Have you ever been to Izakaya?

Izakaya is a type of traditional Japanese drinking place which serves food to accompany the drinks. Izakaya offers all sorts of dishes other than alcoholic drinks such as sake, beer shochu, chuhai etc. Food in Izakaya are designed to be shared like karaage, yakitori, kushiyaki, sashimi, hiyayako, tsukemono, edamame and more.

A mainstay of the nation’s food culture, the izakaya is a vital venue for socializing and an increasingly innovative culinary influence. Men drank sake and beer after work and due to the growing trend in population of independent women and students, many izakaya today cater for the more diverse clientele by offering cocktails and wines as well as improving the interior.

For me, the first time I experienced the amazing atmosphere was in one of Izakaya called “Iccho”, Mito in the year 1995.

We, (me and friends total of 8 person) ordered almost every dish from the menu. Tasted on every single dish, daikon tsukemono, fresh sashimi, cool hiyayako with nori topping, agedashitofu.. and enjoyed with the drunk. We finished up the left-over food with “janken” game where I was the person who cleared up the left-over “tori-karaage”(鳥唐揚げ) – a crispy Japanese fried chicken nuggets. It was my unforgettable experience in Izakaya where I eaten the extra (left-over 8 pieces) karaage after enjoying other varieties of food in Izakaya. Full stomach(満腹) and drunk… 爽快!　:) It was how i started falling love with the “tori-karaage”…

Try this, “finger lickin’ good recipe” by youlin
Japanese food recipes : Torikaraage Recipes

Ingredients: (4 serving)

4 whole chicken breasts, skinned & deboned
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp root ginger, grated
4 garlic cloves, grated
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

5 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp plain white flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
3~4 lemon sliced
Mayonnaise (optional)

Directions:

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Mix chicken with soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 30minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the cornflour with white plain flour ( 1: 1 ratio). Dipping the marinate chicken in flour until completely coated. In a wok, heat oil to 180 degrees C and deep fry the chicken pieces for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer chicken to serving plate and granish with lemon slices and mayonnaise. Serve immediately.

Tsukemono,(pickles) is very famous healthy dish in Japanese cuisine. No Japanese meal is quite complete without a good pickle side dish.The simplest meal is nothing more than a bowl of rice and umeboshi (pickled plum), but tsukemono are also served at the most sophisticated and complex feasts. The pickling process is done in various methods depending on desired flavor and length of storage. Some are preserved for only 1-2 days to 5-10 years.

Daikon Tsukemono 大根の漬物

For those who likes Daikon(white Radish) like me, here is the free and easy Japanese pickled daikon recipes.

Pickled White Radish with Chili

Ingredients:

1 red chili
100g daikon
1 tsp salt

Preparation:

Remove the seeds from the chili and slice into very thin strips. Remove skin and thick outer layer of daikon. Cut in half and then slice thinly. Place daikon and chili in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and toss to combine. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper and place a heavy weight on top to press the vegetables down. Let stand for 2 days in refrigerator. Wash thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt before serving.

Let’s Diet with Hijiki

Hijiki is a brown sea vegetable (seaweed) with rich dietary fibre and essential minerals. It is used commonly as part of a balanced diet in Japan. This is another free and easy to prepare recipe, Simmered Hijiki. The dish is commonly cook in Japanese home and restaurants. It is a side dishes and normally served before meal. There are many other optional ingredients to add in the dish like Aburage (dried tofu), sesame seed, konnyaku etc.
Cold hijiki salad topped with a creamy white tofu dressing and a sprinkle of finely minced green onion or parsley presents an attractive contrast of colors, and is particularly appealing on a hot summer day. Get this free and easy Japanese diet recipes and enjoy it today!

Ingredients:

1 oz dried hijiki seaweed
1/4 carrot finely shredded
2 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps mirin
vegetable oil

Preparation:

Wash and soak the dried hijiki in water for 15 minutes until it soften. Drain hijiki over a colander. Heat a pan and pour in some vegetable oil. Saute hijiki and carrot until them cooked. Add sugar, mirin, soy sauce and water in the pan and stir well. Simmer the ingredients until the liquid is gone.

Japanese Diet Recipes with Hijiki

Hiyayakko (冷や奴) is Japanese side dish made with chilled tofu and topping. This simple and healthy dish is very popular and usually served during summer season in most of the japanese restaurants. It can be served with ordinary meals or beer. Topping is real simple with the standard combination of green onion, katsuobushi (dried skpjack tuna flakes) and soy sauce. You can add in also several toppings like perilla leaf, sliced okra and mustard if you like. I would recommend adding in some oyster sauce and you will find it “PREFECT”!! So, try this low calories and easy to prepare dish!

Ingredients:

• Tofu (1 package)
• Green onion (thinly sliced or chopped)
• Ginger (grated)
• Katsuobushi
• 1 tsp Oyster sauce
• 2 tsp Soy sauce

Preparations:

1. Release the tofu into fresh and cold water.

2. Cut tofu & place in a bowl.

3. Add grated ginger, sprinkle green onion and katsuobushi on top of tofu.

4. Pour the soy and oyster sauce onto it.

Link to Previous Tofu Dish : Mushroom Tofu Steak

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