Japan Eats!

Ivan Orkin is in studio with host Akiko Katayama this week for Japan Eats!  Talking how this self described “Jewish kid from Long Island” fell in love with the cuisine and culture of Japan to becoming a renowned and respected chef, Ivan shares what specifically attracted him to refining his own style of ramen.  Discussing the evolution of ramen’s popularity in the Japan and the United States, Ivan also relays the importance of observing Japanese customs and traditions, details from his cookbook “Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo’s Most Unlikely Noodle Joint,” and what’s trending in ramen today. “One of the reasons I chose ramen was because I felt it was the only food stuff in Japan that didn’t have any rules.” [11:00] “Ramen shops used to be like a gangster shop, kind of like an old Irish pub!” [18:50] –Ivan Orkin on Japan Eats  

Meet Kenta Goto, guest on this week’s episode of Japan Eats, hosted by Akiko Katayama.  Kenta is the mastermind behind the newly opened Japanese-American bar, Bar Goto, located in the Lower East Side of New York City. Talking the differences between the American and Japanese bar scenes, and what makes the fusion of the two a unique experience at Bar Goto, Kenta shares his own brand of creativity when it comes to serving the best some of the cocktails in the city.  Does freshly chipped ice make for a better martini? What’s on the menu at Bar Goto? Tune in for the delectable answers! “There’s a huge difference between the Japanese bar scene and American bar scene… in the states we make tips, bartenders in Japan are based on salary.” [11:00] “The concept is good cocktails and comfort Japanese food.” [25:50] –Kenta Goto on Japan Eats

Japan Eats is back!  Host Akiko Katayama welcomes Shuho Yagi, owner of TIC Group, to the studio for a talk about his life and times, building a successful business, helping to define Japanese cuisine in New York City, plus establishing “Japantown” located in the East Village.  He shares that he fatefully missed his Japanese college entrance exam by ten minutes which prompted him to take his tuition money on an adventure to the United States.  Working his way as a short order cook, he quickly realized the untapped potential of introducing Japanese food to the American palate.  Priding himself by implementing traditional Japanese cooking techniques, it is no surprise that his T.I.C. Group is comprised of multiple, thriving restaurants that allow patrons to “Enjoy Japan without Airfare!”   “My concept is always original, go back to the original, that is key.” [39:00] –Shuho Yagi on Japan Eats  

What do Japanese udon and jazz music have in common? Tune in to Japan Eats as Akiko Katayama is in studio with musician Kyoko Oyobe who hails from an udon and soba noodle family! Her father is well known in Japan for his quality, homemade udon and has served it in his restaurants for years. Kyoko shares her experiences growing up as a pianist in a food household and that while she may have studied music since she age four, she still knows a great deal about this delicious and versatile noodle. Interlaced with udon talk and musical selections from her upcoming jazz album, “Happy Silence,” this show is not to be missed! This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham. “For me, udon is very light, not heavy like ramen.” [29:40] “I grew up with udon and in the restaurant there are so many memories. My parents… are making people happy by serving a bowl of udon… I want to put out my good spirit and make people happy with my music. ” [32:30] —Kyoko Oyobe on Japan Eats

Japan is a land of long traditions including the intricate art of crafting Japanese knives, and today on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is sitting down with Saori Kawano, founder and president of Korin Japanese Trading Corp. Sharing how she moved from Japan to New York in 1978 to pursue her lifelong dream of bringing Japanese knives and tableware into American restaurants and homes, Saori highlights the history, styles, and uses for these knives. Curious what distinguishes a western blade from a traditional Japanese knife or why your sashimi is cut so precisely? Tune in to this informative episode! This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham. “We can trace the history of Japanese knives back more than 1200 years to the traditional samurai sword makers.” [4:32] “The most popular traditional Japanese knives for western chefs are usuba knives.” [26:39] “Sharpening knives is very good meditation time; don’t think about anything else just focus on sharpening the knife. It’s a very peaceful moment.” [29

This week on Japan Eats host Akiko Katayama interviews Kenshiro Uki of Sun Noodles for a discussion all about the production of ramen. Kenshiro talks about how the popularity of ramen has risen, particularly in New York. Ramen has become a breeding ground for creativity and expression in the food world and its popularity is growing everyday. Join Akiko and Kenshiro to learn just why ramen is such a great business to be in. This program was brought to you by the International Culinary Center. “Ramen is comfort food, it’s good and it’s affordable.” [9:00] “When you’re younger you like the rich broth, and then when you’re older you tend to like the lighter broths…one common thing is spicy, people are always requesting spicy.” [30:00] — Kenshiro Uki on Japan Eats

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayam is in studio with Tim Cushman, the heralded chef and owner of O Ya with locations in Boston and most recently, New York City. Since it’s opening in 2007, Tim and the restaurant have received numerous accolades, including being named by New York Times food critic, Frank Bruni, as the #1 new restaurant in the country in 2008. Akiko and Tim discuss his colorful path to ultimately producing fine Japanese fare before moving on to his specific kitchen techniques involving amazing ingredients as well as details around specific dishes. Tune in for a delicious show! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “Why Japanese? When I fell in love with the Japanese culture, what I loved about the flavors of Japan were how much was accomplished in one bite.” [17:03] “The most important part of O Ya, to me, is our sushi rice, even though we have a lot more than sushi!” [17:25] —Tim Cushman on Japan Eats

This week on Japan Eats host Akiko Katayama interviews the president of Go!Go! Curry Tomoko Omori, for a discussion all about the popularity of curry in Japan. Akiko and Tomoko discuss the difference between Indian and Japanese curry, the history of curry in Japan, India, and England, and the best ingredients that can be incorporated into curry. This program was brought to you by Escape Maker. “When you go to a different region, you will always find a different curry.” [31:00] — Tomoko Omori on Japan Eats

This week on Japan Eats host Akiko interviews the former bartender of Le Bernardin, Brian Matthys, about his love of the Japanese distilled beverage, shochu. Akiko and Brian discuss his journey as a bartender, dispel some common misconceptions of shochu, and go in depth about the history of the drink. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “There’s a tremendous amount of Japanese ingredients that I’ve used both with western spirits and Japanese [spirits] as well.” [33:10] “For bartenders, it’s great because it’s a whole new set of flavors to work with and play around with.” [33:33] —Brian Matthys on Japan Eats

Today on Japan Eats, Akiko is sitting down with one of only 48 “Sake Samurais” in the world as honored by the Japan Sake Brewers Association – Roger Dagorn. Also a noted Master Sommelier, Roger shares how he came around to the fascinating world of distinguished beverages as well as details on how he analyzes and pairs all types of food with various sakes plus relays how sake is typically produced. After the break, Roger describes the induction ceremony associated with the “Sake Samurai,” the importance of educating about sake, and his tips for pairing sakes with meals. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “Every time I taste sake, I think about what I can pair it with food… Sake can be a food, it is meant to be consumed with food.” [8:00] “Sometimes with age they can take on strong aromas of smokiness and gaminess… Some people even compare them to scotch sometimes without the high alcohol.” [31:00] —Roger Dagorn on Japan Eats

Matcha is, without a doubt, gaining popularity in the United States and is the topic of discussion on this week’s Japan Eats. Guest Michelle Gardner, owner of Chalait in New York City’s West Village recently opened with a focus on this special tea. Michelle shares that the concept of the cafe was born on a trip to Japan when she had her first sip of matcha and felt driven to bring it to an American audience, prepared using traditional techniques. She goes on to elaborate the various ways Chalait implements matcha into the menu aside from a typically sweet additive. After the break, the health benefits of the tea are discussed and range from containing high levels of antioxidants to relieving stress and boosting metabolism. Curious to try? Switch out your afternoon cup of coffee with a traditional matcha tea! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “This [matcha] is sort of the tea-spresso of Japan!” [16:30] “Matcha is a great alternative if you want to live a healthier lifestyl

Go beyond sushi and ramen and deeper into the rustic foods of Japan on a brand new episode of Japan Eats!. Host Akiko Katayama is joined by Tadashi Ono, owner Ganso Yaki – a Japanese bistro that cooks bold, rustic Japanese comfort food. Chef Ono talks about pulling inspiration from French techniques and street foods of Japan and creating his own unique style of food. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. “I’m happy to introduce this new funky Japanese food!” 38:00 “What I make is very rustic, not very defined.” 40:00 –Tadashi Ono on Japan Eats

Chris Jaeckle joins host Akiko Katayama this week on Japan Eats for a discussion about how he became a chef, and why he decided to cook so many different kinds of food. Chris and Akiko talk about the commitment and learning process that Chris went through that brought him to working at restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park and Morimoto, and how these experiences eventually helped open his restaurants All’Onda and Uma Temakeria. This program was brought to you by Karp Resources. “Any entrepreneur who is trying to grow and get better will always be competing with themselves.” [5:00] “We have young kids in high school and elementary school…we certainly didn’t think it would be like this, but were really pleased with the demographic [Customers at Uma Temakeria].” [34:00] — Chris Jaeckle on Japan Eats

Rick Smith, owner of Sakaya, joins host Akiko Katayama in studio today for a conversation all about Sake. Rick starts the show by giving us all an education about what sake is made out of, and the complicated process of how it is brewed. Rick and Akiko discuss the changes that have occurred in the US based on sake appreciation. Just as wine is highly appreciated in the US, Rick tells us that sake appears to be on the same track. The beautiful tradition of sake production, how to drink sake properly, and the expanding industry of sake in the US, all this week on Japan Eats . This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “Beer brewing is a sequential process, one step after another, sake brewing has many steps happening at the same time in the same tank.” [5:00] “That was the ah ha moment for me, that premium sake had all the same qualities that had attracted me to wine.” [11:00] — Rick Smith on Japan Eats

Yuji Haraguchi, the chef behind OKONOMI // YUJI Ramen, joins Akiko Katayama for an information-filled episode of Japan Eats. Yuji explains how he embraces mottainai, a Japanese phrase that loosely translates to “no waste”, in his cooking. Learn about ramen techniques, under utilized seafood and his forward thinking philosophy in the kitchen. This program was brought to you by EscapeMaker.com. “The fish we serve is wild …it’s important to have a good relationship with your fish purveyor.” [23:00] “We have more than 10 different fish on the menu.” [33:00] “All the ceramics we serve at the restuarant are made by hand.” [38:00] –Yuji Haraguichi on Japan Eats

Welcome to Japan Eats! Japan Eats is a weekly radio show from Akiko Katayama, a food writer and a director of the non-profit organization The New York Japanese Culinary Academy (NYJCA), which promotes a deeper understanding of Japanese cuisine in the US. Akiko is joined by food industry professionals who can share their deep knowledge and passion for Japanese cuisine. Tune in and demystify Japanese food tradition, learn about the latest Japanese food trends. On her first episode she’s joined by Harry Rosenblum of Brooklyn Kitchen and The Meat Hook. Harry talks about the products he carries, specifically Japanese knives. “Knives are a really good example of something the’s easy to directly import.” [08:00] “We don’t like to support products that are what we call ‘landfill fodder’. We don’t want to sell people things that will break in two weeks or become useless.” [14:00] –Harry Rosenblum on Japan Eats