Japan Eats

Japan Eats is brand new this week with host Akiko Katayama in studio with food critic and author, Robert Sietsema.  Presently editor for Eater, Robert shares how he transitioned from the rock and roll scene to food writing and adds his unique view of Japanese restaurants in New York City. Initially focusing on the best ethnic eats in the city, Robert dissects what the term means to him and how he finds some of the best unknown restaurants.  Akiko highlights some of Robert’s past articles and talks the evolution of Japanese food and community throughout the big apple plus his favorite places to eat! “The popularity of sushi here has proceeded in such a way that you can spend as much as three to five-hundred dollars!” [32:15] –Robert Sietsema on Japan Eats  

Japan Eats returns for 2016 with none other than the man who wrote the book on science and cooking, Harold McGee. His career defining book, On Food & Cooking, has been referenced as a cooking bible for a generation of forward thinking chefs and culinary professionals. Discover how Harold was inspired to make a career of researching and writing about what happens when we cook, prepare and consume food, not to mention Japanese food! Harold is largely responsible for the molecular gastronomy/modernist cuisine movement and is cited as a major influence from the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Alton Brown and Dave Arnold. Harold’s passion for gastronomic knowledge has changed the way we eat food in this country, and his journey is as inspiring as his work, so tune in for a great show!

Known as “The Sake Guy,” and “The Sake Evangelist,” John Gauntner is recognized as the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert and this week he joins in studio for the season wrap-up of Japan Eats.  He chats with host Akiko Katayama about his residency in Japan since 1988, he (necessarily) both speaks and reads Japanese fluently, and is well known in the sake industry as the window to making sake understandable and popular outside of Japan.  Tune in for a chat on all things sake and more!

Wylie Dufresne is in studio with Akiko this week for an intriguing episode of Japan Eats!  Hinting at his new project opening in the new year, Wylie explains how he found himself in the restaurant industry and why working in the industry is likened to playing a team sport.  What does Wylie think about being considered a predominant figure in the modernist/molecular gastronomy food realm? What’s his brainstorming process like?  Tune in for a great discussion on finding inspiration from all around, his Japanese influences (like dashi), plus the duo dissect some of Wylie’s notable dishes. > #### “Often times we will try to take things people are familiar with and play with it, have fun with it.” [14:30] –Wylie Dufresne on Japan Eats

“Kampai!” or “Cheers!” This week on Japan Eats host Akiko Katayama welcomes Stephen Lyman to the studio talking all about the Japanese alcoholic beverage shochu.  Founder and editor of Kampai!, Stephen explains his devotion to shochu, of which he is an expert and shares his travels to Kyushu (where 90%+ of authentic shochu is made) where he visited 6 distilleries and tried 262 different shochu (there are an estimated 6,000 labels from 600 distilleries in Japan) in just 5 days.  Stephen went on to neighboring Okinawa where he visited 5 more Awamori distilleries. Upon his return from Japan he realized he had just scratched the surface of understanding shochu, but by this point his obsession had turned into a passion.  After the break, Akiko and Stephen taste select shochu in studio and discuss traits to look for in the unique beverage. “Virtually all shochu is aged 3 to 6 months.” [28:30] “If I’m just out drinking with friends, the easiest way to drink it is on the rocks… In the summertime I really like shoch

Have you ever heard of natto? Otherwise known as a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis, natto is known for its powerful smell, strong flavor, and slimy texture typically eaten with a bowl of rice, and today it’s the topic of discussion on _ Japan Eats _.  Host Akiko Katayama welcomes Ann Yonetani, founder of NYrture Food to the studio talking about her pioneering efforts to bring the probiotic, nutrient-dense, gluten-free, and strangely addictive food to the masses.  Between the history of the breakfast/snack food and the science behind working with bacteria plus production techniques, Ann shares the multiple health benefits of the superfood and more! “If there’s any one food that I feel is a superfood, it’s natto!” [26:00] “You can basically do anything with it that you could with a flavorful cheese.” [41:30] –Ann Yonetani on Japan Eats

How does one go from a food writer to a restaurant owner? Find out on a brand new episode of Japan Eats. Akiko Katayama is joined by Harris Salat, Ganso’s Managing Partner, journalist and restaurateur. A Brooklyn native, Harris is the author of numerous articles about Japanese cuisine, and has trained in Japanese restaurant kitchens in New York, Tokyo and Kyoto. He and Tadashi Ono are the co-authors of three popular Japanese cookbooks, “Japanese Hot Pots,” “The Japanese Grill,” and “Japanese Soul Cooking.” “To do good ramen is quite difficult. we work hard everyday, still, to do good ramen. our product is amazing right now, but it was a real effort [to get there].” [29:00]    

This week on  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is in studio with Sebastian Beckwith, owner at In the Pursuit of Tea. In Pursuit of Tea is a company with the mission to explore remote, traditional areas of tea production and find the finest teas available. In this episode, Sebastian talks about his experience working with and distributing tea to restaurants, the history of tea and the fascinating process of how different teas are made, how to differentiate different varieties and where they come from. “You can have many steeps of tea from the same leaf [loose leaf] and get different flavors coming from each steep.”  [15:45] “People think of matcha as just powdered green tea,[…] it certainly is not.” [32:45] The Sencha, we thought always paired well with dark chocolate… [41:00] –Sebastian Beckwith on Japan Eats  

This week on _ Japan Eats _, host Akiko Katayama is in studio with author, cook, and farmer, Nancy Singleton Hachisu.  Leaving California for Japan in the late 1980’s, fully intending to learn Japanese in one year and return to the States for graduate school, Nancy shares how she instead fell in love with a Japanese organic farmer.  Now living with her husband and three sons in their eighty-five-year-old traditional farmhouse, Nancy has taught home cooking to Japanese housewives for over two decades and is the leader of a local Slow Food convivium.  Her newest book, “Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen,” introduces Japanese methods of salting, pickling, and fermenting that are approachable and easy to integrate into a Western cooking repertoire. Tune in for a thorough discussion on Japanese farm life and what is next For Nancy!  

Born and raised in New York, though has called Japan home for more than four decades, writer and Japanese Food Culture Specialist Elizabeth Andoh joins host Akiko Katayama for another informative episode of Japan Eats.  Explaining that her formal culinary training was taken at the Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine, in Tokyo, it was in 1972 that she began her own culinary arts program, A Taste of Culture. Combining spicy tidbits of food lore with practical tips and skill-building lessons on how to prepare Japanese food, Elizabeth’s programs are conducted in Tokyo and offer a unique opportunity for foreign residents and visitors from overseas to explore and enjoy Japan’s culture through its food.  Tune in to hear more about Elizabeth’s fascinating path through the Japanese culinary world. “I often say what got me in to food was a bad bowl of noodles!” [9:00] “If you have a balanced meal – sweet, sour, salty – it’s likely you will avoid food cravings.” [17:30] “Long before Iron Chef there was t

Chef Michael Romano is in studio for Japan Eats this week with host Akiko Katayama.  Talking his impressive background beginning at the iconic Serendipity in New York in 1971, it was upon impressing a young Danny Meyer that propelled Michael to eventually joining staff at the Union Square Cafe while it earned numerous accolades from The New York Times and Zagat.  Today Michael can be found, wearing the hats of both Chef and explorer, at Union Square Tokyo, the Japanese outpost of the New York restaurant. He shares details behind marrying the American restaurant to the Japanese culture plus more on this in-depth chat! “Tokyo is not New York, you have to respect the way people eat.” [15:00] –Chef Michael Romano  

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