more savory than I expected. I'd love to try a fresher restaurant or homecooked (by someone besides myself who really knows what they're doing) version someday.
Ochazuke is at home food. Granted, I've never been to Japan, but I've never seen it in a restaurant in the US. I imagine it's a bit like oatmeal or cream of wheat. It's not that it is never at a restaurant, but even people who don't cook can make it easily. I learned to make on UA-cam.
@@jackieknits61 I've had it in eateries in both my home country and in Japan, but I can see why it's not found in US restaurants. It's not something that's exotic or exciting or big on flavours, those are usually the kind of dishes that do well when the diners are unfamiliar with the cuisine
@@LadyCynthiana it's hard to mess up Ochazuke, you could flake up and fry some left over baked salmon to serve on top and you can use any furikake really!
one of my personal favourite japanese dishes is nikujaga (meat and potato stew). it’s flavoured with dashi broth and makes such a beautiful warming winter dish with slow cooked meat, japanese sweet potatoes, daikon, carrots and peas, served with sticky rive and a fried/softboiled egg ❤
It's so good, we used to have Japanese homestay students before covid happened....one of them gave a recipe for nikujaga to my mom, she's a great cook. Really delicious and then when she made it for other students afterwards they said that it reminded them of home.
I used to go to intercultural dinners with my university. There was this one woman from just outside of Kyoto who would bring in a HUGE slow-cooker of nikujaga for the dinners. It tastes like a warm hug.
Japanese food certainly has a lot of variety apart from it just being sashimi, sushi and katsu. We appreciate your hard work and effort. May God bless you.
Oooh.... hamachi kama is absolutely delicious. It's not always in the menu but if you order it at a Japanese restaurants, it's quite expensive. And hamachi kama isn't a food trend the Japanese people are just now discovering and eating. Japanese cooking rarely wastes anything, you'll be surprised that you can ask for fried shrimp heads from your shrimp sushi you ordered at some restaurants. They'll even fry the head and fishbone of the aji you ordered, and you can eat the head and the fish bone like it's a crackling. 😂 I'm Filipino but I regularly make nabitashi, nikujaga, tamago and agedashi tofu more so than Filipino dishes. 😂
All of those dishes looked delicious! Sometimes when I am missing Japan I’ll make rice with nori and egg, a piece of grilled fish with teriyaki sauce and some miso soup & green tea for breakfast. It always takes me back to Tokyo and the Ryokan we stayed at near Sensoji Temple. The fish you had would be a perfect breakfast item!!
This was so informative! My son is obsessed with everything Japan and I think this video will really help us navigate Japanese cuisine better! Thanks as always for such great content Beryl! 👌🏼
If you're looking for simple authentic Japanese cooking videos, check out the Tokyo Kitchen channel! They're made by the sweetest Japanese lady and her videos are always very easy to follow along with. Her channel is small and the production value isn't quite the same as someone with a history in video like Beryl and Babish or a big team like Josh Weisman or Claire Saffitz but she is clearly passionate and she puts out multiple videos a week. I've made several of her recipes and they were very good!
I marinated Hamachi collar in shoyu, garlic, calamansi, & ground black pepper overnight. Then broiled it. It was soooooo good. I've had everything ordered. Some times at restaurants but most times I make myself since they're not available. Also going to recommend broiled/grilled saba(mackerel) and other tsukemono. I could just have these two with rice & miso soup & be satisfied.
My husband fell in love with hamachi collar at the itzakaya near us. It’s also really easy to make at home. Simple, delicious and great with beer, rice and simple veggies like edamame or corn, and potato salad! Now I want to have some for dinner. Mmmm
please do vietnamese food sometime! just for starters, bun bo hue > pho by a long shot if done well and more authentic (if it has blood cakes in it, that is a good start. its like irony tofu). i dont know how authentic and far the restaurants in NY will go, but there are a TON of dishes that is just great, but most restaurants wont make because it would require a person dedicated to that station. would be awesome if you can find banh khot, which are little creamy bite sized pancakey bites with shimp and/or pork.
@@kat8034 le gasp!!! I would normally argue for equality, but I once had extra vitamins added to my bun rieu and I'm still a little traumatized... Somebody had dropped an entire half eggshell that ended in my bowl. I only wonder if the other half was elsewhere. Crunchiest bun of my life... 😭
I'm surprised okonomiyaki wasn't on the list (sooo good and easy to make!), but I definitely want to try some of the things from this video that I haven't had before!
I'd love to see you do a Korean food episode! I spent a lot of time with my Korean stepmother as a kid, and had the opportunity to eat amazing and diverse food
Hamachi Kama is so delicious and I also love seaweed in all forms (that I've had, anyway!) There is something really special about the flavors in Japanese cuisine. It's unique, yet balanced. Delightful. I wish everyone who wants to try these things could. They are hard to get in a lot of areas and I always feel lucky when I get to try a new Japanese dish.
Nice, good to educate people that japanese cuisine is more than sushi, ramen and gyoza. And from the get go, I love takoyaki! I actually pretty much always order it if I see it on the menu :)
Sukiyaki is my favorite Japanese dish. Sushi is tasty, but there's nothing like a hot bowl of Sukiyaki on a frigid night. When I was pregnant, my husband figured out how to make it just to give me a treat. Tako yaki is a close second.
My favorite dish is Katsudon, it’s super sweet! It’s got rice, veggies, and a breaded pork. I’m not the biggest fan of pork but it including the sweet sauce and other things are AMAZING. It’s actually my favorite food ever.
yes!!!!!! i'm living for this!!!! more asian food, and yes there is more than sushi or ramen; but honestly as a asian i tend to go towards sushi or sashimi. i've tasted a lot of different Japanese food, so this is getting me hungry; but i love all of these!!! thank you for showcasing it!!!! EDIT: i thought this was going to continue for a long time, please tell me this is only season one; and will have more in the future!!!!
There's so much variety in Japanese cuisine, I don't think I could ever get bored of it. Whenever I go to Japan, I have to plan carefully to make sure I get to eat everything I like. Rarely am I there long enough to have a repeat dish
@9:37 when Beryl took her big pause and had that glint in her eye I was expecting her to make a pun and say something like "it's truly... D'eelightful"
I've never had this for takeout so maybe it doesn't do well, but a shame that chawanmushi wasn't featured. It's japanese steamed egg, and the custard-like texture of the eggs is phenomenal. Plus, it's savory so you can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Beryl, so glad you are doing this adventure in food. Something I would have loved to have done with my life; I love food, especially international dishes. Thank you for introducing me to even more cuisines.
I won't say sushi is overrated because I don't think it is, but Japanese cuisine that is not sushi is SO GOOD. I've been dreaming about going to Japan for years and the food is definitely one of the main draws for me.
I love that you are expanding our ideas of takeout. So many delicious Japanese dishes to try! One thing that your viewers might not realize is that unlike much seafood we eat, the octopus is a very intelligent species which shows emotional states, exhibits curiosity, solves complicated puzzles, etc. If you don't want to eat food that has recognizable consciousness, you might want to pass on that particular item.
The yellow pickled radish you had with the eel is called danmuji in Korean (not sure what it's called in Japanese), and they make a great side dish with rice and meats!
I am in the UK (admittedly not a large city) but have never seen unagi/eel on a menu here. But when I went to Bulgaria the first time, it was on the menu in a sushi restaurant and I had to try it. It was absolutely my favourite, so silky and smooth, delicate but oh my goodness, I NEED to try this. I was fortunate to visit one of my best friends when she moved to Vancouver, and try some outstanding sushi and Japanese food, tried Takoyaki and fell in love. The stuff here pales in comparison. I always have to try cuisines that are new to me when I visit London or larger cities but I also need to remember to explore the cuisines I do know too!
Omg now I’m starving!!!! I lived in Japan for a bit and these foods (and more) came back with me in my heart!!! I subsequently married a Chinese American man!! Our son (who’s autistic) graduated university with a degree in Japanese language and culture. He speaks Japanese as well. All of these foods need to be tried by everyone. Don’t be put off. They’re all wonderful. Itadakimasu!!!!!! (Let’s eat)
I encourage everyone to try octopus, it's delicious! My 5-year-old daughter loves it, especially combined in a salad with potatoes (a traditional dish in Italy)
So glad oyakodon was included. I make my own with onions and mushrooms. If it seems dry or bland, it might be using chicken breast. This dish, I think, is best with boneless, skinless thighs, either cut into bite size pieces or flattened, panko-fried, sliced and laid on top as the egg is added and cooked. Similar to katsudon which uses the fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) instead of the chicken. For the juice, a quick trick, is sweet teriyaki mixed with chicken broth, so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. And I always ask for a spoon, because I love the juice soaked rice, but it no longer sticks together for chopsticks. For me, you have to have the rice with unagi (unagidon). It is so good and rich, you need the rice. Kind of in the way caviar is eaten with toast.
beryl mentioning a great big story is giving me flashbacks! it used to be my go-to whenever i need to watch something to boost my appetite when eating. and now i'm also watching this video while eating to feel like i'm eating with someone 😆
Unagi is often eaten in summer as a stamina dish. Hijiki is eaten in many ways. Salads hot & cold, tempura, furikake, takikomigohan -( seasoned rice dish that can have any combination meat, seafood, vegetables & mushrooms) similar to claypot rice. Yum
Unagi is one of my moms favorite dishes. It was a treat for her and she never had to worry about getting some for me cause I was a picky kid who didn't like many things. Now, I love it a lot. I don't know why I didn't like it before.
Here in the Netherlands we also eat smoked eel. You can eat it on plain toast. It's so fat, it doesn't need any sauce or other extras. It's the best tasting fish in the world.
That salad looked scrumptious! I have no where near me who serves it. Guess I will be researching recipes. Thank you by the way. It was in you that turned me on to kimchi, with kimchi toast. Love it! I have made it my own though, by making sandwich pockets in my sandwich maker. I use flour tortillas instead of bread for the pockets yum!
UNAGI DON!!!!! the ultimate food, Japanese or otherwise 😍 i first discovered it when i tried an eel roll and was like, "i need just the inside of this, wtf" and now whenever i go out for "sushi", i just always end up ordering good ol' unagi donburi and totally confusing my family and friends 😂
I love Japanese eel (unagi). I always stock up on frozen unagi when i visit the nearest Japanese grocery store. My favorite Japanese dish was made with unagi, burdock root and egg in a clay pot. No clue what it was called. If you ever eat takoyaki fresh from the kitchen DO NOT put the whole thing in your mouth. They are like molten lava when fresh cooked. They are ready to eat when the bonito flakes on top stopped waving at you.
Hi Beryl, talking underrated food: you've mentioned oxtail. I think it would make a nice episode: how is oxtail eaten around the world ? Here in Germany it's mostly ragu or soup. A clear oxtail soup is always worth the time and effort.
I love unagi don. So good. I would also suggest something called Saba Shioiaki, if you love fish. It's grilled mackerel with rice. It is so good as the fish almost taste like butter at times.
Love hamachia kama, or any kama in general. I like to use my hands for collars. It's the grilled or fried chicken of the sea! Lots of pockets of meat. Also easier to find bones when using your hands
Totally agree with all of these selections. I was fortunate enough to travel to Hiroshima in 2010. I took the shinkansen to Tokyo and bought unagi don as a meal for the trip. It came with SO much unagi. I had a lot of great meals in Japan, but that train station meal was certainly the most memorable.
I love this series, but none of the restaurants I have have any authentic items on their menus 😢 but takoyaki is one of my favorite foods. Luckily I know all of these foods except the hijiki salad😂
Omg my favorites! Takoyaki, seaweed salad, hamachi collar (seafood version of chicken wings- eat with your fingers!) my personal favorite don is Unagi don and Gyudon. Gyudon is *muah* so yummy.
If you ever come across a noodle shop that makes homemade udon- highly recommended! If they are cut and not pulled they have a great chewy texture and look delighfully wonky. Not as ideal for delivery though, but maybe cold soba noodles and tsukemen sauce would be ideal- it's these great nutty flavour of the buckwheat and the fun (and messy) dipping in the delicious sauce.
These are all my favorite dishes. I usually have frozen unagi in freezer and the bottled sauce (you can also make it from scratch) in fridge. Love takoyaki and hamachikama or even salmon collar when I can get it. I live in Irvine, Ca and we have many good asian stores here. I've even made takoyaki in a cakepop machine!
I'm so excited! I'm going to have dinner at a bistro for my birthday today (even though my birthday isn't until Sunday). My Mum said she might be coming down with something yesterday so cancelled but says she is fine today! I'm not sure what I'll order yet maybe the roast pork, or a pizza, or a steak, or a chicken parma! lol the mind boggles!
Something I miss that I havent been able to get here in the states is the fried Croquettes with Pumpkin filling. It was a mildly sweet treat I would have. The chicken ones are pretty common in the US but I dont know anyone who makes the pumpkin. I lived in a Rural city up north so i ate a lot of non mainstream Japanese dishes. The root vegetables were a common item. A little bitter but I convinced myself to choke it down because it must be healthy if it tastes like that.
In the old days, Soldiers knew a lot about German food and Marines knew a lot about Japanese food (from serving on Okinawa). Tempura was a big thing for my USMC Brother Rats . . . .
I love Unagi so much. I have seen in Japan they have Unagi Tamago Don which is Unagi with a Japanese omelette served over like a fried rice type rice dish which has some of the Unagi sauce mixed through. I feel like my tummy would be so happy after something like that. I just wish we had Japanese restaurants where I live served it.
My first exposure to Japanese food is a "fake" katsudon which uses chicken instead of pork cutlets. Inauthentic though it may be, that first taste led to my lifelong love of Japanese food. Everyone where I live rave over ramen, sushi and tempura, but my goto in any Japanese restaurant will always be the oyakodon which I discovered years later to be the correct version of the chicken and egg rice bowl dish that I first had all those years ago.
Aside from sushi and ramen, my 3 japanese choice is tempura, takoyaki and sukiyaki. Takoyaki is actually pretty common in the Philippines. It's really hard to find it. Here in Los Angeles Angeles unless you go to tokyo town
I don't know whether people know this, but unagi can be purchased frozen. It's already cooked and just needs to be reheated. In my understanding, this is exactly what restaurants do -- they're not cooking it from scratch since it's a very specialized skill to prepare eel. They just heat it up and add a bit more unagi sauce (which can also be easily bought at a store). Plus, when bought at a market, it costs about half what you would pay at a restaurant! It's so much easier than you would think and it's exactly the same as unagi from a restaurant.
Unagi don is my daughter's favorite thing to order from Japanese restaurants. If it's on the menu, we're getting it.
what stores can I find it at?
I've had unagi sushi in restaurants but unagi don only when my mom makes it. Never thought to order it at a restaurant.
yes!! I recently found frozen unagi in my local hypermarket, the package says to just cook it for 15 minutes in pre-heated oven. I served it over some multicooker rice and it was simply majestic!
I worked at a Japanese restaurant I can second this
One item I see on a lot of Japanese restaurant menus that I feel is overlooked is tempura udon. It's basically udon noodles in broth, and it comes with tempura fried shrimp and veggies. Kids go absolutely nuts for it.
it's very popular in indonesia, most indonesian don't really like raw fish so when we go to Japanese restaurant many of us just order anything that looks safe and tampura udon is our favorite choice
I've tried this but isn't a big fan of it. I like my udon and tempura separate. Curry Udon is amazing though 😋
@@GenevaCat oh, interesting, the places I've tried it, serve it in separate bowls: noodles in broth, and then the fried bits separately, and then some sauce. So you combine or not, as you see fit.
@@irun_monwait ramen
If you ever go to a Japanese place and see ochazuke, I'd recommend trying it. It's a comforting dish of tea/broth poured over rice and topped with nori and pickles/preserved fish/etc. The kind of dish that's basically a warm hug from the inside
I bought some instant ochazuke to have when I was sick, and when I got a cold, it was the most delicious thing ever! It was more savory than I expected. I'd love to try a fresher restaurant or homecooked (by someone besides myself who really knows what they're doing) version someday.
Ochazuke is at home food. Granted, I've never been to Japan, but I've never seen it in a restaurant in the US. I imagine it's a bit like oatmeal or cream of wheat. It's not that it is never at a restaurant, but even people who don't cook can make it easily. I learned to make on UA-cam.
@@jackieknits61 I've had it in eateries in both my home country and in Japan, but I can see why it's not found in US restaurants. It's not something that's exotic or exciting or big on flavours, those are usually the kind of dishes that do well when the diners are unfamiliar with the cuisine
@@LadyCynthiana it's hard to mess up Ochazuke, you could flake up and fry some left over baked salmon to serve on top and you can use any furikake really!
@@jackieknits61 Izakaya places serve it usually. They upscale it with fancier toppings and broth.
one of my personal favourite japanese dishes is nikujaga (meat and potato stew). it’s flavoured with dashi broth and makes such a beautiful warming winter dish with slow cooked meat, japanese sweet potatoes, daikon, carrots and peas, served with sticky rive and a fried/softboiled egg ❤
It's so good, we used to have Japanese homestay students before covid happened....one of them gave a recipe for nikujaga to my mom, she's a great cook. Really delicious and then when she made it for other students afterwards they said that it reminded them of home.
Yes!!!! My partner makes it for me all the time, its one of my favorites and is such a a warming and comforting dish
I’ll make this for my kid in winter 😊
I used to go to intercultural dinners with my university. There was this one woman from just outside of Kyoto who would bring in a HUGE slow-cooker of nikujaga for the dinners. It tastes like a warm hug.
Japanese food certainly has a lot of variety apart from it just being sashimi, sushi and katsu. We appreciate your hard work and effort. May God bless you.
Oooh.... hamachi kama is absolutely delicious. It's not always in the menu but if you order it at a Japanese restaurants, it's quite expensive. And hamachi kama isn't a food trend the Japanese people are just now discovering and eating. Japanese cooking rarely wastes anything, you'll be surprised that you can ask for fried shrimp heads from your shrimp sushi you ordered at some restaurants. They'll even fry the head and fishbone of the aji you ordered, and you can eat the head and the fish bone like it's a crackling. 😂
I'm Filipino but I regularly make nabitashi, nikujaga, tamago and agedashi tofu more so than Filipino dishes. 😂
Japanese people just know how to do seafood right. Top 5 greatest cuisine for seafood.
All of those dishes looked delicious! Sometimes when I am missing Japan I’ll make rice with nori and egg, a piece of grilled fish with teriyaki sauce and some miso soup & green tea for breakfast. It always takes me back to Tokyo and the Ryokan we stayed at near Sensoji Temple. The fish you had would be a perfect breakfast item!!
This was so informative! My son is obsessed with everything Japan and I think this video will really help us navigate Japanese cuisine better! Thanks as always for such great content Beryl! 👌🏼
If you're looking for simple authentic Japanese cooking videos, check out the Tokyo Kitchen channel! They're made by the sweetest Japanese lady and her videos are always very easy to follow along with. Her channel is small and the production value isn't quite the same as someone with a history in video like Beryl and Babish or a big team like Josh Weisman or Claire Saffitz but she is clearly passionate and she puts out multiple videos a week. I've made several of her recipes and they were very good!
I marinated Hamachi collar in shoyu, garlic, calamansi, & ground black pepper overnight. Then broiled it. It was soooooo good.
I've had everything ordered. Some times at restaurants but most times I make myself since they're not available. Also going to recommend broiled/grilled saba(mackerel) and other tsukemono. I could just have these two with rice & miso soup & be satisfied.
As a Japanese native, I’m so happy you tried underrated Japanese food😍😍😍😍😍
I loved the "Mmm, radish! *crunch crunch* Daikon? *crunch crunch crunch* What is this? *crunch crunch crunch* It's good, very crunchy"
Funnier bc daikon is a radish
🤣🤣🤣 Daikon is one of my favourite pickles
It is called Takuan, a yellow daikon pickle. Mildly sweet and very crunchy.
My husband fell in love with hamachi collar at the itzakaya near us. It’s also really easy to make at home. Simple, delicious and great with beer, rice and simple veggies like edamame or corn, and potato salad! Now I want to have some for dinner. Mmmm
As long as you can find dried hijiki, the salad is super simple to make at home. Just One Cookbook has a great recipe for it.
please do vietnamese food sometime! just for starters, bun bo hue > pho by a long shot if done well and more authentic (if it has blood cakes in it, that is a good start. its like irony tofu). i dont know how authentic and far the restaurants in NY will go, but there are a TON of dishes that is just great, but most restaurants wont make because it would require a person dedicated to that station. would be awesome if you can find banh khot, which are little creamy bite sized pancakey bites with shimp and/or pork.
bun rieu > bun bo hue 😸
@@kat8034 le gasp!!! I would normally argue for equality, but I once had extra vitamins added to my bun rieu and I'm still a little traumatized... Somebody had dropped an entire half eggshell that ended in my bowl. I only wonder if the other half was elsewhere. Crunchiest bun of my life... 😭
Irony tofu sounds really funny🤣
She already did a video about Viet food in this series
@@prettyprettysmart homie, my comment was from 6m ago...............
I'm surprised okonomiyaki wasn't on the list (sooo good and easy to make!), but I definitely want to try some of the things from this video that I haven't had before!
I'd love to see you do a Korean food episode! I spent a lot of time with my Korean stepmother as a kid, and had the opportunity to eat amazing and diverse food
My bad, I was literally just suggested the Korean food episode after this 😅
The yellow pickle with the unagi-don is takuan. It is so tasty! It typically comes uncut in the grocery store.
I loved your face when crunching on the “radish” haha I’m the same with unfamiliar garnishes lol If it’s on my plate it’s def going down the hatch 😋
It's takuan, which is a pickled daikon. It's delicious. Japan does absolutely excellent pickles in an amazing variety.
Hamachi Kama is so delicious and I also love seaweed in all forms (that I've had, anyway!) There is something really special about the flavors in Japanese cuisine. It's unique, yet balanced. Delightful. I wish everyone who wants to try these things could. They are hard to get in a lot of areas and I always feel lucky when I get to try a new Japanese dish.
Nice, good to educate people that japanese cuisine is more than sushi, ramen and gyoza. And from the get go, I love takoyaki! I actually pretty much always order it if I see it on the menu :)
Unagi don is my restaurant go-to!! 💖 My orders would usually include: soba, okonomiyaki, agedashi tofu, and chawan mushi. ☺️
Sukiyaki is my favorite Japanese dish. Sushi is tasty, but there's nothing like a hot bowl of Sukiyaki on a frigid night. When I was pregnant, my husband figured out how to make it just to give me a treat.
Tako yaki is a close second.
My favorite dish is Katsudon, it’s super sweet! It’s got rice, veggies, and a breaded pork. I’m not the biggest fan of pork but it including the sweet sauce and other things are AMAZING. It’s actually my favorite food ever.
yes!!!!!! i'm living for this!!!! more asian food, and yes there is more than sushi or ramen; but honestly as a asian i tend to go towards sushi or sashimi. i've tasted a lot of different Japanese food, so this is getting me hungry; but i love all of these!!! thank you for showcasing it!!!! EDIT: i thought this was going to continue for a long time, please tell me this is only season one; and will have more in the future!!!!
There's so much variety in Japanese cuisine, I don't think I could ever get bored of it. Whenever I go to Japan, I have to plan carefully to make sure I get to eat everything I like. Rarely am I there long enough to have a repeat dish
Unagi Don was definitely the highlight, I love eel. But all of that was really good choices.
Beryl single-handedly changes my day from 😾 to 😽
@9:37 when Beryl took her big pause and had that glint in her eye I was expecting her to make a pun and say something like "it's truly... D'eelightful"
Hijiki is one of my favorites. I love broiled salted fish especially saba ( mackeral). You could try kimpira or kiribushi as well. Love them.
I've never had this for takeout so maybe it doesn't do well, but a shame that chawanmushi wasn't featured. It's japanese steamed egg, and the custard-like texture of the eggs is phenomenal. Plus, it's savory so you can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Yes!! Chawanmushi is absolutely delicious and honestly, its pretty easy to make so I'd love to see Beryl attempt it
You see chawanmushi at nicer teishoku restaurants, it's not good if it's not fresh, so i doubt it will ever be a takeaway dish.
It takes out pretty well! It is sold repacked in Asian countries that are either warm or cold so you can warm it up at home. Super tasty!
My personal favorite is sukiyaki 😍 this all looked so tasty though!!
I had sukiyaki last weekend. It's one of those dishes I always crave as soon as winter hits
Beryl, so glad you are doing this adventure in food. Something I would have loved to have done with my life; I love food, especially international dishes. Thank you for introducing me to even more cuisines.
I won't say sushi is overrated because I don't think it is, but Japanese cuisine that is not sushi is SO GOOD. I've been dreaming about going to Japan for years and the food is definitely one of the main draws for me.
I love that you are expanding our ideas of takeout. So many delicious Japanese dishes to try! One thing that your viewers might not realize is that unlike much seafood we eat, the octopus is a very intelligent species which shows emotional states, exhibits curiosity, solves complicated puzzles, etc. If you don't want to eat food that has recognizable consciousness, you might want to pass on that particular item.
The yellow pickled radish you had with the eel is called danmuji in Korean (not sure what it's called in Japanese), and they make a great side dish with rice and meats!
It's called takuan
Danmuji is just my favorite pickle.
Takuan in Japanese.
I am in the UK (admittedly not a large city) but have never seen unagi/eel on a menu here. But when I went to Bulgaria the first time, it was on the menu in a sushi restaurant and I had to try it.
It was absolutely my favourite, so silky and smooth, delicate but oh my goodness, I NEED to try this.
I was fortunate to visit one of my best friends when she moved to Vancouver, and try some outstanding sushi and Japanese food, tried Takoyaki and fell in love.
The stuff here pales in comparison. I always have to try cuisines that are new to me when I visit London or larger cities but I also need to remember to explore the cuisines I do know too!
Omg now I’m starving!!!! I lived in Japan for a bit and these foods (and more) came back with me in my heart!!! I subsequently married a Chinese American man!! Our son (who’s autistic) graduated university with a degree in Japanese language and culture. He speaks Japanese as well. All of these foods need to be tried by everyone. Don’t be put off. They’re all wonderful. Itadakimasu!!!!!! (Let’s eat)
I encourage everyone to try octopus, it's delicious! My 5-year-old daughter loves it, especially combined in a salad with potatoes (a traditional dish in Italy)
Great video, I'm really glad you did one on Japanese food! I enjoyed learning about these dishes and hope to try them myself soon
So glad oyakodon was included. I make my own with onions and mushrooms. If it seems dry or bland, it might be using chicken breast. This dish, I think, is best with boneless, skinless thighs, either cut into bite size pieces or flattened, panko-fried, sliced and laid on top as the egg is added and cooked. Similar to katsudon which uses the fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) instead of the chicken. For the juice, a quick trick, is sweet teriyaki mixed with chicken broth, so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. And I always ask for a spoon, because I love the juice soaked rice, but it no longer sticks together for chopsticks.
For me, you have to have the rice with unagi (unagidon). It is so good and rich, you need the rice. Kind of in the way caviar is eaten with toast.
I absolutely loved this. Now I can't wait for the Chinese food episode!!!
beryl mentioning a great big story is giving me flashbacks! it used to be my go-to whenever i need to watch something to boost my appetite when eating. and now i'm also watching this video while eating to feel like i'm eating with someone 😆
Unagi is often eaten in summer as a stamina dish.
Hijiki is eaten in many ways. Salads hot & cold, tempura, furikake, takikomigohan -( seasoned rice dish that can have any combination meat, seafood, vegetables & mushrooms) similar to claypot rice. Yum
Unagi is one of my moms favorite dishes. It was a treat for her and she never had to worry about getting some for me cause I was a picky kid who didn't like many things. Now, I love it a lot. I don't know why I didn't like it before.
I enjoyed that the food in this episode wasn't over seasoned like the nigerian food episode.
I love yellowtail collar!
The collagen makes it so rich and luxurious.
I'm gonna miss this series! Please don't let it end 😭
Unagi Don was one of the first meals I had after I had my first child. It was so nourishing and rich. I loved it!
Here in the Netherlands we also eat smoked eel. You can eat it on plain toast. It's so fat, it doesn't need any sauce or other extras. It's the best tasting fish in the world.
American here! My grandparents were from the Netherlands and I remember getting smoked eel every Christmas. Yum!
What the fuck is wrong with the British that they jellied eels instead of smoking them which sounds like a very good way to eat them!
That salad looked scrumptious! I have no where near me who serves it. Guess I will be researching recipes. Thank you by the way. It was in you that turned me on to kimchi, with kimchi toast. Love it! I have made it my own though, by making sandwich pockets in my sandwich maker. I use flour tortillas instead of bread for the pockets yum!
UNAGI DON!!!!! the ultimate food, Japanese or otherwise 😍 i first discovered it when i tried an eel roll and was like, "i need just the inside of this, wtf" and now whenever i go out for "sushi", i just always end up ordering good ol' unagi donburi and totally confusing my family and friends 😂
I love your wes Anderson art in the background ☺️. Great vid as always!
I can't describe how much i love takoyaki. So glad it was featured here!
I miss GBS! The variety of topics they covered, all in under 5 minutes with great narration and visuals :')
Hopefully they're back after this covid
Another dish that is also delicious is tsukemen! Soba or ramen noodles that you dip in a concentrated broth…so good.
Don is short for donburi it has a lot of variety 🥰 i really love oyakodon 🥰🥰🥰
Hamachi kama is technically a bar food but it can also be a entree as well!! Hubby' and kids favorite!!
octupus tastes amazing, the only thing not to like is the slimy consistency, or that its very hard if cooked poorly
I love Japanese eel (unagi). I always stock up on frozen unagi when i visit the nearest Japanese grocery store.
My favorite Japanese dish was made with unagi, burdock root and egg in a clay pot. No clue what it was called.
If you ever eat takoyaki fresh from the kitchen DO NOT put the whole thing in your mouth. They are like molten lava when fresh cooked. They are ready to eat when the bonito flakes on top stopped waving at you.
Here in Bangladesh, we always eat fish collar. Fish head, collar is used for different dishes like murighonto
Broccoli is a little strange on oyako-don. I don’t think it would be used here in Japan. But, hey, anything is fine if it tastes good.
Hi Beryl, talking underrated food: you've mentioned oxtail. I think it would make a nice episode: how is oxtail eaten around the world ?
Here in Germany it's mostly ragu or soup. A clear oxtail soup is always worth the time and effort.
I love unagi don. So good. I would also suggest something called Saba Shioiaki, if you love fish. It's grilled mackerel with rice. It is so good as the fish almost taste like butter at times.
Excited to see two of my favorites: tako yaki and unagi don! Now I’m craving Japanese… 😅
Takoyaki is one of my favorite foods, so I order it at every opportunity! Also love unagi don, since eel is my favorite fish 😻
LOVE these videos. They are great for learning and so much fun.
Hamachi kama and unagi don are some of my favorite foods. If a japanese restaurant has unagi don it’s always getting ordered, no question.
Love hamachia kama, or any kama in general. I like to use my hands for collars. It's the grilled or fried chicken of the sea! Lots of pockets of meat. Also easier to find bones when using your hands
A few restaurants where I live have been using fish collars in a BBQ context, like smoked, or grilled and basted over binchotan.
That whole piece of eel is a dream!!!! Yum.
Totally agree with all of these selections. I was fortunate enough to travel to Hiroshima in 2010. I took the shinkansen to Tokyo and bought unagi don as a meal for the trip. It came with SO much unagi. I had a lot of great meals in Japan, but that train station meal was certainly the most memorable.
I love this series, but none of the restaurants I have have any authentic items on their menus 😢 but takoyaki is one of my favorite foods. Luckily I know all of these foods except the hijiki salad😂
If you ever get a chance and they have it in the restaurant order Oden is delicious.
Another Great Episode really enjoyed this series, thanks
I would also recommend trying Nasu Miso, miso glazed eggplant, it’s so tasty. And I’ve a big fan of okonomiyaki if you can find a place that makes it😁
Omg my favorites! Takoyaki, seaweed salad, hamachi collar (seafood version of chicken wings- eat with your fingers!) my personal favorite don is Unagi don and Gyudon. Gyudon is *muah* so yummy.
If you ever come across a noodle shop that makes homemade udon- highly recommended! If they are cut and not pulled they have a great chewy texture and look delighfully wonky. Not as ideal for delivery though, but maybe cold soba noodles and tsukemen sauce would be ideal- it's these great nutty flavour of the buckwheat and the fun (and messy) dipping in the delicious sauce.
These are all my favorite dishes. I usually have frozen unagi in freezer and the bottled sauce (you can also make it from scratch) in fridge.
Love takoyaki and hamachikama or even salmon collar when I can get it. I live in Irvine, Ca and we have many good asian stores here. I've even made takoyaki in a cakepop machine!
I'm so excited! I'm going to have dinner at a bistro for my birthday today (even though my birthday isn't until Sunday). My Mum said she might be coming down with something yesterday so cancelled but says she is fine today! I'm not sure what I'll order yet maybe the roast pork, or a pizza, or a steak, or a chicken parma! lol the mind boggles!
The unagi is one of my favourites. I haven't had it in ages!
Was hoping you’d try okonomayaki that’s my favorite. Maybe next time!
Yay! I'm so glad you got to try hamachi sake! I love fish collars of all kinds.
Something I miss that I havent been able to get here in the states is the fried Croquettes with Pumpkin filling. It was a mildly sweet treat I would have. The chicken ones are pretty common in the US but I dont know anyone who makes the pumpkin. I lived in a Rural city up north so i ate a lot of non mainstream Japanese dishes. The root vegetables were a common item. A little bitter but I convinced myself to choke it down because it must be healthy if it tastes like that.
Izakaya dishes are so good. Japanese comfort food.
Charcoal grilled unagi ~ *Omg* out of this world.
In the old days, Soldiers knew a lot about German food and Marines knew a lot about Japanese food (from serving on Okinawa). Tempura was a big thing for my USMC Brother Rats . . . .
I've waited so long, for this Video :D!
I love these videos Beryl
always feel lucky (and amazed) how "common" japanese food is here that I've eaten most of it and some of it i eat it quite regularly even
I read “no sushi allowed” in the title and thought this was somehow a pregnancy announcement 😳
I have been to Japan and Ditonbori takoyaki is one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth 🤣 love it!
I love Unagi so much. I have seen in Japan they have Unagi Tamago Don which is Unagi with a Japanese omelette served over like a fried rice type rice dish which has some of the Unagi sauce mixed through.
I feel like my tummy would be so happy after something like that.
I just wish we had Japanese restaurants where I live served it.
My first exposure to Japanese food is a "fake" katsudon which uses chicken instead of pork cutlets. Inauthentic though it may be, that first taste led to my lifelong love of Japanese food. Everyone where I live rave over ramen, sushi and tempura, but my goto in any Japanese restaurant will always be the oyakodon which I discovered years later to be the correct version of the chicken and egg rice bowl dish that I first had all those years ago.
Yum! I really enjoy nasu dengaku when I get Japanese takeaway
I learn so much from every video that you post. I was wondering about latin american countries, there are great food options there too.
I love Japanese cuisine it’s so good 😊
I love hamachi kama, but BEWARE OF BONES! It's so tasty, and so soft, but they do have smaller bones aside from the main one
We should definitely visit the eel box restaurant! That would be a great episode ❤
Aside from sushi and ramen, my 3 japanese choice is tempura, takoyaki and sukiyaki. Takoyaki is actually pretty common in the Philippines. It's really hard to find it. Here in Los Angeles Angeles unless you go to tokyo town