Hiroko’s Kitchen | Blog

When I arrived at the restaurant I saw a line of people waiting outside for a seat at the small counter that seats about 12 customers.  The customers ranged in age from high school students to 80 year old ladies.  Just outside of the door there is a fun sign board that says “eat here” in English with an red arrow pointing  into the restaurant.   (more…)

Ivan Orkin, a New Yorker and graduate of CIA, once worked at the legendary Quilted Giraffe and other popular New York restaurants such as Mesa Grill.  But he was never happy in those positions.  Shortly after his college graduation he went to Japan and fell in love with Japanese ramen and later a Japanese woman, Mariko, now his wife., and he did something no foreigner has ever done.

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Over our ramen dinner I am planning that we will watch clips from the famous movie, Tampopo, released in Japan in 1985.  The entire plot is based on the ramen culture of Japan.  It is the story of a widow struggling    (more…)

Mark a calender to join my “Ramen and Gyoza” cooking class at International Culinary Center (www.internationalculinarycenter.com) in French Culinary Institute that will be held on October 24th (Saturday).   Please check the site for further information.  A perfect bowl of ramen to me means that every component in the

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I am not a vegetarian, but I do love vegetables and fruits.  So, vegetables and fruits occupy 50% of our diet.  The other 50% is consists of protein and wholesome carbohydrate.  Summer is one of the best time to enjoy an extensive variety of vegetables.  And, the most important tip is that you are not eating just a few kinds of vegetables in your salad.  In your preparations you should employ vegetables from all categories, such as

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Heralding the arrival of summer, edamame, are one of the most celebrated delicacies in summer in Japan.  It is almost impossible for us to endure the long hot and humid summer without these delicious green beans.  Boiled green soybeans dusted with sea salt with a glass of ice-cold beer or barley tea is a summertime treat

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I enjoy vegetable tempura from time to time…My friend, Suvir Saran (a charming, skilled and successful chef, consultant and cookbook author), told me that his experiences eating tempura at Japanese restaurants have not been satisfactory.  He has found that the dough is…. (more…)