In this two-part episode, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting the Tango region of Kyoto Prefecture, known as the “back room of Kyoto” and home to many developments in Japanese cuisine over the years. This region has long enjoyed incredible natural beauty and bounty from both land and sea, such as Amanohashidate — considered one of Japan's three most beautiful views — as well as outstanding foods like premium “taiza-gani” snow crab, and Tango's unparalleled koshihikari rice. In this first half of Yu's visit, we'll be learning about barazushi, a local variety of sushi that is a natural fit for a region that has flourished as a grower of rice. We'll be talking with Chef Osamu Maekawa, who has worked to share barazushi with the rest of Japan, and he'll show us a recipe that anyone can try at home.

In this two-part episode, our host Yu Hayami will be visiting the Tango region of Kyoto Prefecture, known as the “back room of Kyoto” and home to many developments in Japanese cuisine over the years. This region has long enjoyed incredible natural beauty and bounty from both land and sea, such as Amanohashidate — considered one of Japan's three most beautiful views — as well as outstanding foods like premium “taiza-gani” snow crab, and Tango's unparalleled koshihikari rice. In this second half of Yu's visit, she'll be visiting Chef Yukinori Yoshioka, who has recently become a secret sensation in the gourmet world for his focus on dishes that can only be enjoyed in the Tango region. We'll take a look at some of his dishes that rely on exceptional local ingredients, such as female snow crab and Tango beef, for a new style of Kyoto Cuisine.

Our theme this episode is soaking. Chef Saito will be making spinach ohitashi, a very popular home-cooked standard, served with a unique twist: adding Japan's best known edible flower, chrysanthemums, for a beautiful finishing touch. We'll also be making kara-age fried chicken, flavored by soaking the chicken first in a soy sauce-based marinade, with our secret ingredient, Chinese chili oil, rounding out the flavor with just a hint of heat.

In this episode, we'll be making simmered kinmedai alfonsino, by simmering this winter fish in a sweet-and-savory broth. The soy sauce-flavored sauce, featuring the rich flavor of the fish, gives it a depth that goes great with rice. For a side dish, we'll be making grilled shiitake mushrooms, with shungiku chrysanthemum leaves for an herb-like freshness, and a sesame dressing to bring them together. We'll also be making easy fried tofu that uses just a little bit of oil, served with a refreshing ponzu sauce.

In this episode, we'll be making onigiri rice balls, a favorite in Japan among young and old alike. This simple dish is made by lightly salting freshly cooked rice, and shaping it into triangles or rough cylinders, then wrapping it in nori seaweed. Chef Rika will be showing us some tricks to make rice balls even tastier. For our side dishes, we'll be making kimpira and tamagoyaki rolled omelet — perfect for bento meals! Our crisp kimpira is made with potato and carrot, while the tamagoyaki omelet has a deliciously tender, fluffy texture.

Our theme for this episode is marinating. We'll be sandwiching slices of fresh tai sea bream between pieces of kombu kelp, to give the tai lots of rich flavor with a technique known as kobujime. That marinated tai will then serve as a main ingredient in a clear soup. We'll also be making steamed crab rice, featuring the richness of dashi, the distinctive flavor of crab, and the chewy texture of mochi rice. Steaming it in containers made of hinoki cypress gives it a wonderful fragrance to round off its elegant blend of textures and rich, aromatic flavor.

In this episode, Chef Rika will be making her version of a beautifully colorful curry with grilled vegetables, which she encountered in Okinawa. The rich flavor of the spices and the mild heat from the ginger make this a dish sure to whet the appetite! We'll also be making easy seasoned eggs as one of the toppings, by simply marinating boiled eggs in mentsuyu noodle soup. For dessert, we'll be making matcha soy milk pudding, combining the aromatic bitterness of matcha green tea powder with the natural sweetness of soy milk.

Tonkatsu pork cutlets are a standard in modern Japanese teishoku meal sets. In this episode, we'll be making tonkatsu stuffed with cheese as our main dish. We'll also be making two side dishes: for our first, we'll be making clam and daikon radish soup using fresh asari clams, which come into season in spring. We'll also be making a refreshing nori seaweed salad with a dressing made using sesame oil and sushi vinegar, which goes perfectly with fried dishes. We hope you'll enjoy Rika's cheese tonkatsu teishoku meal set as much as we do!

Our theme for this episode is marinating. Saikyo-zuke is a marinating technique that uses a base of white miso from Kyoto, to slowly marinate meat or fish before grilling it. We'll be sharing some tips on how to make this fragrant and delicious dish at home. We'll be marinating Spanish mackerel, a fish that comes into season in spring, to make a dish with the sort of flavor you'll usually only find at a high-end Japanese restaurant. For our side dish, we'll be making sake-steamed clams and spring cabbage. Enjoy the tender, juicy spring cabbage, cooked with soup full of the rich flavor of asari clams.

Our theme this episode is grilling. Yakitori grilled chicken is a popular dish commonly served at izakaya pubs and restaurants that specialize in yakitori. We'll be serving it as a topping on a bowl of rice, for a casual and filling way to enjoy yakitori. A key part of our recipe is seasoning the thigh meat with yakitori sauce, and seasoning the breast meat with just salt, then finishing each with a different spice. The textures of the naganegi long onion seasoned with the yakitori sauce and the salted shishito peppers provide a delicious accent, as well. For our side dish, we'll be making rapini with mustard miso dressing. Using mayonnaise as the secret ingredient helps to mellow out the sharp spiciness of the mustard, while adding depth to the flavor. Enjoy a meal that feels like spring in Japan!

In this episode, we'll be making chicken sukiyaki, a unique twist on a traditional Japanese dish. The norm in Japan is to use thinly sliced, richly marbled beef for sukiyaki, but it's perfectly fine to use chicken for it, too, if you can't get your hands on that type of beef. Cooking it at the table, in the traditional way, makes the meal more fun. For dessert, we'll be making ice cream with sesame sauce — the perfect way to enjoy the rich aroma of sesame seeds.

Our theme this episode is blanching. Sashimi is a popular Japanese dish best known as fresh seafood, sliced and served raw with soy sauce. In this episode, though, we'll be serving blanched sashimi on a bed of shira-ae sauce made of tofu, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and more, to dip and enjoy. For our side dish, we'll be making bamboo shoots with powdered bonito. When shaved into flakes, dried bonito is a crucial ingredient in the dashi stock at the heart of Japanese cuisine. We’ll also be using powdered bonito, sprinkling it on at the end to provide even more of its delicious flavor.

In this episode, we'll be making one of modern Japan's most famous dishes: ramen! Chef Rika's ramen recipe features a light, clean soup made with pork back ribs for great flavor, and seasoned with soy sauce. The pork back ribs aren't just for making the soup: we'll also be serving meat from the ribs on top of tofu, with deliciously tart ponzu, for a great appetizer.

Our theme for this episode is simmering. Okara is a byproduct of making tofu, an iconic Japanese ingredient. We'll be using okara and plenty of dashi, simmered together to make the popular dish unohana-ni. By adding richly flavorful ingredients to the bland okara, we can make a healthy and delicious side that goes perfectly with rice. We'll also be making roasted teriyaki chicken wings — a quick and easy dish to prepare while the unohana-ni simmers!

In this episode, we'll be making a rather unusual dish: roast beef sushi. Chef Rika will be preparing roast beef with her own unique method. The juicy fat from the meat goes perfectly with the tartness of the sushi rice! We'll also be making easy gari pickled ginger, by simply marinating it in vinegar, and using that gari and colorful vegetables to make chirashi sushi.

In this episode, we'll be making Napolitan, a Japanese spaghetti dish flavored with tomato ketchup. Chef Rika will be sharing her own original recipe: the secret ingredient is douban-jiang, a spicy chili bean paste that goes perfectly with the sweetness of tomato ketchup! We'll also be introducing Japanese-style gratin, another popular comfort food in Japan.

In this episode, we'll be making Napolitan, a Japanese spaghetti dish flavored with tomato ketchup. Chef Rika will be sharing her own original recipe: the secret ingredient is douban-jiang, a spicy chili bean paste that goes perfectly with the sweetness of tomato ketchup! We'll also be introducing Japanese-style gratin, another popular comfort food in Japan.

Our theme for this episode is marinating. We'll be marinating pork in miso, one of the most iconic Japanese cuisine ingredients, then sautéing it. Chef Saito will be sharing the secret ingredient he adds to his miso marinade, in order to bring out the depth in its flavor. We'll also be marinating green beans in a richly flavorful soup made with sesame seeds, vinegar, and dashi, for a light and tasty side dish.

Our theme for this episode is marinating. We'll be marinating pork in miso, one of the most iconic Japanese cuisine ingredients, then sautéing it. Chef Saito will be sharing the secret ingredient he adds to his miso marinade, in order to bring out the depth in its flavor. We'll also be marinating green beans in a richly flavorful soup made with sesame seeds, vinegar, and dashi, for a light and tasty side dish.

In this episode, we'll be going on a trip with Chef Yuri Nomura. Chef Yuri's destination is Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, a town surrounded by mountains, which has long flourished through its forestry industry. Chef Yuri will be visiting a friend, Taichi Manabe, who is the originator of these projects to contribute to the region, as well as farmers who have worked with Taichi to hand down and develop their farming lifestyles and traditions. During her visit, Chef Yuri will talk with Taichi and these local farmers about issues that the town faces in the present and future, while trying some traditional local dishes. Chef Yuri will use freshly picked organic produce and umeboshi pickled plums — a local specialty — to make vegetable terrine, a salad full of the natural flavors of its ingredients. We'll also learn how to prepare irizake, a traditional seasoning. Join us for a taste of the delicious food and warm hospitality of Kamiyama's satoyama.

In this episode, we'll be going on a trip with Chef Yuri Nomura, who has played active roles in various food events in Japan and overseas, and has made appearances in magazines and on TV. Chef Yuri's destination is Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, a town surrounded by mountains, which has long flourished through its forestry industry. In recent years, the town has seen increasing numbers of new residents, and the new efforts of these youthful residents — both in food and in fields like IT — have earned this region worldwide attention of late. Chef Yuri will be visiting a friend, Taichi Manabe, who is the originator of these projects to contribute to the region, as well as farmers who have worked with Taichi to hand down and develop their farming lifestyles and traditions. During her visit, Chef Yuri will talk with Taichi and these local farmers about issues that the town faces in the present and future, while trying some traditional local dishes. Chef Yuri will use freshly picked organic produce and umeboshi pickled plums — a local specialty — to make vegetable terrine, a salad full of the natural flavors of its ingredients. We'll also learn how to prepare irizake, a traditional seasoning. Join us for a taste of the delicious food and warm hospitality of Kamiyama's satoyama.

Alongside the dashi made from bonito flakes and kombu kelp, there is another dashi beloved by the people of Japan: iriko dashi, made from iriko, or dried baby sardines. In this episode, we're following Chef Yuri Nomura on her travels in Kagawa Prefecture as she learns more about iriko dashi, visiting people who make delicious iriko. Kagawa is famous for udon noodles, and there are udon noodle shops in Kagawa that make their soup with dashi made using only the finest iriko. We'll visit the fishers and processing plant to discover the secrets behind this clear yet rich and flavorful dashi broth, and find out how to pre-treat the baby sardines to avoid any "fishy" off flavors, for delicious rice cooked with plenty of iriko — a local favorite! We'll also learn about a great blend of iriko and nuts that goes perfectly with drinks, and which makes a great first step into working with iriko!

Our theme this episode is grilling. Tuna is very popular served as sashimi, but it's also delicious cooked — we'll be making goko-yaki, seared rare tuna with plenty of sesame seeds, and named for its "five aroma" sauce. The sauce is made with five ingredients — myoga ginger bud, shiso, natto, and more — with refreshing flavors that make this a perfect dish for summer. For our side dish, we'll be cooking green bell peppers, a summer vegetable, and seasoning them with umeboshi pickled plums and nori seaweed, for a deliciously Japanese flavor and aroma.

Our theme this episode is deep frying. Our main ingredient is satoimo (Japanese taro), most commonly associated with simmered dishes in Japan. We'll be making fritters that combine taro with tender chicken and crisp green beans, using a batter made with egg and umeboshi pickled plums to bring them together, with a beautifully autumnal color. We'll teach you the tricks to keep them together with a lovely shape. For our side dish, we'll be preparing eggplant by deep-frying it, then briefly cooking it in a sauce made with dashi. Enjoy the contrast between the dark purple and the pale green, as well as delicious flavor full of the umami richness of dashi. These dishes make a great way to greet the coming of autumn in Japan!

In this episode, we'll be showing how to make two electric griddle dishes perfect for house parties. The first of these is okonomiyaki, a popular standard throughout Japan. We'll be mixing vegetables and mentaiko seasoned cod roe into the batter to make the Yukimasa family's okonomiyaki recipe, and we'll show you how to cook it up nice and fluffy. Our second dish is easy fried udon noodles with curry sauce — add curry powder to the same sauce recipe Chef Rika uses for her okonomiyaki, to make fragrant and flavorful fried udon noodles!

Our theme this episode is steam-frying. We'll be preparing a dish perfect to serve on special occasions: salmon is marinated in a soy-sauce-based marinade, then topped with colorful toppings like egg, tofu, mushrooms, and carrot. The various flavors come together to make this a luxurious dish that is as beautiful as it is delicious. For dessert, we'll be making warabi-mochi. Using warabi-ko bracken starch, we can make a deliciously chewy, wiggly dessert with a mild sweetness, and which goes perfectly with kinako toasted soybean powder and kuromitsu black sugar syrup.

In this episode, we'll be preparing five different salads, all made with sushi vinegar. First is namasu, traditionally eaten for celebrations like new year's day. We'll also be making potato salad with sansho pepper powder in the dressing, for a Japanese twist on this popular standard. In addition, we'll show you how to make pork shabu-shabu arugula salad, with briefly cooked thinly sliced pork on a bed of arugula; marinated smoked salmon salad, combining salmon with onion; and even simple smoothies. All of these recipes are quick and easy! The secret is sushi vinegar: if you have sushi vinegar, you can easily add it to other seasonings to make all sorts of delicious dressings. We hope you'll try experimenting with sushi vinegar at home!

Our theme this episode is simmering. We'll be making a shiny yuba-an sauce that is as beautiful as it is delicious, served on top of a bowl of rice mixed with ground chicken and egg. The sauce is made with lots of yuba, a traditional Japanese ingredient made from soybeans, mixed in to a sauce base made with plenty of flavorful dashi, for a truly elegant combination. For a side dish, we'll be making refreshing sweet pickled cucumbers, topped with dried small sardines. We'll show you how you can make the pickling brine in the microwave, for a quick and easy side dish that can be prepared in just a few moments.

Our theme this episode is grilling. We’ll be using horse mackerel, a popular and commonly eaten fish in Japan, and we'll show the best way to grill it on a mesh grill. Of particular note is our chef’s unique sauce, made with sake and soy sauce: coating the fish with the sauce while grilling it results in light, tender, and wonderfully aromatic grilled fish. Adding sudachi citrus gives it a clean, refreshing tartness and aroma, too. For our side dish, we'll be making a home-cooked standard: miso soup with potato and onion, using dashi stock made with niboshi (dried small sardines). Niboshi dashi has a unique flavor distinct from the more common dashi made with bonito tuna and kombu kelp, and it goes particularly well in miso soup. Join us and learn how you too can master this popular Japanese cooking combination!

On this episode of Dining with the Chef, we’ll be focusing on Aichi, located halfway between Tokyo and Osaka. In particular, we’ll be making two dishes that are popular in Aichi’s capital, the castle town of Nagoya: tenmusu rice balls with tempura, and hitsumabushi, mixed rice served with soup or tea. Chef Rika will be showing us two different and delightful ways to combine tempura, a popular Japanese food, with onigiri rice balls. Chef Saito will teach us how to make hitsumabushi with kabayaki-style sardines — usually, this dish is made by mixing unagi eel kabayaki with rice, but Chef Saito’s version uses much more affordable sardines in place of the unagi eel, making it perfect to try at home. Don’t miss both chefs’ great presentation techniques, too!

In this episode, we’re focusing on ginger, a great way to warm the body as the weather gets colder. We’ll be preparing ginger pork salad, topped with a Japanese standard: fried pork coated with a sweet and savory ginger sauce. The salad is made with plenty of cabbage, too, making it great for digestion! We’ll also be making ginger rice. By adding scallops, we can get a mouth-wateringly fragrant and flavorful result, even without dashi. For our side dish, we’ll be making instant ginger soup — this simple recipe uses only convenient ingredients, and you won’t even need a pot! These three delicious ginger dishes make a great way to warm both the body and soul.

Our theme this episode is hot pots. In Japan, hot pots are beloved as a delicious way to warm up as winter gets colder. In this episode, we’ll be looking at one type: the “puka puka” meatball hot pot, featuring tsumire meatballs made of ground chicken, with a secret ingredient to make them deliciously light and tender. This hot pot is named for the charming way the meatballs float — “puka puka” is a Japanese word that refers to something gently floating or drifting. For our side dish, we’ll be making “pine needles” from tea soba noodles, with crunchy sweet potato cut into maple and ginkgo leaf shapes. The tea soba noodles are made with matcha green tea powder, to give them a beautiful green color that complements the sweet potato. Both the sweet potato and the tea soba noodles are fried, for a deliciously crunchy side dish that perfectly fits the season.

Our theme this episode is deep-frying. We'll be making crispy fried swordfish, served with a thick an sauce full of the rich flavor of dashi and plenty of vegetables. This hot, delicious dish is certain to warm both the body and soul in the cold of winter. We'll also be making mushroom rice with three kinds of mushrooms commonly eaten in Japan: shiitake, maitake, and eringi mushrooms. The mushrooms are cooked along with the rice — and we'll be adding the Chef's own original seasoning, made with dried shrimp, that makes any mixed rice dish even better!

Our theme this episode is deep-frying. We'll be making crispy fried swordfish, served with a thick an sauce full of the rich flavor of dashi and plenty of vegetables. This hot, delicious dish is certain to warm both the body and soul in the cold of winter. We'll also be making mushroom rice with three kinds of mushrooms commonly eaten in Japan: shiitake, maitake, and eringi mushrooms. The mushrooms are cooked along with the rice — and we'll be adding the Chef's own original seasoning, made with dried shrimp, that makes any mixed rice dish even better!

In this episode, we’ll be making three uniquely Japanese sandwiches, made with Japanese ingredients, to be served like a multi-course meal. Our main sandwich features a menchi katsu ground meat cutlet: the crunchy fried panko bread crumbs and the juicy pork go perfectly with bread. We’ll also be making a side sandwich with burdock root — a popular vegetable in Japan — and chicken, tossed with mayonnaise. For dessert, we have one more sandwich, filled with a combination of cream and a sweet bean paste made with azuki beans, an indispensable ingredient for Japanese sweets. We hope you’ll join us for these three convenient and delicious tastes of Japanese cuisine!

In this episode, we’ll be making three uniquely Japanese sandwiches, made with Japanese ingredients, to be served like a multi-course meal. Our main sandwich features a menchi katsu ground meat cutlet: the crunchy fried panko bread crumbs and the juicy pork go perfectly with bread. We’ll also be making a side sandwich with burdock root — a popular vegetable in Japan — and chicken, tossed with mayonnaise. For dessert, we have one more sandwich, filled with a combination of cream and a sweet bean paste made with azuki beans, an indispensable ingredient for Japanese sweets. We hope you’ll join us for these three convenient and delicious tastes of Japanese cuisine!