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.

Cut washed and peeled potatoes into chunks.

Add them to a large pot with cold water along with a bit of salt and cook them until fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes). Alternatively, you can steam them whole in a steamer basket until a bamboo skewer slides through, about 15-20 minutes.

While your potatoes are still hot, mash them thoroughly in a bowl until smooth and creamy.

Let them cool slightly (about 60°C or 140°F, hot but cool enough to handle).

Sprinkle in potato starch, salt, sugar, grated hard cheese (or powdered cheese), and meltable shredded cheese (I used Gouda).

Knead everything together with your hands until it forms a smooth, cohesive dough. If your dough feels sticky, add potato starch a teaspoon at a time. If it’s cracking and dry, add water drop by drop. The dough should feel like soft Play-Doh, pliable but not clingy.

Divide your dough into 5 equal portions and shape each into an oval patty. Think small hamburger patty rather than pancake. You want enough thickness for that satisfying chewy bite.

Ideally, each patty should be about 1-1.5cm (about ½”) thick and 6-8cm (3″) in diameter.

Place your shaped mochi in a cold non-stick frying pan. Drizzle cooking oil, then add butter to the center of the pan, then turn the heat to medium-low.

Listen for that gentle sizzle as the fat heats up and spreads under your mochi. You’re looking for a steady, quiet bubble rather than aggressive spattering.

Once the bottom develops a beautiful golden-brown crust (about 4-5 minutes), carefully flip each piece.

You’ll know they’re done when both sides are golden and the mochi feels slightly springy when gently pressed.

Finally, add a splash of water (about 1 tbsp) to the pan and cover with a lid for 1 minute. This quick steaming helps the starch gelatinize all the way through, making your potato mochi extra chewy and delicious!

Remove the lid, let any excess moisture evaporate and then take the pan off the heat.

While your mochi finish cooking, quickly combine of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Keep stirring, and remove from the heat once it becomes a syrupy texture.

Drizzle the sauce onto the cooked imo mochi and enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

First, rinse the ayu under cold running water. Then, use the back of a spoon to gently remove the natural protective coating from the skin.

Just be careful not to damage the delicate flesh beneath, and you’ll get a nice, clean flavor without any muddiness.

After cleaning, hold the fish with its belly facing outward and gently press from just below the gills toward the tail using your thumb and index finger. This removes any digestive contents and prepares the fish for cooking.

Pat the fish thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Poke a bamboo or metal skewer through the fish’s mouth and guide it through the body until it comes out at the yellow spot near the tail (that’s called “oiboshi” in Japanese).

Make a slight curve in the skewer to copy the fish’s natural swimming motion. This isn’t just for looks; it helps make sure the fish cooks evenly.

In Japanese cuisine, the fish’s head is always on the left when it’s served. This is based on traditional presentation aesthetics, so keep that in mind when you’re preparing your skewers.

Here’s an important Japanese technique called “Kesho Jio (化粧塩)” that makes all the difference. Just stretch the tail fin a bit and apply a good amount of salt. The salt acts as a protective barrier that prevents the delicate fin from burning during grilling.

For salting the body, first sprinkle sea salt on a surface, then gently press the fish onto the salt to coat the underside evenly. Hold your hand about 30 cm (12 inches) above the fish as you sprinkle salt over the top side. This height allows for even distribution of salt across the entire surface.

Make sure your grill is nice and hot before you start cooking. If you’re using a Japanese fish grill, set it to medium-high heat. For Western-style grills, aim for about 375°F (190°C).

Tip: Wrap the end of the skewer with foil to prevent burning.

Start with medium heat for the first 4-5 minutes, just until the skin starts to look nice and colored. Then, reduce to medium-low heat to allow the interior to cook gently without burning the exterior.

For single-sided grills, cook it until the edges are golden (about 5 minutes), then carefully flip and repeat.

But the time really depends on the type of grill you use, so it’s better to judge by appearance rather than cooking time.

Serve it right away with a slice of citrus fruit (I used sudachi). The bright acidity really brings out the rich, slightly bitter flavors of the grilled ayu.

Since Ayu no Shioyaki is usually served as street food, it can eaten straight off the skewer, bones, head, guts, and all. This is totally optional and I personally don’t eat the head or guts.

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

Summary: It’s not uncommon to see whole slices of cheesecake in Japanese crepes, so meet blueberry cheesecake flavor! Simply drizzle blueberry sauce over the cream and add a wedge of cheesecake of your choice. You can use store-bought or homemade cheesecake, and experiment with different flavors!

What you will need: Whipped cream (optional), 1 slice cheesecake, 2 tbsp blueberry sauce.

Summary: Recreate the flavors of apple pie by adding stewed apples and crispy palmier cookies sprinkled with cinnamon and lashings of custard cream. This one brings autumn vibes and it’s so good!

What you will need: Custard cream, 2-4 slices stewed apples, cinnamon, 2 palmier cookies (genji-pie), or flakes of leftover pie crust.

Summary: Looking for a savory option? There are plenty in Japan from tuna mayo salad, avocado and shrimp, and this sausage pizza crepe packed with hotdog sausages, melty cheese and herby pizza sauce.

What you will need: 3-4 tbsp grated cheese (meltable), 1-2 hot dog sausages, 1-2 tbsp pizza sauce, mixed herbs to sprinkle at the end.

Start by pre-heating your pan on medium low. It should be thoroughly preheated to ensure even cooking. I use a 22cm pan (8.6inches) which makes 5 crepes.

While you wait, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar and a pinch of salt.

Mix and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and oil (or melted butter). Once combined, add the warm milk and vanilla essence if using. Whisk until combined.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in your wet ingredients.

Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Your pan should be thoroughly heated at this point. Add a little oil and wipe away the excess with kitchen paper. This will create a more even finish without heat spots.

Tip: Save the oiled kitchen paper for later so you can lightly grease the pan between each crepe.

Pour 60ml (1/4 US cup) of batter into the 22cm pan and swirl it until the base is completely covered.

Tip: Measure 60ml of batter into a smaller container so that you can pour it in all at once. I use a 1/4 US cup measure which is conveniently just the right size. If using a smaller or larger pan, you will need to trial and error the amount of batter – but it should coat the bottom of the pan without being too thick or thin.

Cook until all of the top has set, then flip it over and fry the other side for about 30 seconds.

Remove the crepe from the pan and place it on a plate while you make the rest.

Pipe cream around half of the edge of the crepe, then fill 1/6 of the circle with a triangle of cream or fillings of your choice.

Fold the crepe in half, then fold in thirds to close.

For a cone shape, use a smaller amount of filling and fold it in half like before, then roll it instead of folding.

Wrap with decorative wax paper for the full Harajuku crepe look, and enjoy!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix all batter ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Place breadcrumbs in a separate container.

Preheat oil to 170℃ (340°F) in a deep pot or fryer.

Thread one or two bite-sized pieces of each ingredient onto bamboo skewers. Consider the depth of the frying oil when assembling.

Dip each skewer into the batter.

Then roll in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to ensure good adhesion.

Carefully lower breaded skewers into preheated oil.

Fry for about 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Frying time may vary depending on ingredient size and type.

Remove fried skewers with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer. Place on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Repeat until all skewers are fried.

Serve immediately after cooking, or use a tabletop fryer for smaller batches to enjoy while cooking.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

First, combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the temperature and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

While it’s simmering, stir constantly until the sauce becomes smooth and thickens up nicely.

Next, cut the leeks into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

Then, slice the pork shoulder so that the pieces are the same size as the leek chunks.

To make the skewers, I alternately thread pork and leek onto the sticks, starting and ending with a piece of pork. I will get five pieces of pork on each finished skewer.

Preheat a grill or broiler to high. Put the skewers on, add black pepper, and grill for five minutes. I recommend placing foil underneath the grill to catch the drips and make clean up easier later.

Then flip and grill the other side for five more minutes.

Brush sauce on the top of the skewers and grill for 2 minutes. Flip again, brush the other side, and grill for a final 2 minutes.

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

i. Lay the boneless chicken breasts flat and slice them into long thick strips.

ii. Lightly prick each piece 3-4 times per side with a fork; don’t saw or shred. Gentle, even pricks are enough. This speeds seasoning into lean meat without changing the shape.

iii. Then cut each strip on a shallow diagonal (against the grain) into large bite-size pieces. Keeping pieces a similar thickness helps them cook evenly so the centers reach doneness without the exteriors over-browning.

i. In a bowl, add the chicken, crack in an egg, and mix until every surface looks glossy.

ii. Add sake, sugar, grated ginger and garlic, salt, and a touch of sesame oil.

iii. Sprinkle in tapioca starch and fold until the marinade turns lightly creamy and coats the pieces.

iv. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to hydrate the coating and relax the proteins.

i. While the chicken marinates, combine 4 parts tapioca starch to 1 part lemon juice plus lemon zest.

ii. It will clump into pale “glaciers.” Let it sit 1 minute so the starch hydrates.

iii. Then use a fork to break it up and your fingertips to rub and scrunch it into fine, powdery “hailstones.”

iv. You’re aiming for light, sandy granules that feel dry but squeeze into soft clumps. If you have tried my Authentic Karaage fried chicken thigh recipe, you probably know that adding a small quantity of water and starches creates a unique texture I like to call the “Hailstone Effect.”

In this recipe, I have replaced water with lemon juice and added lemon zest to the starch to create a citrusy batter. This updated version of the Hailstone Effect adds a delicious citrus twist to the recipe!

i. Pour neutral oil into a deep skillet or pot and heat to 160℃ (320°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a pinch of the “hailstone” coating. It should sizzle softly, and float up within 2-3 seconds with gentle bubbles, that’s your green light. Keep a wire rack set over a tray nearby for draining.

ii. Roll each piece of marinated chicken in the lemon-starch hailstones, pressing so the crystals adhere, then drop them into the pot. Fry at 160℃ (320°F) for 3 minutes, adjusting the heat to hold temperature. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, the chicken pieces should float in a single layer in the oil.

iii. Transfer to the rack and repeat in 2-3 batches so the oil stays lively. Let the fried pieces stand on the rack for 3-5 minutes.

i. Increase oil to 180℃ (356°F) and return the rested chicken to the oil for about 1 minute until deep golden and audibly crisp.

ii. Work in quick batches so the oil rebounds. The sizzling will sound sharper and the pieces will feel lighter as trapped steam escapes.

iii. Lift the pieces to the rack and let excess oil drip for 30-60 seconds. For safety, spot-check one thick piece at 74℃ (165°F) before serving.

Start by pouring warm water into a jug and then adding the dry yeast and sugar. Mix well and wait a few minutes for it to become foamy.

I recommend warming the milk slightly too, even if it’s just to room temperature. (Cold milk might hinder the yeast.)

Sift the cake flour and strong flour into a large mixing bowl and add salt and baking powder. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

After the yeast has foamed up, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the contents of the jug into the well. Add the milk here too.

Mix together to form a rough dough and tip it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead until smooth, place it back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. It’s important to keep it covered since moisture in the air can affect the rise.

Leave it in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in size.

Start by finely dicing all of the vegetables. They should be small enough that each ingredient spreads evenly throughout the filling, but big enough that they still have a bit of texture.

Heat a large pan on medium and add a drizzle of sesame oil. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.

Next, add soy sauce, oyster sauce, miso paste, black vinegar sake, sugar, honey, salt, pepper and Chinese chicken stock powder and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed into the mixture.

Mix 1 tsp of potato starch (or corn starch) in a separate bowl with 1 tbsp of cold water to make a slurry. Turn off the heat and pour the slurry into the pan. Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes slightly thickened and glossy.

Transfer the filling to a container and leave it to cool.

Mix the pork mince and lard in a mixing bowl. Once the vegetables are cool to the touch, add them to the bowl and mix until evenly distributed throughout the filling.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge until the dough is ready.

Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out and roll it into a cylinder.

Cut the cylinder into approximately 60g (about 2oz) pieces. My recipe makes 4, but if you’ve doubled or tripled the recipe, cut it into 8 or 12.

Shape each piece so they’re round, and cover them with plastic wrap or a clean, damp tea towel.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes. This resting time helps loosen the dough so that it’s easier to shape.

Flatten out each piece of dough with your palm, and then use a rolling pin to roll it flat to about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick.

Use the rolling pin to thin out the edges all the way around. Since the top will be gathered, the edges should be thinner to prevent the top from becoming too thick and doughy. In other words, the center should be about 5mm thick, while the edges should only be about 2mm thick.

Take the filling out of the fridge and divide it into equal portions (approx 60g/2oz each). Roll each portion into a rough ball and place it in the center of the dough.

Now, I will warn you that my method of folding is not an authentic way, but it’s so easy that you can’t fail! Even if you’re a beginner, you can get this folding method on the first try!

Start by bringing the top and bottom edges to meet in the middle of the filling and pinch them together. Do the same with the left and right edges.

Then, repeat diagonally with each pair of parallel corners.

To fully ensure the nikuman is sealed, twist the middle point.

This will also move the folds and improve the appearance!

Place each completed nikuman on a small piece of baking paper and then place inside the steaming basket.

Once they’re all complete, add the lid and rest for another 15 minutes.

Once the 15-minute resting time is up, fill a pot with (cold) water and place the steaming basket with the nikuman on top. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then once it’s bubbling, turn the heat down to medium and set a timer for 13 minutes.

By starting with cold water, the temperature is brought up gradually, and the dough grows more smoothly. This prevents holes and the nikuman from becoming misshapen.

Once the timer is up, remove the lid immediately (no need to wait!) and enjoy your freshly steamed homemade Japanese nikuman!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements