Cream Pan is an another yummy Japanese sweet bread and this one has custard cream filling inside. Just like An Pan, with its sweet red bean paste filling, Cream Pan has been always loved by Japanese people, and it is a staple item for any bakeries or stores that sell bread. Freshly baked, still warm Cream Pan is so soft and sweet, we bet anyone would fall in love with it once they taste it.
Hot Cakes are Japanese pancakes that are thicker and sweeter than their American counterpart. They are more like a dessert or snack rather than breakfast as in the US. Butter and honey (or syrup) on top makes this sweet dish rich and satisfying.
Salad Maki is a kind of rolled Sushi literally with the ingredients of a salad inside. It is usually found at Sushi restaurants that are more oriented toward families and reasonably priced, such as Kaiten Sushi restaurants (revolving Sushi restaurants), not so much at more sophisticated and fancy restaurants. Salad Maki is certainly not traditional Japanese Sushi, but it may be one of the most loved “arranged” Sushi rolls in Japan.
Harusame Salad is a salad with dried bean (or potato) threads called Harusame and vegetables. This cold and smooth textured noodle dish is a great side dish any time, but especially good during hot summer days. The dressing is flavored with sesame oil and it tastes like a Chinese style salad.
Fruit Parfait is a popular dessert you can find at many cafes in Japan. It is like an ice cream sundae with a lot of fruit. It looks very pretty with colorful and decorative cut fruit, and also of course, it is a delicious sweet.
Cream Soda is melon-flavored soda with ice cream on top, and it is a popular soft drink at Japanese “Kissaten” cafes (not cafes like Starbucks), which serve Spaghetti Neapolitan and Hot Cakes along with coffee and other drinks. Cream Soda is loved among kids for its sweet taste, but adults can enjoy it too, of course. People who know Kissaten culture will love to try this nostalgic soft drink again.
Shiozake (shio=salt, sake/zake=salmon) is grilled, salted salmon that is a very common dish for anytime of the day in Japan. It is often eaten for breakfast, but also a great item for Bento box for lunch and even a main dish for dinner.
Modanyaki (Modern Yaki) is a kind of Okonomiyaki that also contains Yakisoba. It is a regular item on the menu at any Okonomiyaki restaurant in Japan. Because Modanyaki is a combination of 2 starchy dishes, it is quite hearty and filling, especially when drenched with sweet and savory sauce and mayonnaise.
Tempura is battered and deep-fried seafood and vegetables. It is one of the most famous Japanese foods outside Japan, maybe after Sushi. Regular Tempura uses wheat flour, but here we tried our Tempura with gluten free ingredients in this recipe so that people on a gluten free diet can also enjoy this traditional and delicious dish. It is surprisingly crispy, and easy to make at home.
Matcha is a kind of green tea that is powdered, which is traditionally used for the Japanese tea ceremony. Although Matcha is a kind of tea, it is different from regular green tea leaves. It tastes rather bitter and has a much more concentrated flavor than green tea leaves. Matcha’s refreshing flavor goes surprisingly well with dairy and sugar, so it is a great flavoring to use in western style sweets as well as Japanese. It has become a common flavor in the US for many drinks and desserts, such as Matcha Latte and Matcha Ice Cream.