Author Archive: jason toner
Essential lingo
So you are comfortable raising the necessary digits indicating your group number as you enter the izakaya and IRASSHAIMASE!! is barked by the staff at you in unison, but sometimes we need to dig deeper beyond the basics of restaurant behaviour and although using the odd slang word will generate some good energy or amusement/bemusement, […]
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MOS Burger
MOS Burger Mountain Ocean Sun Burger is the second largest fast food franchise in Japan after, yes take a guess! Those guys… Born in Tokyo, 1972 they have thrown their unique taste as far as Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand. Their claim to fame was back in 87 when they unleashed the Mos […]
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Myoga
In Kochi myoga is used in a dish of bonito tataki and around the country it’s used in different, sometimes overlapping ways. It’s a summer bud in season June/July so that’s were the cues for its uses lie perhaps finely sliced and sprinkled over somen noodles or even pickled. It’s dynamic, bright herbaceous tang also does […]
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Sea eel /conger eel (anago)
Sea eel, unlike its fatty, rich tasting freshwater brother Unagi, anago is very lean with a delicate mineral flutter and engaging textural contrast which varies by cut. It is tasty done in the usual simmered sushi style but in that case i will always go for the juicy unagi instead. If you can get it […]
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Yellowtail(buri)
Japanese amber jack as they are also known will be mostly farmed and sometimes wild. Your fishmonger will let you know if Its a concern but both are equally delicious especially in the colder months when they put on a few pounds. Stewing, grilling,pan-searing, smoking and of course raw in sashimi are all excellent ways […]
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Amazake
Amazake, another fine product made from the powerhouse Koji is non alcoholic and translates as ama(sweet)zake(sake) It is also made with sake kasu into a, usually, low alcoholic beverage and has a long history of over a thousand years. Although usually regarded as a winter drink it was popular during the Edo period as a […]
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Shochu
The mere utterance of the word conjures up heady romantic images and bittersweet nostalgia for a bygone era strewn with noble characters and a thick layer of folklore something akin to Scottish whisky. This revered elixir is made from the powerhouse fungus Aspergillus oryzae or to you and I, Koji. This mould is responsible for the production of […]
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Edamame
Summertime needs beer and edamame and there is no taste like the real thing from your garden or vegetable source, no need to bother with the imposter from the frozen veg section as you’ll be missing out on the fresh mineral and vibrant grassy notes of these incredible soy beans. If you ask the […]
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Tsukemono
Tsukemono which means “pickled things” are not necessarily pickled as some perceive that notion with vinegar, salt and sugar, although there are examples such as the sushi shop staple “Gari” – young ginger pickled in sugar and rice vinegar- which comes to mind. But these Japanese pickles employ various methods such as salting, brining, beds of […]
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Japanese Horse mackerel (Aji)
My local fishmonger recommended these Japanese horse mackerel from real close-by around Miura peninsula and when this old boy makes a recommendation, you listen and engage immediately. If you are buying fish anywhere in the world, just like you would with meat and your butcher(and hopefully one day vegetable farmer at the produce section […]
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