Mitsubatchi
Learn how to balance sweet and sour by making this popular gin cocktail
‘Mitsubatchi’ means honey bee. This simple but refined aperitif replicates The Bees Knees classic cocktail with Kojin (my own Japanese style gin), honey and lemon
Okonomiyaki
Learn how to make this popular and comforting street food classic, particularly famous in western Japan
Okonomiyaki is often described as a savoury pancake, or Japanese pizza, but both descriptions miss the mark for me. I think of it more as a Japanese ‘bubble and squeak’ of cabbage and any filling of your choice, held together with an umami-rich batter,
Miso aubergine
Learn how to use miso - one of the most versatile Japanese ingredients – in Koj’s take on a Japanese classic
Making a miso marinade is one of the building blocks that I always teach in my Japanese cooking classes. It stars in ‘nasu dengaku’, an aubergine dish found in many Japanese recipe books. Turning the marinade into a jazzed-up sauce gives the dish more character
Mabodofu
Learn how this Sichuan dish became adopted as a Japanese comfort food
This warming dish of mince and tofu in a spicy sauce was introduced to Japan by a chef who emigrated from Sichuan in 1952. Usually served on its own, it is perfect as a topping for a donburi, with an addictive harmony of spicy umami with sweet and savoury.