More tips on Japanese fare

Last week we discussed and, hopefully, provided some clarification on sushi. Let’s look at what else is available at Japanese restaurants in Kenya so that
readers can order and enjoy some of the delicacies from the “Land of the Rising Sun”.

Western sushi

The increasing popularity of sushi in the West as well as around the world has resulted in variations of sushi typically found in the West but rarely, if at all, in Japan.

Such creations, tailored to suit the Western palate, were initially fuelled by the invention of the California roll. A wide variety of popular rolls
has evolved since. These include:

• The California Roll: This is the most popular of the Western sushi and is found in all Japanese restaurants in Nairobi. It consists of avocado, some form of crab, nowadays maybe even tuna or salmon, and cucumber. It is an inside-out version of the makimono, with rice on the outside and nori
(seaweed paper) on the inside.

• The dynamite roll is usually wide, like a futomaki, and includes yellowtail (hamachi) fish or prawn tempura, and fillings such as bean sprouts, carrots, chilli and spicy mayonnaise. What sets this roll apart from the futomaki is the hot effect of chilli in an otherwise calm mouthful of sushi.

• The rainbow roll is typically a California roll topped with several various sashimi. The Sapporo restaurant in Nairobi makes an exceptionally good Rainbow Roll shaped like a heart.

• The Philadelphia Roll almost always consists of smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, and/or onion.

• The Crunchy Roll is a California roll deep fried tempura-style, often topped with sweet eel sauce or chilli sauce.

There are variations of these, where only the toppings are crunchy — try the Sushi Bar at the Phoenix restaurant.

The Popcorn, Rock N Roll are some great examples of crunchy rolls.

Tempura

Much as Japanese fare is deemed healthy, the tempura is an exception. Interestingly, it is of Portuguese origin, but also a popular Japanese dish and consists of seafood or vegetables that are coated with batter and deep fried. My favourite are prawns tempura.

Tempura is commonly served with grated daikon (horse radish) and eaten immediately after frying. The most common sauce is tentsuyu sauce, comprising dashi (Japanese cooking stock), mirin (rice wine) and soy sauce.

Alternatively, tempura may be sprinkled with sea salt before eating.

Teppanyaki

Teppanyaki is the more sociable and fun part of Japanese eating. It is a style of cuisine that uses an iron griddle.

The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and yaki, which means grilled, broiled or pan-fried. In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate.

It is interesting to note that an Internet search yielded a restaurant chain called Misono in Japan, which started the Western form of teppanyaki that
we are used to now, in 1945.

One of Nairobi’s most famous Japanese restaurants, and one around whose teppanyaki tables patrons crowd every night, is also called Misono.

At a modern teppanyaki set-up (either the whole or part of the restaurant may be dedicated to teppanyaki), one’s group (be it just one, two or many) sits round a large iron plate shaped like a table.

Usually, there are several teppanyaki options in a menu, each consisting of several courses of meat, seafood or vegetables only. An accomplished chef then prepares dishes with a flourish, swinging stirrers, clanging spatulas, literally putting on a show for the diners.

The menu items are delicately presented and for each course a special dipping sauce is suggested.

An evening spent at a teppanyaki dinner is a complete night-out of a satisfying meal, with conversation around the dinner table, entertainment and drinks.

Noodles

Noodles often take the place of rice in a meal. However, the Japanese have such an appetite for rice that many restaurants even serve noodles-rice combinations.

Traditional Japanese noodles are usually served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in a hot soy-dashi broth. Most of the noodle dishes are large and filling and constitute an entire l meal.

• Soba: thin brown buckwheat noodles. Also known as Nihon-soba (“Japanese soba”) , they are served with steamed pork.

• Udon: thick white wheat noodles served with various toppings (thinly sliced scallions, prawn tempura or tofu pockets lined with sugar), usually in a hot soy-dashi broth, or sometimes in a Japanese curry soup.

• Ramen: thin light yellow noodles served in hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings. Of Chinese origin, it is a popular and common item in Japan. (Chinese influenced noodles are served in a meat or chicken broth and have only appeared in the last 100 years or so).

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