WE CAN MAKE SUSHI!

HELLO EVERYONE :]
It's us again!
Did you miss us?
I BET YOU DID!

... But, have no fear! ANNA, ELENA, MARY & MITCH ARE HERE, back and better than ever!

WE MADE SUSHI GUYS!

:D



ENJOY!

A Japanese food adventure in the heart of Sydney!

My friends and I often savour Japanese food from different places whenever in Sydney, but who can blame us? Japanese food is just too tantalising for our taste buds, I'm sure the vast majority of you guys would have to agree!

Here are a few images to show you guys the delicious Japanese food I have had lately!

Berry Sparkling Japanese Jelly Alcohol, Perfect and Sweet!

Japanese-Styled Chicken Meatballs with Miso Soup!

Nabe; Hotpot with friends at Daruma in Sydney!

Teriyaki Chicken Ramen! 

Mochi, Black Sesame Ice Cream and Green Tea Pudding

Green Tea Ice cream and Green Tea; Perfect!

Pepper lunch! Japanese-Styled Sizzling Chicken Curry with egg! Yummy!

Tempura, Crocodile Karaage, Okonomiyaki and Agedashi Tofu

Japanese Sake, Taiyaki, Green Tea & Vanilla Ice Cream with Mochi!

With Friends at Mappen!

Udon with Chicken Tempura

Green Tea and Red Bean Sundae at Mizuya!

GUYS! If you are yet to try Japanese food, now is the time to start!

It is amazing!

Japanese Dining with a Twist!

If you guys are anything like me, I love karaoke; and when I say that I love karaoke, I mean it.
My karaoke habits have become so bad that i'm at karaoke like once a week.
A few weeks ago, I went two days in a row. It's getting out of hand. But it's my hobby so what can I do?
Before this gets too out of topic, I'd like to get onto what I was originally going to talk about.

JAPANESE DINING WITH A TWIST!
When I say this, I mean Karaoke + Japanese food all at once!
it's almost like a dream come true!

Want to know where this amazing location is? IT'S EASY! Just next to Town Hall Station!
Mizuya Japanese Restaurant and Karaoke

	614 George St, Sydney, Australia 2000 My friends and I, as university students have been recently frequenting this place because of this amazing deal!

When we saw this deal, we got super happy!

3 Hours of Karaoke with $20 worth of food, per person is a bargain! It was like paying for food, with free karaoke!
AMAZING RIGHT?
I recommend all of you guys to come and enjoy this special deal, don't forget your student cards!

With friends taking advantage of Mizuya's amazing student deal!

Want to see some of Mizuya's amazing food?

Pomegranate with coconut milk smoothie, so delicious!

Doesn't this look amazing?

Karaage fried chicken with miso soup! yummy!

Mizuya's dessert platter; need I say more?

Green tea and red bean sunday! Too good and out of this world!

I really recommend everyone to come to Mizuya and try this deal! Karaoke + Japanese food is the perfect mix! Hurry everyone!
Till next time!

Source: Mizuya Facebook Page

[Essentials]

Chopsticks

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 Chopsticks are the most frequently used utensils for most Asian countries and Japan is no different. A pair of these babies are never far when food is present. 

Although they are one of the most frequently used utensils in Japanese homes and restaurants, many foreigners that either visit Japan or Japanese restaurants in Australia have no basic understanding of the proper usage and etiquette of chopsticks. 

In this post we will teach you the proper etiquette of eating with chopsticks.

10 Most Important Things to Remember Whilst Using Chopsticks

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1. Never look for contents in the soup using chopsticks.
2. Never play with chopsticks during a meal.
3. Never pick up food by stabbing with chopsticks.
4. Never lick the tip of chopsticks.
5. Never pull or move plates and bowls around using chopsticks.
6. Never stand chopsticks up in rice.
7. Never shovel food into your mouth from a bowl using chopsticks.
8. Never hold chopsticks together as you would a knife.
9. Never point chopsticks towards other people.
10. NEVER PASS FOOD WITH YOUR CHOPSTICKS DIRECTLY TO SOMEONE ELSES CHOPSTICKS.

Now that you're equipped with new knowledge about eating chopsticks, why don't you try them out during your next meal at a Japanese restaurant or dinner party at a Japanese home. Remember before starting any meal you must say "Itadakimasu" which means "I'm gratefully thankful" and after the meal "Gochisosama Deshita" which means "Thankyou for the meal". 

See you next time. ^^

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You don't need a plane ticket to Tokyo to enjoy Japanese food!

Yep. That's right. You read correctly. Japanese food is everywhere!

Sydney being an extremely multicultural city means that food from different cultures are widely available! The best thing about that is that Japanese food is everywhere!

Here are some of my top recommendations for delicious Japanese food in the city!

1. Oiden
537-551 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000

Oiden is a self-serve Japanese bowl-bar type of restaurant.

2. Sushi Rio
339 Sussex Street  Sydney NSW 2000

If you want freshly made, hand-made sushi for a cheap price of $3 for any plate; this is the place for you!

3. Ichiban Boshi
2/500 George Street  Sydney NSW 2000

If you're after delicious noodles with delicious rice dishes, this is definitely the place for you!

4. Takeru
10/339 Sussex Street  Sydney NSW 2000

Casual Japanese dining sounds good to you? Takeru is perfect to tantalise your tastebuds!

5. Daruma
Level 1, Prince Centre, 8 Quay Street
Haymarket, NSW 2

Izakaya - A Japanese restaurant and bar. Daruma is the place to be for the feel of an authentic Japanese izakaya!


HOPE YOU GUYS VISIT THESE PLACES!

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Top 5 foods to eat and experience when visiting Japan!

A trip to Japan is definitely not complete without one having to eat and experience food like the locals do.
Everywhere you go there are many places to eat, from flashy, high end restaurants to small and yummy food stalls on the streets. I would like to show and share with you what I consider to be the top 5 foods that everyone must eat when travelling to Japan.
I hope you gain a better knowledge of what Japan has to offer in terms of excellent foods and the culture.

1. Donburimono

Donburi is a large rice bowl and the “mono” (lit. things) refers to the delicious toppings laid over the bed of rice. There is a large variety of Donburi from comfort food, such as chicken and egg oyako-don, stewed beef and onions gyu-don, and fried pork and egg katsu-don, to the more refined variations like tempuraten-don, marinated eel unagi-don, or even sea urchin una-don.

All of these are a great value, even the more expensive fish dishes, as you can eat out with just one dish. Finding a quality local shop may take a bit of work but it will be worth it. If you are looking to only experiencegyu-don visit the chain shops Yoshinoya or Matsuya. You’ll have to decide for yourself which is better as its one of those questions that divides the nation. If you’re by the sea or a fish market look for the seafood versions as they’ll be the freshest.

2. Okonomiyaki

It’s not really a pancake, or a pizza, definitely not a crepe but it’s certainly delicious. Made with batter, egg, and your choice of vegetables, beef, pork, seafood and even noodles, you have to do the work here. Theingredients usually come out raw and you have to cook them on the large teppan (hotplate) that you sit around. There’s a variety of ways to make it depending if you are in Tokyo, Osaka or Hiroshima (my favorite) but the basics are: cook the fillings, pour on the batter and beaten egg, flatten the mixture on the teppan with the metal spatula provided, and flip over after five minutes. Aim for a browned outside keeping the inside soft. Finally, add the sauce with the brush provided and/or mayonnaise, and sprinkle on the fish flakes

3. Yakitori

Literally grilled chicken, there is so much more to these skewers that can contain the full range of chicken bits, meat, liver, heart, cartilage and skin. Prices are usually by the skewer, even if more than one arrives, so be careful. They are cooked to order over charcoal and come with either sauce (tare) or salt (shio) seasoning. Nothing goes better with it than a large cold beer and good company. Yakotori can be found everywhere, from specialized restaurants to street stalls. In either case pull a seat up to the bar and be prepared for your orders to be yelled around the room, repeated by everyone from the server to the cook.

4. Ramen

These long Chinese noodles have become the staple of the Japanese fast food industry. Pop in for a quick and inexpensive bite during lunch or after a long night drinking on the town. Ramen shops are on just about every corner in Japan and you’ll be able to find one easily. More difficult will be trying to decide what type you want, from curry to miso to chicken broth, topped with marinated pork to an extra helping of spring onions. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any choice, it’s all delicious. Add in a plate of gyoza, Japanese fried pot stickers, and you have one great meal.

5. Izakaya

This is the ultimate Japanese communal eating experience that can only be described as Japanese tapas. They are a great way to experience a wide variety of Japanese food, and drink copious amounts of beer, sake or chu-hai (shochu with flavored carbonated water. I like ume-chuhai, plum flavored. Yum!

These are friendly places that are like the local pub on the corner. Japanese come after work to share food, stories, and bond with each other. The portions are usually small and the variety of foods can be staggering, as will be your bill if you try to have a proper meal. Use your time in an Izakaya to sample different dishes, get to know those you are with, or even sitting next to, and then decide on a cheaper option for the next stop in the night.

So there you have it, I hope you've enjoyed this post and until next time for more insight on Japanese culture and cuisine :)

Source: Lonely Planet

[Recipe] Japanese Hamburg Curry

Ahhh all this talk about food has inspired me today.
It seems like it has been forever since I cooked any Japanese food.
So I decided to make my own version of the ever famous curry rice (カレーライス) with a twist. :D

Japanese Hamburg Curry

Japanese Curry

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 2 medium potatoes chopped
• 1 large onion quartered
• 800ml water
• 1 pack Japanese Curry mix*
• Oil

Method:

Step1

1. In a medium pot stir fry in 1 tablespoon of oil, the onion, carrots and potatoes until lightly browned. 
2. Add water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and break Japanese curry mix into pieces and add. Stir until completely emulsified. 



Step 3

4. When sauce has thickened remove from heat, cover and set aside.

*For this recipe you can use any brand of Japanese curry mix you like. For this recipe I chose to use S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix.

Hamburg Steak

Ingredients: 

• 200g beef mince
• 1 onion finely chopped
• coriander (optional)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 table spoons milk
• 1 cup water
• Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

Step 3

1. In a nonstick fry pan, stir fry the finely chopped onion until lightly brown. Put to the side and allow to cool.
2. Combine breadcrumbs and milk.
3. In a large bowl combine mince, chopped coriander, egg, breadcrumbs and milk mixture, oil, cooled onion mix, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly till all ingredients have been mixed evenly. Divide mixture into 2.
   
   
4. Place a small amount of oil onto your hands and take half of the mixture. Using both your hands shape the mixture into steaks. Make a shallow indent in the middle of each steak, this ensures that the steak cooks thoroughly and quickly. 

   

   Step 4

5. In a nonstick fry pan, fry each steak until brown for about 2-3min per side. Once both sides have been browned, pour water into the fry pan and cover. This process will ensure that the steak remains moist and also slightly steams them. Once water has reduced and steaks resume frying in oil remove from pan and place onto a plate covered with kitchen paper. 
6. Serve hamburg and curry with a side of rice. Enjoy

So here is my version of Japanese Hamburg Curry

Ahhh delicious! I hope you try it one day. Till next time... ^__^

January - February 2011; Japanese food trip ♥

After completing my HSC at the end of Year 12 in 2010, I together with two of my friends went to Japan for three weeks from the 13th of January until the 2nd of February just before University was about to start.

We went to Japan to explore and enrich our young minds ;)

... but in reality it became a food trip! ♥

Japan has a rich and vibrant culture,  despite the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets of Tokyo, embedded within the modernity of the city is the cultivated Japanese culture of food.

Everywhere we went, delicious food tempted our hungry stomachs.
Mum wasn't around to cook us food so it was inevitable that we would spend our money on feeding ourselves right?
In the end, it was very much worth it. From Japan's fast food chains to its' convenience store food, everything was tasty, an abundance of delicious food was everywhere.

First night in Japan, had a Hamburger steak with chips, tempura and rice. This was amazing :)

This particular type of food mixes Japan's culture with Western-type food.

       Apple and chocolate wafer ice cream parfait.

Believe it or not, Japan has a deep love and appreciation for pretty looking desserts! doesn't it look wonderful?

This is called 'Hayashi Rice' with extra egg . Hayashi rice is a very popular Japanese dish with a western twist. It is sliced pieces of beef in a special marinated sauce drizzled with some special Japanese infused mayonnaise! This stuff is divine! Can't you guys tell by the photo I took? DELICIOUS!

Japanese supermarket snacks anyone? All this, so good! satisfied our cravings! FOOD IN JAPAN IS EVERYWHERE!! Shows the prevalence of food in Japanese culture :)

Japanese Styled Parfait infused with the Japanese flavour of red bean! YUM!

HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED AND REALISED THE FOOD IN JAPAN IS DELICIOUS!

Til next time! xo.