Tag Archives: Udon

Kyoto Udon Restaurant: Okakita!

Service: Very kind and attentive
Equipment & facilities: Spotless clean overall. Beautiful washroom. Entirely non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Top-class udon cuisine!

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People tend to think that all Japanese cuisine restaurants in Kyoto are expensive. Well, this is a big misconception spread by some unwelcome media to say the least!

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Okakita is actually famous all over Japan and is mentioned in so many magazines! But it is really reasonable considering the superb quality!

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The whole establishment is not only spotless clean but also entirely non-smoking!

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It even has a cute little Japanese garden!

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So traditonal!

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Dragon’s order: “Tentoji/天とじ”/large prawn tempura with udon in egg soup!

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Hot and so appetizing!

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Don’t be fooled, the prawns are big!

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My order: “Hamo Tenpura Oroshi Udon/はも天ぷらおろしうどn”/yempura pike eel with cold udon in oroshi style!

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So appetizing and a complete lunch in itself!

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Those vegetables make for such balance in color, design and taste!

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Extravagant pike eel tempura!

THE priority restaurant for our next visit!

OKAKITA/おかきた

Koto City, Sagyou ku, Okazaki, Minami Goshyo, 34
京都市左京区岡崎南ご紹介34
tel.: 075-771-4831
Opening hours: 10:00~20:30
Closed on Tuesdays
Parking available
Credit cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine
, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Japanese Gastronomy: Udon-The Basic Recipe

Udon/饂飩/うどん, although not suitable for wheat allergics, can be easily turned vegetarian or vegan, depending on the soup and seasonings/accompaniments.
It is fullfilling and healthy and can be eaten hot in soup or fried, or cold, especially in salads!

INGREDIENTS (basic):

-Wheat flour: 1 kg (fine, light type)
-Salt: 40 g (can be reduced to 30 g)
-Water: 460 ml

RECIPE:

Dissolve salt in water first.
Pour flour in an all-purpose large bowl.
Pour the water onto the flour little by little.

Mix and knead little by little until all the water has been used.
At that time you may think you haven’t added enough water. Don’t worry. Just keep kneading for 10 minutes. it will eventually become smooth.

The following is interesting. In restaurants it is done with a special wooden lever with the chef standing on one end!
Wrap the dough in a cellophane paper and press the whole (wash your feet!) with the whole foot until the dough has spread somewhat flat. Take the dough out of the cellophane paper, shape it into a ball, wrap it again and press again with your foot.
Do that for 15 minutes.
Do not skip that step!
Ask hubby or (big) kids to help if necessary!

Shape the dough in a ball, wrap it in cellophane paper and leave it to rest for a while.

Sprinkle flour on a working table.
Roll the dough out into a 3 mm thick sheet.

Sprinkle flour on the dough sheet surface, fold the dough as shown on pic above and cut every 3 mm to obtain square section noodles/udon.

Shake and separate the udon and gather them as in picture above.
They are ready!

Throw the udon in water heated just before boiling point. Cook (make sure the water does not boil) for 6 minutes.
You can use the udon just after after but it is better to go through the next step:

Drop the udon into a strainer and wash them quickly under cold clear water. They will look far more appetizing this way and easy to conserve until you drop them into soup, fry them or dress them into a salad!

As for the soup, there are many ways to make it, whereas you are vegan, vegetarian or omnivore. If you use dashi, use konbu/seaweed dashi if you are not an omnivore. One can add soy sauce, mirin/sweet sake and sugar.
Serve the udon as they are or with chopped leeks and aburaage tofu and so forth!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India
Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London
Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Udon: The Professional Basic Recipe

Udon/饂飩/うどん, although not suitable for wheat allergics, can be easily turned vegetarian or vegan, depending on the soup and seasonings/accompaniments.
It is fullfilling and healthy and can be eaten hot in soup or fried, or cold, especially in salads!

INGREDIENTS (basic):

-Wheat flour: 1 kg (fine, light type)
-Salt: 40 g (can be reduced to 30 g)
-Water: 460 ml

RECIPE:

Dissolve salt in water first.
Pour flour in an all-purpose large bowl.
Pour the water onto the flour little by little.

Mix and knead little by little until all the water has been used.
At that time you may think you haven’t added enough water. Don’t worry. Just keep kneading for 10 minutes. it will eventually become smooth.

The following is interesting. In restaurants it is done with a special wooden lever with the chf standing on one end!
Wrap the dough in a cellophane paper and press the whole (wash your feet!) with the whole foot until the dough has spread somewhat flat. Take the dough out of the cellophane paper, shape it into a ball, wrap it again and press with your foot.
Do that for 15 minutes.
Do not skip that step!
Ask hubby or (big) kids to help if necessary!

Shape the dough in a ball, wrap it in cellophane paper and leave it to rest for a while.

Sprinkle flour on a working table.
Roll the dough out into a 3 mm thick sheet.

Sprinkle flour on the dough sheet surface, fold the dough as shown on pic above and cut every 3 mm to obtain square section noodles/udon.

Shake and separate the udon and gather them as in picture above.
They are ready!

Throw the udon in water heated just before boiling point. Cook (make sure the water does not boil) for 6 minutes.
You can use the udon just after after but it is better to go through the next step:

Drop the udon into a strainer and wash them quickly under cold clear water. They will look far more appetizing this way and easy to conserve until you drop them into soup, fry them or dress them into a salad!

As for the soup, there are many ways to make it, whereas you are vegan, vegetarian or omnivore. If you use dashi, use konbu/seaweed dashi if you are not an omnivore. One can add soy sauce, mirin/sweet sake and sugar.
Serve the udon as they are or with chopped leeks and aburaage tofu and so forth!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Bread + Butter, Comestilblog, Greedy Girl, Bouchon For 2, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Mangantayon, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles, Lexi, Culinary Musings, Eats and Everything, Bite Me New England, Heather Sweet, Warren Bobrow, 5 Star Foodie, Frank Fariello, Oyster Culture, Ramendo, Alchemist Chef, Ochikeron, Mrs. Lavendula, The Gipsy Chef, Spirited Miu Flavor, Social Culinaire

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Japanese Vegan Udon, Dried Shiitake and Konbu Salad

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I’ve been looking around me recently for ideas so as to help my vegan and vegetarian friends with new ideas. Here is a simple one I just found for a healthy and tasty salad:
Japanese Vegan Udon, Shiitake and Umeboshi Salad!

INGREDIENTS: For one dish

-Udon: 1 pack of boiled udon ready for use
-Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: 4
-Konbu/seaweeed
-Salad Oil: 3 large tablespoons
-Soy sauce: 50 ml
-Mirin/sweet sake: 50 ml
-Real mineral water: 100 ml
-Cucumber, lettuce, mini tomatoes: as per taste

RECIPE:
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-In a pan, drop cut dried shiitake, cho@@ed konbu/seaeed and oil. Fry gently.

-On a low fire add soy sauce and mirin.

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-When you are satisfied that the shiitake are soft enough, drop the whole into mixer,nlender. Add water and process unti you obatin a sauce like in the picture.

-Boil udon quickly. Cool them under running clear water. Drain throuroughly and place on a dish.

-Arrange lettuce, cucumber on top of udon as on the picture, showing up enough of the udon.

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-pour the sauce on top and decorate with mini tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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日本語のブログ
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