A Filipino classic: ultra-tender beef braised in soy sauce and star anise, served with garlic rice In Manila, beef pares arrives with sauce that clings lightly to the spoon and rice that is still steaming. The beef is tender, the star anise comes through right away, and the broth brings […]
Small fermented rice cakes, steamed until sponge-light and perfect with coconut chutney or a piping-hot bowl of sambar. Soft, white, and springy, idlis emerge from the steamer with a warm, grainy aroma. They bounce back under your finger, then soak up sauce without falling apart. In the broad family of […]
Fried tofu pouches filled with vinegared rice: a sweet-savory street sushi with roots in Inari shrines. The tofu pouches gleam with a glaze of soy sauce and mirin, then open to reveal warm, vinegar-scented shari. Authentic inarizushi is an understated dish with real depth and a lingering finish: sweet, salty, […]
Glossy shari, subtly infused with kombu, is topped with ribbons of kinshi tamago, ikura, shrimp, snow peas, nori, shiitake, and eel. If chirashizushi feels festive, it is because it so often appears at celebrations. During Hina Matsuri, on March 3, its colors herald spring. Its ingredients also carry symbolic meaning : […]
Ultra-crispy shrimp coated in panko and fried until light and golden, perfect with shredded cabbage and tartar sauce. A great Ebi Fry is all about contrast: a crackling panko crust, ideally made with fresh nama panko in the most carefully prepared versions, and pearly, tender, juicy shrimp inside. The glossy […]
A rich, deeply flavored curry made over two days, with homemade broth, spiced roux, and slow-simmered beef for an intensely aromatic sauce. Steam curls up from a mound of pearly short-grain Japanese rice, while tender beef soaks up a glossy, gently spiced sauce. On the palate, it is pure comfort: […]
A rich, comforting Filipino congee, slowly simmered with tripe and ginger-scented broth, then topped with fried garlic, green onion, and calamansi. Steam rises from a silky rice porridge warmed with ginger. The fried garlic, beautifully golden, crackles under the spoon, the scallion adds a flash of green, and tuwalya, beef […]
A classic Filipino breakfast of caramelized marinated beef (tapa), garlic fried rice (sinangag), and fried eggs, served with a vinegar sawsawan. Garlic hits the hot oil and sends a peppery aroma through the room. The rice crackles as the cloves turn golden. Beside it, slices of beef, the tapa, sear […]
Ultra-crispy shrimp fritters with mung bean sprouts, served with a garlicky, chili-spiked vinegar dipping sauce. Okoy is a thin, golden fritter—shatter-crisp at the edges and a little more substantial in the center. On the surface, you can spot the tiny shrimp, nicely browned, plus the gentle sweetness of squash, which […]
A complete, deeply satisfying Vietnamese cơm tấm: marinated grilled pork chops, bì (shredded pork skin and pork), steamed chả trứng, pickles, and nước mắm dipping sauce, with an optional fried egg. The smoky aroma of grilled pork hovers over pale, slightly grainy rice. Soon it’s glossed with the bright green […]
