Yumiko's Home Cooking YAKISOBA

JAPANESE STIR FIRED NOODLES

Yakisoba (焼きそば) is the Japanese version of stir-fried noodles. Th e noodles are stir fried with sliced pork and plenty of vegetables and then coated with a sweet and mildly spicy sauce that distinguishes it from other Asian stir-fried noodles.

A guide to ponzu and its many unique ingredients

Ponzu is a vinegar with flavors from different regions

Soy sauce and miso are known around the world as Japanese seasonings. Both of these fermented seasonings are characteristic of Japanese cuisine, as they are well suited to cooking with umami and to bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients. Ponzu is another Japanese flavor, and it has been attracting the attention of chefs around the world. Th ere are two main types of ponzu. One is a mixture of vinegar and citrus juice; the other is the same mixture combined with soy sauce. Although soy sauce and miso vary in flavor depending on the ingredients and the region of origin, they do not differ in flavor as much as ponzu can. With ponzu, the aroma, acidity, and sweetness vary greatly, depending on the type of citrus fruit added to the sauce. Taking advantage of such variation, each region in Japan is now promoting its own variety of ponzu. In some cases, stores make and serve their own original ponzu, in other cases, farmers bottle and sell theirs. We asked the experts at a long-established restaurant that makes ponzu to teach us how to make it. Their ponzu vinegar has a rich regional flavor.

Sushi Kimura

Tomoo Kimura, the Sushi Chef behind Singapore’s Michelin-starred Restaurant

Tomoo Kimura is an acclaimed Japanese sushi chef who runs the Michelin-starred restaurant Sushi Kimura. After graduating from Hattori Nutrition College in 1987, Kimura spent two decades mastering the art of sushi. He learned most of the craft working under a mentor at Tsukiji-Sushi Sei, an Edomae-style sushi restaurant in Tokyo founded in 1889. In 2012, he moved to Singapore to open Sushi Kimura, which became the only Japanese restaurant listed in the 2018 Michelin Guide for Singapore. At Sushi Kimura, the chef pays homage to his Japanese roots through the ingredients he uses, which he has shipped directly from Japan, from the rice and fi sh to the water used to wash and cook the rice. Tokyo Journal Editor-inChief Anthony Al-Jamie interviewed Chef Tomoo Kimura about his career and what it takes to open and run a successful sushi restaurant.

Chef Morimoto’s Sticky Ribs

Chef Morimoto’s sticky ribs are crispy, tender, salty, and sweet, making them perfect for impressing guests at any get-together. We serve them at many of my restaurants, and I’m excited to share the recipe with you. The ribs are braised first, then dunked in cornstarch and flash-fried to make them crispy. I then douse the ribs in my tasty hoisin sweet-and-sour sauce, giving them a unique Pan-Asian twist. Whether you’re an experienced chef or a new cook, this recipe is easy to follow at home with just a few simple steps and cooking instructions. I hope you enjoy making them as much as you’ll love eating them.

Nobu Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing

Ingredients (serves 4):



• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 7 ounces fresh tuna fillet
• 2 ounces assorted mixed greens

GASTRONOMIC SAKE

Starting from the early 2000s, America’s interest in the culinary domain has been on a steady rise as the Food Network has brought food prep demonstrations and celebrity chefs on tours of restaurants around the world into viewers’ homes. Thanks to cable TV and YouTube, devotees from metropolitan and rural areas alike have “traveled” to international destinations for tastes of global cuisines, including Washoku (traditional Japanese food). During this foodie renaissance, sake has repositioned itself from a “house sake” single line listing on a restaurant menu to a featured item. By gradually gaining sake knowledge, diners have lifted gingko, the abundantly aromatic, premium-grade brew typically served chilled, to the heights of popularity it enjoys today.

Travel to Anaheim

Westin Anaheim Resort

Located directly across from the Disneyland Resort and adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center lies The Westin Anaheim Resort. This hotel is the closest in proximity to Downtown Disney, aside from Disneyland’s own hotels. Michael Hong, the architect who designed the Bellagio, Wynn, and Encore hotels in Las Vegas, pays homage to the resort’s surrounding Orange County with décor that includes oranges and tangerines in the motifs laid across the interior and exterior, as well as with the hotel’s signature restaurant, Tangerine Room. The Westin Anaheim Resort offers amazing food and dining options, including a top-notch continental breakfast, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Puesto Mexican Restaurant, Blossom Café & Market, Bar 1030, and more. This family-friendly resort also aims to make children’s experiences interactive and enjoyable. The hotel’s family program welcomes children with a travel journal, local activity guide, and a plush toy. There is also a curated menu for children.

Shohei Ohtani

Japan’s Gift to America

When Shohei Ohtani entered Major League Baseball in 2017, America not only gained a unique and highly coveted player who can throw a fastball upward of 100 mph while hitting home run after home run, but America also gained a hero. Shohei Ohtani’s superiority on the mound, combined with his exceptional abilities at the plate, have not been seen in a century since the glory days of Babe Ruth and his multifaceted talents. The broad-shouldered Ohtani stands 6’4”, tall by Western standards, let alone Japanese, with superior speed, strength, and hand-eye coordination. He is not only a phenomenal pitcher and home-run hitter, but he is also a strong defensive player and an excellent base runner. He is a competitive yet courteous player who pays respect to others on the field, including his teammates, rivals, officials, and fans. He is a patient and unselfish player with exceptional sportsmanship and a charming and respectful demeanor. His conduct is outstanding, and he sets an example for young people by going out of his way to pick up any trash that blows on the field. The true gift that Japan gave America with Shohei Ohtani goes beyond his remarkable achievements as a pitcher and hitter with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It is the values he portrays in sportsmanship and diplomacy that will have the greatest impact on the game of baseball and America’s youth. To share with Tokyo Journal readers what the world of Major League Baseball has to say about Shohei Ohtani, I attended the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

The Queen of Kawaii Headlines Coachella

U.S. superstar Billie Eilish and Japanese pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu simultaneously headlined stages at the world-renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, which was held over two weekends in May 2022. Kyary’s appearance at the festival gained her a new legion of fans, not only among Coachella concertgoers, but also among music lovers around the world who watched the live-streamed event. Kyary, known for her fusion of the kawaii (cute) and creepy-chic styles, became a Japanese cultural icon after her debut single in 2011. While in California, she performed a sold-out show at L.A.’s Fonda Theater and attended events to help promote local businesses in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. She even managed to sneak in an L.A. Angels of Anaheim baseball game to see Japan’s national treasure, Shohei Ohtani. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down for his second interview with the J-pop star to talk about her trip to California and her career.

Nagano Nostalgia

By Peter Grilli

One of the first Japanese novels I read in my youthful forays into modern Japanese literature was Hakai, written in 1905 by Shimazaki Tōson and later published in English as The Broken Commandment. It must have been around 1961 or 1962 when I read this masterful novel at the age of 19 or 20. As I struggled to read the Japanese prose, dictionary in hand, I remember feeling swept away by the power and drama of the plot and the beauty of Tōson’s descriptions of the deep valleys and rocky plateaus of the Kiso Mountains of southern Nagano Prefecture. I’d gone several times to Karuizawa in Nagano, but Kiso was unfamiliar to me. Tōson, who was born in the town of Magome on the Nakasendo Road, wrote compelling, intimate, and magnetic descriptions of Kiso’s scenery.