i. Toss with shio koji, sake, light soy sauce, grated ginger, and grated garlic clove until every surface is coated.

ii. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

This brief, cool rest lets koji’s enzymes start tenderizing and boosting umami without making the exterior mushy.

i. Pour neutral oil into a heavy pot and heat to 160℃ (320°F). Starting at 160℃ cooks the meat gently so the crust sets without over-browning shio-koji sugars.

i. Scrape the excess marinade off of the chicken so only a thin film remains to prevent burn, then stir all-purpose flour + potato starch into the bowl to form a light, clingy paste.

ii. Spread more potato starch on a tray and roll each piece to coat every surface in a very thin, even layer. Shake off excess so no powdery patches remain.

This double-coat locks in juices, reduces hot spots where sugars could scorch, and sets you up for lasting crunch.

i. Slide in 3-5 pieces and fry at 160℃ (320°F) for about 3 minutes, stirring gently so they don’t settle and stick to the bottom. Look for pale-blond chicken with small, tight bubbles and a soft hiss.

ii. Rest the pieces on a wire rack for 3 minutes so steam escapes and carryover heat evens out the center. Keep them elevated (not on towels) to avoid steaming the undersides and softening the shell.

i. Raise the oil to 185-190℃ (365-374°F) and return the chicken in batches for 30-60 seconds, just until the crust turns an even medium-gold and the sizzle sounds sharper.

ii. Pull immediately.

i. Salt the cucumbers (julienned) with about 2% by weight and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.

ii. After the time’s up, squeeze the cucumber strips firmly in your hands to wring out the excess water. You’ll be amazed at how much liquid comes out.

If you’re working with thick American cucumbers instead of slender Japanese ones, slice them lengthwise first and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. English cucumbers (the long, seedless variety) work beautifully here and need less prep time since they’re naturally less watery.

i. In a chilled metal bowl, break apart your imitation crab into thin, crab-like strands. Dampen your hands slightly with cool water first (this prevents the sticky crab from clinging to your fingers and makes the whole process smoother). Gently pull each stick apart lengthwise.

ii. Mix all the dressing ingredients (mayo, lemon juice, Japanese soy sauce, dashi granules, and wasabi paste with drained cucumber and sweet corn kernels. Mayo’s fat + salt + acid give mild kani-kama real stage presence, while fat mellows wasabi’s sharp heat so the aroma lingers without the painful punch.

iii. instead of stirring with a spoon (which crushes everything), use chopsticks or a fork to lift and fold the ingredients together. Rotate the bowl as you work, creating gentle lifting motions that coat everything evenly without breaking the delicate textures.

i. Right before serving, crack on black pepper and drizzle toasted sesame oil. The pepper wakes up the sweetness and the sesame oil sends a nutty aroma.

ii. Taste and adjust salt or lemon to balance if needed.

Start by trimming just the very bottom of the enoki mushroom stems. You want to keep as much of the mushroom as possible while removing any tough or discolored parts.

Gently separate the clusters into smaller bundles and place them in a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat every strand.

Add the black pepper, soy sauce, grated garlic, powdered cheese, and dried herb mix to the oiled enoki.

Using your hands or tongs, toss everything together until each mushroom strand is evenly coated with the seasoning mixture.

Next, mix potato starch in to create the final coating.

The goal is to create a flavorful base coating that will crisp up beautifully during cooking.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure it coats the entire surface. Spread your seasoned enoki mixture evenly across the pan, creating a single layer that covers the entire bottom.

You’re essentially creating one giant enoki pancake.

Once it’s spread out, cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, then place a flat, heavy object on top.

Something like a water-filled pot works great. Turn the heat to medium.

Once you hear that telltale sizzling sound, maintain the pressure for exactly 5 minutes. You’re listening for a steady, gentle sizzle.

Carefully flip the whole thing and repeat the same process for another 4 minutes to crisp the other side.

Remove the weight one final time and flip the enoki back to its original side. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly across the top.

Let the cheese melt slightly so that it adheres to the surface, then quickly flip once more so the cheese is now against the hot pan surface.

This creates a crispy, golden cheese crust that’s absolutely irresistible. Cook without the weight for just 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Transfer your crispy enoki creation to a cutting board and slice it like a pizza into wedges.

Serve immediately with ketchup for dipping, or try it with chopped green onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon for a brighter flavor profile.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Place the edamame in a bowl and generously sprinkle coarse salt over them.

Using both hands, vigorously rub the salt into the pods. This “salt massage” serves a purpose far beyond simple seasoning.

It removes the fine fuzz (trichomes) from the pod surface, creating a smoother texture. If this fuzz remains, it creates an unpleasant, grainy texture that detracts from the overall experience.

If you have a minute to spare, I really recommend using kitchen scissors to cut about 1-2 mm off both ends of each pod. These small cuts allow the flavor to penetrate the beans more deeply. Don’t worry about cutting the beans inside; the pods are sturdy enough to protect them.

Bring a pot of water to a full, rolling boil before adding salt (aim for a salt concentration of about 4%). This concentration is the “sweet spot” for enhancing the beans’ natural sugars without drawing out too much moisture.

Add the edamame all at once a long with the salt used for rubbing. Turn the heat back up to high, then reduce it slightly so the water stays at a vigorous boil without spilling over.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, tasting one pod around the 3-minute mark. You should feel slight resistance when you bite into it. Then, let the residual heat finish cooking it off the stove.

For large pods with firm texture, aim for about 5 minutes, for or smaller pods or softer texture, 3+ minutes works well.

Overcooking is the enemy because it creates mushy, waterlogged beans. Stir the beans occasionally during cooking to ensure even heat distribution.

Immediately drain the cooked edamame through a colander, removing as much cooking water as possible. It is critical that you never rinse them with cold water or use an ice bath. These methods will wash away the salt and umami that were carefully built up, leaving you with watery, bland beans.

Instead, spread the drained edamame on the colander and use a fan to cool them quickly. This quick cooling prevents overcooking from residual heat while preserving their vibrant green color.

Even if serving warm, a quick 10-20 second fan session helps set the color. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of coarse salt if needed.

Keep in mind that edamame can sometimes taste a bit bland when it’s hot, but it gets really tasty as it cools, so don’t go overboard with the salt from the beginning.

The umami and saltiness of the seawater-like flavor that fills the inside pods is simply irresistible.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Tear the washed leaves into large bite-sized pieces instead of cutting them with a knife. Tearing it along the natural fibers creates uneven surfaces that better absorb the flavorful sauce.

Place the torn cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Using clean hands, gently massage the salt into the leaves.

Let the salted cabbage rest for 10-15 minutes. Too short and the cabbage won’t release enough moisture, too long and it will become too soft and lose its refreshing crunch. You’ll know it’s ready when the cabbage volume has noticeably reduced and water has pooled at the bottom of the bowl.

While the cabbage is resting, make your shiodare sauce. In a small saucepan, mix together water, garlic paste, ground black pepper, fine sea salt, sugar, lemon juice, chicken bouillon powder, honey, and toasted sesame oil.

Heat the mixture over low heat and allow the sauce to simmer gently for about 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, create a slurry by thoroughly mixing potato starch with cold water until completely smooth.

Whisk the sauce continuously as you slowly pour in the slurry in a thin stream. This keeps lumps from forming. Keep stirring until the sauce gets a little thicker. You want it to coat the back of a spoon, but still flow easily, like maple syrup.

Once thickened, immediately remove from heat to prevent over-thickening. Set aside to cool slightly while you finish preparing the cabbage.

Go back to your salted cabbage, which should have released a significant amount of water by now. Gently, but firmly, squeeze the cabbage with your clean hands or a clean kitchen towel to get rid of the extra water.

No need to wash or rinse the cabbage here, just transfer it straight to a clean bowl. Pour the warm (not hot) sauce over the cabbage and, using clean hands or kitchen tongs, gently toss to ensure each piece is well coated.

The slightly warm sauce will be absorbed more readily by the cabbage, enhancing flavor penetration.

The shiodare cabbage can be enjoyed immediately, but for best results, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This resting period allows the flavors to fully develop and marry, resulting in a more complex taste profile.

Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Put all the ingredients for the takoyaki sauce into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes.

Keep the heat low and stir continuously to prevent splattering, as high heat will cause the sauce to splatter everywhere.

Grind the bonito flakes and dried baby shrimp into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a small blender.

This creates an added umami base for your batter. If dried shrimp aren’t available, you can simply omit them.

Whisk together the water, egg, and mayonnaise in a large bowl until well combined. If bubbles form on the surface, you can remove them with a mesh spoon.

Go ahead and add the cake flour, aonori powder, ground bonito flakes, dried shrimp powder, and dashi granules to the bowl. Mix it all together until there are no lumps left.

Mix the tempura bits (tenkasu), thinly sliced leek white parts, and finely chopped red pickled ginger in a separate bowl. This advance preparation streamlines the cooking process.

Cut the octopus into small, bite-sized pieces, ensuring they’ll fit properly in each well.

Heat up your takoyaki pan over medium heat. Once it’s nice and hot, fill each part about a quarter of the way with oil to get that perfect Gindaco crispiness.

Pour the batter over the molds, filling each one about halfway. Don’t worry about batter that spills outside the wells, as it will be incorporated when rolling.

Place a piece of octopus in each well.

Then pour more batter on top until the surface is completely covered, including the areas between wells.

Sprinkle the prepared topping mix evenly over the entire surface.

When the batter starts to firm up a bit, use a bamboo skewer to score lines between each well, dividing the surface into squares.

Then use the skewer to gently scrape around the edge of each well in a circular motion, turning the takoyaki halfway.

After a few minutes of cooking, roll each piece again to cook the bottom and tuck any loose edges underneath.

This creates the perfectly round shape that’s characteristic of takoyaki.

By the way, if you want to see the whole cooking and shaping process in action, you can check it out on my takoyaki YouTube video below.

Once all the pieces are rounded, drizzle another generous layer of oil over them and turn them occasionally until crispy all over. This extra oil is what makes the crispy exterior that sets Gindaco-style takoyaki apart from regular versions.

Give the takoyaki a turn regularly to make sure they’re all crispy all over.

If you see some browning faster than others, just swap their spots in the pan to even things out. That way, all the pieces will get that same golden-brown exterior.

This recipe makes about 32 takoyaki, and you can use the leftover oil in the takoyaki pan as the initial oil for the next batch.

The finished takoyaki should be golden and crispy outside while remaining soft and slightly runny inside. Transfer them to a serving plate, brush with takoyaki sauce.

Then, sprinkle generously with aonori powder and bonito flakes.

Mayonnaise is optional.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

After 1 minute, when the peppers have softened slightly but still retain some crispness, pour the sauce over them and stir-fry until they’re evenly coated.

Keep cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, then take it off the heat and put it in a big mixing bowl.

Add the thoroughly drained tuna, mayonnaise and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil to the bowl and mix everything together.

Serve on a plate and sprinkle with bonito flakes and ground black pepper to finish.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Begin by tearing the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.

Then give them a quick cold water bath.

You can use virtually any type of lettuce for this recipe, but I personally used iceberg lettuce for its satisfying crunch.

While your lettuce is soaking, let’s get that addictive sauce going. In a large mixing bowl, combine all your sauce ingredients.

The bowl should be spacious enough to accommodate the lettuce for tossing later, so don’t be shy about sizing up here.

Here’s where attention to detail really matters. Drain your soaked lettuce and get ready for the most critical step – thorough drying. A salad spinner is your best friend here, but a thorough shake in a colander and some paper towels work just fine too.

Remember, any lingering water will dilute that sauce we just made, and we definitely don’t want that.

Now for the fun part. Take your dried lettuce and add it to that flavorful sauce waiting in the bowl. Get in there with your hands and give everything a good massage.

For serving, arrange your dressed lettuce on plates and top with hand-torn nori.

I used Japanese nori, but Korean seaweed can add an extra dimension to the dish if you’re looking to bring up the level of addictiveness.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

First, get the okra ready by trimming off the stems and peeling off the outer skin around the stem area with a knife or vegetable peeler.

Next, put the okra on a wooden cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Gently roll the pods or rub them with your hands to remove the natural fuzz.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the prepared okra and blanch for 1 minute.

Then, immediately transfer the okra to a bowl of ice water.

While the okra is chilling, combine all remaining ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid to create your marinade.

Remove the okra from the ice bath and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Add the okra to the container with the marinade, making sure each piece is well-coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, though you can leave it overnight for more developed flavors.

And that’s it!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

First, peel the Japanese yam and grate it into a smooth paste. I recommend a Japanese-style “oroshi” grater for best results. It’ll end up as a sticky, slightly foamy consistency like this.

If you’re sensitive to yams, be sure to wear food-safe gloves during this step because raw yams can irritate some people’s skin.

Grab a mixing bowl and put the grated yam in it. Then add the egg white, mirin, soy sauce, dashi granules, and mayonnaise, and whisk it all together until it’s combined.

The mixture should be smooth and slightly bubbly.

Heat a small skillet (I used 20cm) over medium-high heat. Add a bit of toasted sesame oil to coat the bottom of the pan, but not too much.

Pour in the yam mixture once the oil is hot.

Give it a gentle stir to distribute it evenly, and then let it cook until you see bubbles forming on the surface.

When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium and put a lid on the pan. Steam for 5 minutes.

Take the lid off and check that the surface is set but still tender. Top with a little mayonnaise, sprinkle with crushed nori, and carefully place the reserved egg yolk in the center.

Serve right away while it’s still hot.

This dish is typically served as it is. Each diner will have their own small serving plate and help themselves straight from the pan.

Enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements