Japan Street Food Recipes That’ll Transport You Back to Tokyo and Osaka

Japanese street food we’re missing in quarantine

• Yakisoba
• Okonomiyaki
• Tsukune
• Yakitori
• Dorayaki
• Kushikatsu
• Choco Banana
• Luke's Lobster

1. Yakisoba

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 lb chicken breasts, sliced into bite size strips
• 2 (5.9 oz.) pks. refrigerated yakisoba noodles, (seasoning packets discarded)*
• Salt, if needed
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions, white and light portions only
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Stir-In Paste
• 1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Ginger Stir-In Paste
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into 2-inch fairly thin strips
• 5 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 2/3 cup 2-inch strip sliced green onions, green portion only
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts and sriracha to taste, for serving (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of of water to a boil while prepping ingredients. 
2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.  
3. Add noodles to boiling water and cook stirring occasionally, just until noodles separate, about 1 minute. Let drain well in a colander and set aside.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a non-stick wok or 12-inch (and deep) non-stick skillet over fairly high heat. Add chicken, just lightly with salt if needed (a pinch or two). Give space between pieces add cook, turning once halfway, until cooked through about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to a plate. Reduce heat slightly, heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in skillet. Add in green onions, ginger paste and garlic and saute 30 seconds (step back as it may sputter a little). 
6. Add in bell pepper and mushrooms. Saute 1 minute. Add in cabbage and carrots and green onion greens and saute until cabbage it's just wilted, about 1 - 2 minutes longer.
7. Add drained noodles to skillet along with cooked chicken. Pour sauce over top and toss. Saute 1 minute. Season lightly salt as needed. Serve warm with peanuts and Sriracha if desired.

2. Okonomiyaki

• 200 ml Water
• 1 tsp Konbu dashi stock powder
• 160 g Plain flour
• 4 Eggs
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 480 g Finely chopped cabbage
• 40 g Chopped green shallot
• 40 g Tenkasu
• 160 g Thinly sliced pork
• Bonito flake to garnish
• Pickled ginger to garnish
• Aonori to garnish
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/4 cup Okonomiyaki sauce

1. Dissolve the dashi powder into the water to make the dashi stock.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl and add salt, sugar, and pour the dashi stock in to mix. Set aside.
3. Divide the chopped cabbage, green shallots, and tenkasu into 4 small mixing bowls.
4. Add one egg each and 1/4 of flour and dashi mixture to each bowl.
5. Mix them well together with a fork.
6. Heat cooking plate to 200 degrees and pour the cabbage mixture onto the cooking plate to spread approximately 2cm thickness.
7. Place the thinly sliced pork and bonito flake on top of the cabbage mixture.
8. When the edge of the okonomiyaki has become firm and cooked, flip it over with two egg flippers.
9. Put the lid on and steam grill for a few minutes.
10. Turn the okonomiyaki over one more time to check whether the meat is cooked.
11. Brush the okonomiyaki with Okonomiyaki sauce and garnish with pickled ginger, more bonito and sprinkle aonori to serve.

3. Tsukune

• 1 lb ground chicken 
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil (roasted) (and more for coating your hands) 
• 1 Tbsp miso (I use awase miso, which is a combination of red and white miso) 
• 10 Shiso leaves (Ooba) (Perilla) 
• 4 green onions/scallions kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt) 
• ½ cup Yakitori Tare (See Notes for homemade recipe)

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Pile and roll up the shiso leaves, then cut into thin julienne slices. Cut the scallion into thin slices.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add ⅓ of ground chicken and break it up into small pieces using a wooden spatula. Cook until no longer pink and transfer to a plate to let it cool.
5. Combine the cooked chicken and uncooked chicken in a large bowl and mix well with rubber spatula.
6. Add sesame oil and miso and mix well.
7. Add the scallions and shiso leaves and combine well with silicone spatula.
8. Now with your hand, knead 30 times clockwise. Then knead counterclockwise 30 times. The meat will become more pale in color and sticky. This part is very important for the meat to stay on stick so please do not skip this step.
9. Grease the grill rack with brush. I use a roasting pan and rack as it can support the skewers very well while the excess oil drips down to the bottom of roasting pan when cooking.
10. Lightly coat your hands with sesame oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Scoop a handful of the chicken mixture (1 ½ scoop for my hand using an OXO cookie scoop) and form into a round patty.
11. Toss the meat to left and right hands to release the air pockets and gently squeeze to form the meat into a long oval patty, about 3-4 inches in length. Insert the skewer on the prepared wire rack.
12. Lightly sprinkle salt over the chicken skewers.
13. Put aluminum foil around the skewers to prevent them from burning.
14. Preheat the oven to High Broil (550F) for 5 minutes. Boil in the middle rack, for 6 minutes. Then flip the skewers over and broil more for 4 minutes.
15. When both sides are cooked, brush the yakitori sauce on the meat and broil for another 30 seconds. Transfer the skewers to a serving plate and brush the extra sauce on the meat. Serve with Shichimi Togarashi.

4. Yakitori

• 1 pound chicken livers, gizzards or boneless thigh meat
• ½ cup dark soy sauce or tamari
• ¼ cup mirin
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
•  Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

1. Cut chicken into one-inch pieces and place in a shallow dish.
2. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake or sherry, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, until thickened. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce for serving. Pour remaining sauce over chicken, cover, and chill for at least one hour (and up to 4 hours).
3. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for one hour. Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, and grill or broil, turning halfway, for about 3 minutes for livers, 10 minutes for gizzards and 6 minutes for thighs. Serve drizzled with reserved sauce and garnished with scallions.

5. Dorayaki (Japanese Pancake)

• 150 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs Large eggs weigh g each
• 110 g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp mirin
• 40 ml water
• 400 g sweet azuki bean paste *4

• Sift flour and baking powder and set aside.
• Place eggs, sugar, honey and mirin in a large mixing bowl and beat all together until the egg mixture becomes whitish in colour.
• Wrap the mixing bowl with cling wrap and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
• After 30 minutes rested in the fridge, add 40 ml of water to smooth the batter. *1 
• Spray a frying pan or electric pan with oil and heat it up over low heat. 
• Pour 2 tbsp of the batter into the pan. If you are using a frying pan, cook one or two at times and if you are using an electric pan, you can make a  little more at once. *2
• Place a lid on and cook one side for one minute and 30 seconds or when you see bubbles start to form, flip it over with an egg flipper.
• Cook the other side for about one minute. 
• Remove the cake off the heat and place it between the folded kitchen towel to avoid the cake becoming dry. 
• Keep making the cake until all batter is cooked. 
• When the cakes are cooled down, spread sweet azuki bean paste on one cake and sandwich with another cake and repeat it to make 8 Dorayaki *3

6. Kushikatsu

• 2 prawns
• 2 slices renkon rotus roots about 5mm thick
• 4 quail eggs
• 2 slices pumpkin
• 2 slices zucchini
• 2 cups panko crumb
• 200 ml oil for deep fry

• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 50 ml cold water
• 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise I used Kewpie brand one

• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp tonkatsu sauce
• 1/2 tsp ketchup
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup water

1. Prepare the ingredients by cutting and slicing to bite size.
2. Spear the prepared ingredients with skewers and set aside.
3. Mix the egg, flour, water and mayonnaise in a small bowl to make a batter.
4. Coat all skewered ingredients with batter, then coat with the panko crumbs.
5. Heat frying oil in a deep pan that is a deep enough so the skewers can be dipped in, until it reaches around 180 degrees Celsius.
6. Deep fry each skewer until it’s crispy and golden brown.
7. Place all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
8. Combine and stir until all ingredients dissolve. Turn the heat off just before it boils.
9. Serve Kushikatsu with the dipping sauce. 

7. Choco Banana

• 2 ripe but firm bananas
• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped, or semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granola, chopped pecans and walnuts, or sprinkles (optional)

1. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
2. Cut the bananas in half and insert a Popsicle stick into each half, as shown. Place them on the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the oil in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave (check it every 30 seconds) or in a half-full pan of simmering water (about 2 minutes). Stir until smooth.
4. Roll each banana half in the chocolate, then quickly sprinkle with your topping (if using).
5. Freeze until the chocolate sets, 30 minutes. Serve or freeze in an airtight container for up to a week

8. Luke’s Lobster

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 New England-style split-top hot dog buns
• 4 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 pound fresh cooked Maine lobster meat, chilled
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon celery salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Brush half the butter onto the outer sides of your buns.
2. Heat a 10 to 12 inch cast-iron pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, then toast the buns in the pan until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the buns from the pan and gently pry open the tops.
3. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise on the inside of each bun. Arrange a quarter of the lobster meat inside each bun.
4. Reheat the remaining melted butter, if necessary, and stir in the lemon juice. Drizzle the mixture evenly over the lobster in each sandwich. In a small bowl, stir together oregano, thyme, celery salt, and pepper, then sprinkle a pinch of the seasoning mixture over each sandwich. Enjoy!

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