The Fish With the Big Glowing Eyes Last week I found mehikari (目光) at the supermarket for a great price — ¥1,173 for a full tray — and immediately knew what I was making for dinner. Karaage. Crispy, salty, eaten straight off the plate. Mehikari (メヒカリ) is a small saltwater fish found along the Pacific…

The Japanese Egg Dish That’s in Every Bento Box Tamagoyaki was one of the first things I learned to make properly — a rolled omelette built by layering thin sheets of seasoned egg in a rectangular pan. In our house it turns up everywhere: in bento boxes, on the breakfast table, as a small side…

Japan’s Favorite “Whatever You Like” Pancake Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) literally means “grilled as you like it,” and that’s exactly how we treat it at home — a savory cabbage pancake you build with whatever’s around, topped with pork belly and finished with sweet-savory sauce, mayo, bonito flakes, and aonori. It’s one of Japan’s most popular casual…

The Beef Bowl You Can Make in 20 Minutes On a tired weeknight with a pack of thinly sliced beef in the fridge, gyudon is what we make. It’s Japan’s beef bowl — beef and onions simmered in a sweet-savory sauce over hot rice — the same thing chains like Yoshinoya and Sukiya serve millions…

The Miso Soup Japanese People Actually Make at Home If you’ve ever had miso soup at a Japanese restaurant, you might think it’s something special. But in Japan, miso soup is the most ordinary thing on the table — it shows up at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, almost every single day. This is how I…