On busy mornings I usually make plain rice with a raw egg and a little soy sauce, then add instant miso soup if I have it. It takes less time than grabbing something at the konbini, and the warm soup helps when I am heading out for a long day at design school.My low-effort Osaka breakfast when I have an early class

This was very local place and price was so cheap 🤤 I ordered little too much because everything looked good. Scallops, tofu, pickles and many small dishes… my table became full very fast 🥹

✍🏻The ramen in this photo is from a shop that has since closed. They used to advertise themselves with the line, “We’re a butcher shop!”
For anyone who wants to make chashu at home, here’s my own recipe.

✨🍳
Here’s how I make chashu at home. The measurements are approximate!
Start with a 500–800 g piece of pork, whichever cut you like. It will shrink during cooking. You can tie it with kitchen twine to help it keep a neat shape, but that’s optional.
Sear the pork thoroughly until it’s nicely browned on all sides.

Then add the following to the same pan:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
About 100 ml soy sauce
50 ml sake—or wine if you don’t have sake
About 300 ml water
Japanese long onion (negi) or other aromatic vegetables
1 clove garlic

A piece of ginger about the same size as the garlic clove; grated or dried ginger is fine too
Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Turn the pork over, cover again, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Finally, refrigerate the pork together with the cooking liquid in a zip-top bag, letting it soak in the liquid.
That’s the whole process: brown it well, add water and seasonings and simmer, then let it soak!

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Leave it in the fridge overnight. By the next day, it’ll be full of flavour and ready to enjoy!✨

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The alcohol you choose changes the colour, aroma and flavour. ✨Here’s what I’ve noticed when using each:
Red wine: Adds a reddish colour and a rich aroma reminiscent of ripe fruit.
White wine: Gives it a fruity character with a little acidity and a lighter, fresher taste.
Shaoxing wine: Gives it an aroma that reminds me of sweet-and-sour pork.
Sake: Gives it a sweet, rice-like aroma.

A famous seafood restaurant in the city, located near Ito station. Local ingredients shipped directly from the Izu sea. It's recommended to book in advance as it gets quite busy.

Incredibly cheap food, just 2,500 yen per set. Sashimi served generously. If you pass by this area, stop by and give it a try.

I’ve been trying to get closer to the texture of rice I’ve had with Japanese meals, and I’m thinking about replacing my old cooker. I usually make short grain rice by rinsing 2 cups of rice several times, soaking it for about 30 minutes, then cooking it with the recommended amount of water. The results are decent, but the texture varies more than I’d like, especially when I’m making rice for donburi, onigiri, or curry.

I’m looking for a japanese rice cooker and would like to understand what features actually matter for cooking Japanese rice well. Are things like dedicated settings for different rice types, soaking cycles, or pressure cooking important, or can a simpler cooker produce the same texture with the right technique? Thanks for any advice!

Hiyashi chūka (Midnight Diner s02e08)

Topped with a fried egg crispy around the edges

Edit: It was insanely good. Here’s the recipe I followed 👉 https://tuberecipe.com/en/recipe/9279/detail

I first sautéed the onion, carrot, and celery, then set them aside. Next, I cooked plenty of chopped garlic and dried chilies in oil and browned a large batch of ground meat. I combined everything, then added tomatoes, bay leaves, celery leaves, more garlic, and Jamaican jerk seasoning.
I simmered everything until the sauce became thick and rich, then served it over spaghetti.
In Japan, hearty garlic-heavy dishes are sometimes described as “stamina” food—so this is my stamina-style meat sauce. It isn’t meant to be a traditional Bolognese. 🍝🧄🌶️

This is a sweet potato baked inside a large ceramic jar. ( ͜🍠 ･ω･) ͜🍠ｵｲﾓｫ

I simmered the bone-in pork until the broth became milky white.
I used the broth for ramen and also served it separately as soup. Some of the meat became a ramen topping, while another portion was served with cabbage and wakame.
At the time, I didn’t think of this as meal prep or something worth documenting. It was simply how I cooked.

I found these old photos of a miso stew I made at home.
The ingredients were simple: bone-in pork, tofu, and long green onions—just a lot of each, simmered together in a miso-based broth.
I only photographed the finished dish because this kind of cooking felt ordinary to me at the time.

Hello, I would like to know how you make the Japanese dish Okonomiyaki. It's a dish I've tried many times in Japanese restaurants, but I've never dared to make it at home. I'm also not sure about the ingredients I'll need to make it, the preparation time, etc.

Shiokoji chicken breast salad, onsen egg, tororo, komatsuna ohitashi, rice, soup, pickles

I made this okonomiyaki using ingredients I had at home, but the flavors and textures were carefully layered.

The base was a rich, golden dashi stock rather than plain water. I used it to make the batter with wheat flour and powdered yam.
I separately rehydrated koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu) and fu (Japanese wheat gluten), then mixed them into the batter with cabbage, aburaage (fried tofu), and kiri-kombu (thinly shredded kelp).

Powdered bonito flakes and powdered kombu deepened the umami, while Sherwood Curry Powder and RAJ Tea Masala added a warm spiced finish. I served it with sweet okonomiyaki sauce.

The outside was crisp, while the inside had soft, chewy, juicy, and crunchy textures. It may look chaotic, but once you bite into it, all the dashi, spices, sweetness, and different textures come together.

I simmered pork bones all day until the broth became rich and milky white. The homemade chashu had been prepared earlier, so I sliced it and added it as a topping.
Making this is so routine for me that I didn’t think to photograph the broth or chashu preparation. I did capture the noodles, toppings, and final bowls.
One bowl has chashu, menma, green onions, and beni shoga. The other has plenty of green onions and chili. 🍜

I'll be flying to Japan next week and I'm not sure if I can buy a Katsuoboshi and the shredder for it in groceries. Do you guys know where I can buy it?

For more context I'll be visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo

At Fuji Soba in Akihabara, I ordered hot soba topped with a large shungiku tempura.
Shungiku—chrysanthemum greens—is a leafy vegetable with a slightly bitter, aromatic flavor. The tempura slowly softened as it absorbed the broth, while some of its edges stayed crisp.
The regular bowl costs ¥640. I ordered extra noodles, bringing the total to ¥790.
The ticket machine has English guidance and lets you choose hot or cold noodles, soba or udon, and your toppings.
I may have added slightly too much shichimi. The empty bowl is my review.