My partner
Washi recently got a job as a
salaryman. This may not seem that odd until you consider the fact that he is living in
Berkeley, California and to qualify as a salaryman, you are usually employed by a Japanese corporation. I will miss his face behind the bar at
Ippuku. And I will always look back on his bike-to-work days with fond memories. Although he will still be working with Japanese alcoholic beverages, the change in work culture will certainly be drastic.
One of the changes includes his lunch. He used to eat at home, but will now eat at various Japanese restaurants peppered around the area. From
hayashi rice to
niku-miso udon, there seems to be a bottomless pit of lunch options in Japanese cooking. And after hearing that he's been eating
katsu-curry and
kara-age ramen for lunch, I started to foresee a really oily future ahead.
Kara-age and
ramen in one bowl?! I doubt that that type of lunch draws from a diverse set of nutrients.
So I suggested he should choose some less oily options. For inspiration and reiteration that less oily doesn't mean less delicious, I demonstrated a classic lunch option that won't leave your digestive parts feeling like an oil slick...
Maguro Zuke-don!
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2
1/2 lb sashimi grade maguro cubed
2 avocados cubed
4 leaves shiso (optional)
Marinade
2 raw egg yolks
2.5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 cloves of grated garlic
METHOD
1. Combine ingredients for marinade in a small bowl. Mix well.
I use the "Vegetarian Hens" Japanese eggs from my local Japanese market.
2. In a large bowl place cubed maguro and avocado.
Slab of maguro
Cubed!
3. Pour marinade over maguro and avocado.
Mix well with hands
4. You can eat right away or let the magura and avocado marinate in the sauce for up to a day in the fridge. I left it for about 30 minutes and it already had a lot of flavor.
Notice the ice cream cups in the background. I will eat ice cream on cones even at home until I die, no matter what my age.
5. Serve over a fresh steamed bowl of rice. Garnish with shiso (optional).
Ta-dah!
Proof that less oily doesn't mean less awesome.
Congratulations on your new job, Washi! Choose wisely and eat well.
My partner Washi recently got a job as a salaryman. This may not seem that odd until you consider the fact that he is living in Berkeley, California and to qualify as a salaryman, you are usually employed by a Japanese corporation. I will miss his face behind the bar at Ippuku. And I will always look back on his bike-to-work days with fond memories. Although he will still be working with Japanese alcoholic beverages, the change in work culture will certainly be drastic.
One of the changes includes his lunch. He used to eat at home, but will now eat at various Japanese restaurants peppered around the area. From hayashi rice to niku-miso udon, there seems to be a bottomless pit of lunch options in Japanese cooking. And after hearing that he's been eating katsu-curry and kara-age ramen for lunch, I started to foresee a really oily future ahead. Kara-age and ramen in one bowl?! I doubt that that type of lunch draws from a diverse set of nutrients.
So I suggested he should choose some less oily options. For inspiration and reiteration that less oily doesn't mean less delicious, I demonstrated a classic lunch option that won't leave your digestive parts feeling like an oil slick...
Maguro Zuke-don!
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2
1/2 lb sashimi grade maguro cubed
2 avocados cubed
4 leaves shiso (optional)
Marinade
2 raw egg yolks
2.5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 cloves of grated garlic
METHOD
1. Combine ingredients for marinade in a small bowl. Mix well.
I use the "Vegetarian Hens" Japanese eggs from my local Japanese market.
2. In a large bowl place cubed maguro and avocado.
Slab of maguro
Cubed!
3. Pour marinade over maguro and avocado.
Mix well with hands
4. You can eat right away or let the magura and avocado marinate in the sauce for up to a day in the fridge. I left it for about 30 minutes and it already had a lot of flavor.
Notice the ice cream cups in the background. I will eat ice cream on cones even at home until I die, no matter what my age.
5. Serve over a fresh steamed bowl of rice. Garnish with shiso (optional).
Ta-dah!
Proof that less oily doesn't mean less awesome.
Congratulations on your new job, Washi! Choose wisely and eat well.
Comments (19)
Zen- excited to hear about your travels to Tohoku and eagerly await your return.
Anders- I don’t have extra shiso seeds lying around but I know a lady who sells them here. We should visit her when you visit California. She has a company called Kitazawa Seed. How much does maguro cost in cph?
this looks so good! is it easy to find sashimi grade magura? i’ve never had raw fish at home before.
Hi Saaara! Yeah, you can find sashimi grade maguro at a Japanese market. Also, if you have a good fish monger nearby, you can ask them if they have any or where you can go.
@Yoko: I’m not sure whether you can actually find grade A sashimi grade tuna in Copenhagen. Despite the fact we’re an island nation with lots of fish hanging out in the surrounding seas(!)
But a normal piece of tuna like pictured above would set you back around $21-25. Is that normal price for normal tuna in the US too?
Yes, lets visit that seed place. My balcony needs to be seeded real good.
For that piece, I paid $9 ($18/lb). It wasn’t the best kind of tuna that was available that day. It was the local wild option. But the stuff imported from Japan was almost double that ($35/lb). For zuke though, you don’t need to get the best stuff since you’ll be dicing and marinating anyway.
washi-san wasuretta. tsugokatta.
When I am with him on sales, I will convince him to eat healthy food cos i am these days. :) He is a great salaryman.
Hello Jeremy,
Great to hear that you will be supervising his lunch choices! Thanks for reading.
I’ve really been enjoying your blog. I’m American, but I’ve visited Japan many times. My parents lived in Tokyo for 6+ years back in the 90’s. I too live in Berkeley, though on the other side from Monterey Fish Market and the Tokyo Fish Market. I make do with the Berkeley Bowl. I’ve been meaning to try Ippuku for ages — thanks for the reminder.