Maid cafe Omurice

Omurice (Japanese: オムライス, Omu-raisu), is an example of contemporary Japanese fusion cuisine (Yōshoku) consisting of an omelette made with fried rice and usually topped with ketchup. Omu and Raisu being contractions of the words omelette and rice, the name is a Wasei-eigo(Japanese English). It is a popular dish both commonly cooked at home and can be found at many Japanese-western style diners and izakaya restaurants in Japan. The dish is also popular with Japanese children and now a days it's one of a very popular menu in Maid cafe in Japan.

I made an omurice with maid cafe style.

Omurice typically consists of chikin raisu wrapped in a thin sheet of fried egg.
About chicken rice, refer my last post.

Chicken rice wrapped with omelette.

Decorate Omurice by Maid cafe style.
In maid cafe, maids draw some graphics on the omurice with tomato ketchup. This technique is called "ketchup art" in Japan. Guess it's wasei-eigo too.

Cooking omurice was not so difficult however ketchup art was a bit difficult. but it's interesting to cook.

Inside of omurice.


Wikipedia links:
Yoshoku: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y%C5%8Dshoku
Omurice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omurice
Izakaya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya
Maid café; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maid_cafe

Japanese chicken rice

In Japanese cuisine, Yoshoku (Yōshoku, 洋食 : means Western food) refers to a style of Western-influenced cooking which originated during the Meiji Restoration (1868-). For more detail about Yoshoku, refer wikipedia

Actually Yoshoku means "Western food" in Japanese, but now a days Yoshoku is recognized as a Japanese dish in Western countries!. Curry rice, Korokke, Tonkatsu, etc...Japanese think those are western foods, but Westerners think those are Japanese foods.

This time I introduce Japanese chicken rice which is one of a popular Yoshoku in Japan. It's my favorite Yoshoku.

Stir fry Japanese rise, chicken, onion and other vegetables with Tomato Ketchup.

Other version of a chicken rice is cooked like a pilaf rather than being fried. I like this version.
Japanese chicken rice is also a basic component of Omurice and Doria.

Whiting (Wijting) Tempura

Homemade Japanese dinner. Whiting Tempura and Nameko miso soup.
Huisgemaakte Japans diner. Wijting Tempura en Nameko miso soep.

Whiting(Wijting) or other white fishes are good for Tempra.

Maguro Natto (Tuna with Japanese fermented soybeans)

This is always nice to cook tuna dishes when we found a fresh one. Eating fresh tuna by Sashimi or Sushi is already famous Japanese style in the world. This time I am going to introduce other Japanese dish of fresh tuna.

To eat fresh tuna with Natto is one of a popular Japanese style, called Maguro Natto (まぐろ納豆). You will find this menu mainly in Izakaya in Japan. Serving Maguro Natto on the rice called Maguro Natto Don (まぐろ納豆丼). The photo is my homemade Maguro Natto Don.

Natto (fermented soybeans) is one of a traditional Japanese food. For more detail refer last post, http://japaneseholland.blogspot.com/2011/11/natto-fermented-soybeans.html

Back to Maguro Natto don,

1. Make tuna tartar, mix with white sesame, a little bit sesame oil, and finely minced spring onions.

2. Mix Natto with soy souse, Shimaya-dashi, and finely minced spring onions.

3. Prepare steamed rice or Sushi rice in a bowl, sprinkle finely cut Nori seaweeds on.
Place 1 and 2 on 3. And place a fresh egg yolk in a middle.

4. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi. Mix together when you eat.

Natto (fermented soybeans)

Natto (納豆; fermented soybeans) is one of a traditional Japanese food. It is commonly eaten with soy sauce, mustard, and minced spring onions. And is served mainly with rice. You can get Natto in some Asian shops or Japanese shops. The Natto on this photo is my homemade. There is a technique to multiply Natto at home, and Japanese living abroad often take this way.

1. Get 1 pack of Natto from Japanese shop or other Asian shop.
2. Steam or boil soybeans until extremely tender.
3. Mix 1 well into 2 in the clean container.
4. Place 3 in the place of 45 degree temperatures. For example, in the oven, wrap in an electronic blanket, rice cooker, etc...

I use an electronic blanket. Do Natto Dream of Electric Blanket?


The SF novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" is the basis of the film Blade Runner.

5. Natto increases after 24 hours.

To be honest many non-Japanese find the taste of Natto unpleasant. You are a Japanese expert if you can eat this traditional Japanese food?.

wikipedia: Natto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D

Mizu Yokan

The photo is my homemade Mizu Yokan (水羊羹) with Hello Kitty form.

Yōkan is a thick jellied sweet dessert made of red bean (azuki) paste, agar, and sugar. This red bean (azuki) paste is called "Anko (餡子). One of the most popular among Japanese sweets which evolved in 18 century. And it is one of the staple gift item in Japan.

There are two main types of Yokan, Neri yōkan and Mizu yōkan. "Mizu" means "water". It is made with more water than Yokan. Mizu yōkan is often eaten in Japanese summer.

Of course, good combination with Japanese green tea.

Domo kun Kyaraben

It's interesting phenomenon for us that Domo kun is popular and beloved mascot in abroad.
Wikipedia: Domo kun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domo_%28NHK%29

Making Domo kun Kyaraben (charactor bento) is easy.

Body: SPAM(canned precooked meat product)
Tooth and mouth: Surimi.
Eyes: Nori seaweed

You can get all ingredients in a local supermarket nearby.

Hatsune Miku Bento 2

Last Hatsune Miku Kyaraben (Charactor bento) was made by Nori art.
http://japaneseholland.blogspot.com/2011/07/hatsune-miku-kyaraben-character-bento.html

For this Kyaraben, I used several Dutch cheeses.

Hair - Basil Gouda cheese
Skin - Gouda cheese
Background - goat cheese
Dress - Nori seaweed

By the way we also use bread instead of rice in Japan. basically Bento means lunch box and doesn't matter however rice or sandwitch.

Contents is Miku but the box is Hello Kitty.

Hatsune Miku Kyaraben (character bento)

I made Hatsune Miku Kyaraben (character bento) applying with Nori art.
Nori art means Nori seaweed art. This is one of a Kyaraben technique in Japan.
It's similar to paper-cutout but using Sushi Nori instead.

It’s easy to make simple-shaped characters for Kyaraben.
But about anime characters, it’s complicated to express details sometimes.
Thus Nori art is one of a method to express details of anime-type characters.

The process is as follows,

1. Draw image sketch. Consider the layout of Nori figure and other foods.

2. Draw a pattern on a paper or kitchen paper. (must be a clean paper, of course)

3. Place the pattern on Nori seaweed. Cut out the form with a cutter.

4. Place the completed Nori figure on a cheese.


Cut unnecessary areas of a cheese to fix the shape.
Better Not to put Nori on rice directly. Because detailed shape of Nori figure will be lose.

5. Arrange other foods. Ingredients are,

Omelet (self-made)
Meatball
Mora snack
Cherry tomato
Rice
Chicken ham (on the rice area)
Carrot
Green peas
Salad leaf
Broccoli
Chive (to express Hatsune Miku’s Negi (spring onion).

6. Place 4 and 5 in a bento box.


I got all of them from Albert Heijn, a generic Dutch super market.
Nothing special ingredients, and you don’t have to go to Japanese shops.

Kyaraben wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaraben

Hatsune Miku wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsune_Miku

Japanese style beef steak

Daikon Oroshi (grated daikon) is one of a popular Japanese garnish, and this with soy sauce is well-known combination. Basically it's used frequently than Teriyaki sauce in Japan.
We mostly attach this garnish with baked fishes. Also this is common in Japan that Daikon Oroshi is served with Tempura sauce.

Beef steak with Daikon Oroshi/soy sauce is very tasty combination.
Just get a beef steak from a supermarket. Get Daikon in ethnic markets or somewhere, and simply grate it. You can use a food processor if you have. Serve steaks with Daikon Oroshi and soy sauce. With lemon or wasabi is good accent if you like. You can enjoy brilliant Japanese dish that is regularly expensive in Japanese restaurants.


With Hamburg steak or other meats are also nice if your economy is tight to get steaks.

Hello Kitty Kyaraben

My lunch box, that style called Kyaraben in Japan.
Kyaraben is a popular bento style in Japan today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaraben

Hello Kitty is one of an easy figure for making Kyaraben.
This is a good start for Kyaraben beginners.

Sushi of Hollandse Nieuwe (maatjesharing)

Japanese people love fresh fishes. The best fish in the Netherlands that close to Japanese Sashimi... is exactly haring (herring).
Actually there are tuna or other Sashimi for Sushi in the Netherlands too, but those are deep‐freeze fishes.
However Dutch people often eat haring raw everywhere in the Netherlands. Therefore we can easily get fresh haring in here.
Especially Hollandse Nieuwe (maatjesharing) is absolutely tasty and really good for Sushi topping.

I made Nigiri-sushi and Negitoro-Don.

Maatjesharing were rightly marinade in vinegar with ginger and a little bit honey.
Don't marinade too long time. Enough for 10 to 15 min,
Or without marinade is also nice if the haring is extremely fresh.


If you don't like fish-smell, Negitoro is good way to eat.
Negitoro is a Japanese style Tartar chop with spring onions.
Put this Tartar on the Sushi rice. Served with soy souse and wasabi.

In the Netherlands, first Hollandse Nieuwe is dedicated to Dutch queen.
I'm not sure she knows how tasty Maatjesharing-Sushi is.

Hello Kitty Sushi

Al jaren maak ik sushi voor familie en vrienden op feesten.
Dit jaar heb ik Hello Kitty Sushi gemaakt.
I often make Sushi for parties.
I made Hello Kitty Sushi on this year.

Other dishes what I made are...

Salmon sushi

Maki sushi, Nigiri sushi(Shrimp, eel)

Okonomiyaki(Japanese Pancake)

Korokke(Japanese potato croquettes)

Kimuchi

And the destiny of Hello Kitty was...



Amen.