Japan Eats!

Our guest is Marco Moreira who is the chef/owner of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville in New York. He joined us in Episode #28 and discussed his fascinating background, including how the young Brazilian man came to New York and became a sushi chef, and shared his deep knowledge of Japanese food culture. Marco has run multiple highly successful restaurants in New York with a wide variety of influences from Japanese, French and Brazilian flavors. No restaurant was unaffected by COVID but Marco navigated tremendous challenges well and opened a new restaurant called 15 EAST @ Tocqueville after the pandemic. 15 EAST @ Tocqueville is an innovative concept because Japanese food and French are served both authentically and seamlessly under one roof without being gimmicky. In this episode, we will discuss the unique concept of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville, why Marco decided the contrasting culinary genres belong in one space, his point of view about how Japanese sushi has become part of mainstream American food culture, and much, much m

Our guest is Nori Nakamura who is the owner and winemaker at Noria, a unique winery in California. When we eat Japanese food, we almost automatically think to pair it with Japanese sake or Japanese beer. On the other hand, Japanese sake has become so popular globally that you can find it at Michelin-starred, non-Japanese restaurants outside of Japan these days. Nori decided to break the preconception and now is making beautiful wine that pairs perfectly with Japanese food. In this episode, we will discuss how Nori, who used to be in the high-end hotel industry in Japan, became a winemaker, his wine-making philosophy, what types of wine go well with Japanese food, the future of Japanese food and wine pairing, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is Naoko Takei Moore, who is the chef and owner of Toiro. She is an expert in Donabe, or Japanese traditional earthen cookware, and through Toiro, Naoko introduces global food lovers to the world of Donabe. She is also the co-author of “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking”, published by Ten Speed Press. Donabe has a long history and has been an important part of Japanese food culture. Naoko is a precious figure to learn from all about Donabe. In this episode, we will discuss what exactly Donabe is, how superior Donabe is compared to other cookware, how to choose the right Donabe, handy Donabe recipes to try, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 11 times and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. She is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku”, and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”.Today’s topic is Yakumi. You may have never heard of this word, but yakumi plays a very important role in Japanese food. Yakumi means herbs and spices but the idea goes far beyond your palate. They not only offer delicious flavors and tastes but also plenty of health benefits. There are various types of yakumi from uniquely Japanese plants like wasabi, sansho, Japanese myo

Our guest is Kotaro Hamada who is the 6th generation of Hamada Shuzo in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Hamada Shuzo has been making shochu, the Japanese traditional spirit, since 1868. Hamada Shuzo’s quality is highly recognized not only in Japan but also abroad and its shochu brands called Daiyame 25 and Daiyame 40 have received multiple prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal for Daiyame 40 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2022. Japanese sake has once lost its popularity domestically due to various reasons such as declining alcohol consumption among the younger generations, competitive products such as wine and craft beer and the labor shortage. But thanks to the popularity of Japanese food abroad, Japanese sake has been repositioning itself in the market both in Japan and overseas. Shochu, however, is still an unknown beverage outside the country and the shochu industry has been striving to make it recognized as a precious spirit in the international market. So today, we will discu

Our guest is Zach Mangan who is the co-founder of Kettl, the Japanese tea importer and distributor based in New York and Fukuoka, Japan. He is also the author of the fantastic book about Japanese tea, “Stories of Japanese tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft”. And in September 2021, he opened a beautiful tea shop and gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which is now one of the coolest sections of New York. Zach joined us in Episodes 44 and 264 and talked about his fascinating, somewhat accidental path to becoming a tea expert and his love and passion for tea. Japanese tea is gaining the attention of consumers and beverage professionals nowadays for its pure deliciousness and diverse flavors as well as its healthfulness. In this episode, we will discuss various flavors of Japanese tea that you can choose from, how to select the right type of tea to your liking, sustainable sourcing of Japanese tea that you should keep in mind, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit p

Our guest is Craig Mod who is a writer, author, and photographer based in Japan. Also, according to his website, he is a "walker". And we will talk about what it means. Craig has spent over 20 years in Japan and has produced a lot of valuable work, capturing Japanese daily life objectively as well as being an insider. His insight into Japanese culture is impressive and I have learned a lot from his curious observations. In this episode, we will discuss how Craig got into Japanese culture, his unique perspective of Japanese daily life, how walking helps him to discover the depth of the local culture, Crag’s love for the unique Japanese cafes called Kissaten, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Yumi Komatsudaira, who is a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, and the president of K-Seaweed. Yumi grew up outside Tokyo, playing and snacking in her family’s seaweed factory. When we hear seaweed, many of us may think of the weeds by the beach that do not look particularly delicious, or even edible. But it is like looking at weeds coming out of the pavements on busy city streets. What we are talking about here about seaweed is the equivalent of plants from well-managed farmlands. In Japan, seaweeds are quintessential ingredients for their rich umami. Umami is the fifth taste after salty, sweet, sour and bitter and it enhances and mitigates these other four tastes to make food delicious. That is why Japanese dashi broth, which is made with seaweed, is indispensable in Japanese cuisine. Seaweed is also becoming a hot topic for its huge potential to make the world more sustainable. Not to mention, seaweed is vegan too. In this episode, we will discuss how seaweed is used to make

Our guest is Richard Geoffroy who is the founder and maker of Shiraiwa, a sake brewery in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Before Richard founded the sake brewery in 2018, he was the Chef de Cave, or cellar master, at the world-famous Champagne producer Dom Pérignon for 28 years. Richard makes traditional-style Japanese sake that is uniquely merged with Champagne-making techniques and his sake is gaining the attention of professionals and connoisseurs of sake and wine worldwide. In this episode, we will discuss why the master Champagne maker decided to produce Japanese sake, Richard’s original style of sake that incorporates the idea of assemblages, how his experience with Champagne is inspiring traditional sake production, and much, much more!!!Photo Courtesy of Marion Berrin.Japan Eats is nominated for a viewer’s choice TASTE AWARD. Cast your vote before February 17th.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecas

Our guest is Noriko Okubo who is the co-owner and chief operations officer of Ginza Nishikawa U.S.A. Ginza Nishikawa opened in 2018 in Ginza, one of the poshest areas in Tokyo, to sell high-quality Shokupan bread. Shokupan is also called milk bread and is gaining popularity worldwide for its distinctively soft and fluffy texture with a pleasantly sweet taste. Ginza Nishikawa’s Shokupan bread earned accolades very quickly and now it operates over 130 shops throughout Japan. The huge success spread to the U.S. and the bakery opened its first overseas location in L.A. in July 2022, which Noriko co-owns and manages. In this episode, we will discuss what shokupan is, why shokupan has become so popular in Japan and increasingly overseas, the secrets of Ginza Nishikawa’s shokupan that sells out within a few hours of being baked in L.A., and much, much more!!!Photo Courtesy of Courtesy of Ginza Nishikawa.Japan Eats is nominated for a viewer’s choice TASTE AWARD. Cast your vote before February 17th.Heritage Radio Netw

Our guest is David Schlosser who is the chef/owner of Shibumi in Downtown L.A. Shibumi opened in 2016 and shortly afterwards, it earned accolades from various prominent media, including The Los Angeles Times’s Jonathan Gold who ranked Shibumi number two restaurant of the whole city. Currently, Shibumi holds one Michelin star. David was classically trained in Japan and soulfully serves authentic Japanese dishes at Shibumi. But originally, he used to cook French cuisine at Michelin starred restaurants in France. In this episode, we will discuss how David got into Japanese food, his training at top kaiseki restaurants in Japan, his philosophy of cooking Japanese cuisine, and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Cinzia Mesolella who is in charge of PR and communication at Kobe Shushinkan Breweries in Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo is the home of “Nada no sake”, which means “Sake from Nada”, and is synonymous with great sake. Kobe Shushinkan Breweries was founded in 1751 and its award-winning label Fukuju has been served at Nobel prize dinners several times since 2008. Kobe Shushinkan is also known for its sustainable-minded sake production, and last year it released the world’s first carbon-free sake called Fukuju Junmai EcoZero. Cinzia is from Italy and since 2019, she has been playing a precious role in Kobe Shushinkan’s global communication. She is also a certified sake specialist. In this episode, we will discuss how Cinzia became the PR representative at the traditional sake brewery, what makes sake from Nada so special, Kobe Shushinkan’s sustainable production philosophy, its award-winning labels, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan

Our guest is Guy Allen, a sushi blogger based in New York City. Guy fell in love with sushi at a very young age and has been exploring the world of sushi globally since then. You can find his discoveries on Instagram under @thesushiguide. His reviews are so unique and fascinating and his photos are so stunning that he has been invited to dine at great sushi restaurants in Tokyo. In this episode, we will discuss Guy’s diverse experiences at sushi restaurants, his criteria for great sushi, why sushi is universally appealing to diners of all ages, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on Instagram under TokyoManhattan. His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, and cooking methods. He joined us in Episodes 125, 136, 152 and 186 and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in the world.Today’s topic is the best Japanese restaurants in the world in 2022. The popularity of Japanese food remains high globally, and so is the reputation of Japanese chefs working abroad. Massud has visited many cities in the world and discovered great restaurants during the year. We will discuss all of them. Also, since this is the end-of-the-year episode, we will demystify the Japanese New Year rituals, which is a huge deal in Japan!!! Here are the links to the restaurants discussed in this episode.Kanazawa – (Please use translation technology accordingly!)• Sushi Kawaramachi Hajime　http://mikizo1.com/　• Kappo Hamacho https://r.gnavi.co.j

Our guest is Greg Lam who has a popular YouTube Channel called “Life Where I'm From”. He has created over 200 videos since 2015 and his Channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers. Greg is based in Japan and in his insightful videos, he covers a wide variety of topics from Japanese breakfast, how a ramen shop operates, why Japanese bathrooms are the best, to Japanese social issues like minorities in Japan. In each video, he accurately and analytically captures a very ordinary aspect of life in Japan, but these daily matters are the most representative of the uniqueness of Japanese culture. Even though I grew up in Japan, I always learn something new from Greg’s videos, and his messages make me think more deeply about what Japan is. In this episode, we will discuss why Greg moved to Japan, why he decided to start the YouTube Channel called 'Life Where I'm From', what is unique about Japanese culture, the underlying mindset and philosophies of Japanese people that make the country unique, and much, much more!

Our guest is Jamie Ryder, who is a certified sake sommelier as well as a Japanese culture enthusiast. Also, Jamie publishes a Japanese culture-themed magazine called Yamato Magazine, which explores Japanese culture from a variety of angles. We have had many guests in the past, talking about Japanese food scenes in the biggest cities in the world such as Tokyo, L.A., London and Paris, but we don’t know too much about how Japanese food is gaining interest in other places. Jamie is based in Manchester, U.K. Manchester is still a big city, the 6th largest in the country, but by no means the same as a metropolis like London. In other words, it is a great example to see what is happening with Japanese food culture in smaller cities. In this episode, we will discuss how Jamie got into Japanese culture, what is happening with Japanese culture outside the metropolis, how Jamie gained knowledge of sake and got certified as a sake sommelier in Manchester, what should happen for Japanese sake to be enjoyed more outside g

Our guest is Mike Satinover who is a ramen expert based in Chicago. Ramen became a very popular dish outside Japan in the last two decades or so and these days you can find great ramen shops in many cities in the U.S. Mike fell in love with ramen when he spent a year in Japan 12 years ago and since then, his passion for the iconic Japanese national noodle dish has only deepened. That is why his Reddit page has become the go-to place for serious ramen lovers. Go there and you will be surprised by the quantity and the quality of well-organized, practical information about how to make a great bowl of ramen in your own kitchen even outside Japan. In this episode, we will discuss how Mike got into ramen, how he learned to make great ramen back home in America, the importance of regional variations of ramen within Japan, tips to make ramen at home, and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplec

Our guest is Tomo Matsushita who is the spirit sommelier at Copper & Oak in the Lower East Side, New York. Spirits are very popular in the U.S. If you look at the alcohol beverage market in 2021, beer was the most popular, which accounted for 43% of the market. Spirits were almost as popular as beer and their market share was 41%, and the remaining was mostly wine. Spirits are delicious but if you don’t know much about them, it is hard to choose what to drink. Tomo is the expert who can help you not only to choose what spirit and what brand, but also to understand the story behind each label. At Copper & Oak, he serves 1,400 labels of spirits. Tomo’s passion and knowledge of spirits are well-recognized in the global spirits industry and he received the title of the Icon of Whisky 2021. As you may know, Japanese whisky has been one of the hottest categories of spirits in recent years, and Copper & Oak carries 130 Japanese whisky labels. In this episode, we will discuss Tomo’s unique background outs

Our guest is Shohei Miyajima who is the manager of Dashi Okume in Brooklyn, New York. The New York location of Dashi Okume opened in September 2022 but the history of the company Okume goes back to 1871. Dashi is a Japanese-style stock, but unlike western style stock it is used very extensively in Japanese cuisine. Dashi provides a rich umami taste, which is foundational in many Japanese dishes. Dashi is very easy to make in your kitchen because its ingredients have been carefully made over a long time with special techniques. Dashi Okume sells a whole variety of premium ingredients of dashi and you can customize your dashi flavor as well. In this episode, we will discuss why Shohei decided to become a dashi expert, main ingredients of dashi and their characteristic flavors, how to effectively maximize umami by combining different dashi ingredients, easy recipes that you can try with dashi, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by be

Our guest is Vincent Kazuhito Lau who is the knife sharpener at Korin based in New York. Korin has been offering premium quality Japanese knives, tableware and cookware to Japanese and non-Japanese chefs and consumers for the last 40 years. Vincent began studying knife sharpening in 2009 and thanks to his passion and patience, he has acquired the highly difficult skills and the mindset of a professional knife sharpener. In this episode, we will discuss how Vincent fell in love with Japanese knives, the challenges he conquered to become a knife sharpening expert, why we should sharpen our knives and how to do so effectively, Japanese knife buying tips, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.