Experience the freshness of 'kaiseki ryori'

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At Kyoka Japanese restaurant, chef H. Takahashi prepares these three light and deliciously fresh dishes to be served in one serving of kaiseki ryori. However, these dishes can also be served alone.

Takahashi advises the use fresh ingredients to obtain the best flavors. You can purchase all Japanese ingredients used in these recipes in leading supermarkets.

Ebi Shinjo

Takahashi uses 240g peeled prawns (minced), panko flour (bread crumbs) to coat, 1 onion (diced), 1 egg, salt and pepper to taste.

He combines minced prawn, diced onion, egg, pepper and salt until well combined. Then he divides the mixture into three and shapes them into balls and slightly flattens them.

He then coats them in panko flour and deep fries them in preheated cooking oil until they turn brown. The balls are then removed from the oil and each is cut into four parts.

For the sauce: he combines 2tbsp shoyu, 2tbsp mirin, 300ml water, a dash of sagoo flour in a pan and simmers it until the sauce thickens. (flavor enhancer is optional but can be added).

Salmon Teriyaki

Takahashi uses 100g salmon fillet, 100ml shoyu, 150ml mirin and 1tbsp sugar.

He slices the salmon fillet into 1-centimeter thickness and in a pan he combines shoyu, mirin and sugar and cooks it until it simmers, stirring occasionally.

He soaks the fillet in the sauce for 15 minutes and then inserts a skewer into each fillet strip and grills them, turning them occasionally and glazing them with the remaining sauce. Once cooked, he removes the skewer. The fillet is ready to be served.

Tori Tsundayaki

He uses 80g chicken, 40g edamame (soya beans), 1 egg yolk, tempura flour, 100ml shoyu, 100ml mirin, 1tbsp sugar.

Takahashi mixes shoyu, mirin and sugar and cooks it until it boils, stirring occasionally. He soaks the chicken in the sauce for 15 minutes.

Separately, he boils edamame until cooked, minces them coarsely, puts them in a bowl and mixes in egg yolk, whisking until well combined.

Takahashi glazes the seasoned chicken with the edamame mixture and grills it until cooked.