FOOD

Did you try bluefin tuna yet? Did you know all the fish markets in Okinawa are all stirred up by the seasonal arrival of this treasure fish right now? You should go and get it for yourself as soon as possible because it will be around only for the next couple of weeks.  Then it will be gone.  And right now, this fish supply is so much in the balance of fish auction, it’s unbelievably cheap!  If you want to knock yourself out with the fatty tuna belly “Toro”, now is the time!!!   So we came to Tomari fish market in Naha.     I think you can get bluefin tuna […]

As Japan is having the national holiday week “Golden Week”, it’s time to BBQ!!!   It has been a year since I bought Weber Baby Q grill and Anova Sous Vide.  I’ve been learning and experimenting with these toys.  It’s very fortunate I have friends who want to pay to come for my cooking, so I can play some more.   Sous Vide Pork Chop, 62C for 1 hour   (The picture was taken some other time and it was set at 70C) Sous Vide machine circulates the water and keeps it at exact temperature you set.  While other cooking methods apply high heat like 200C to the outside until the […]

A lot of people believe that Okinawa has no good fish. So did I. But when I started fishing in the deep off shore here, I quickly learned that the fish that this ocean can offer is amazing!  There’s cold, mineral-rich deepsea current flowing through the area and I catch some gorgeous fish.  They are very expensive fish if purchased. Now I decided to share it with fish lovers in a pop-up restaurant style with a help of cafe Miyabi Chaya in Okinawa-shi. The restaurant will really pop up. I usually go fishing on Wednesday. Once or twice a month.  I will make the announcement on facebook ‘Full of Okinawa’ on Thursday. The […]

Sous Vide came to our kitchen! I stumbled on the idea of sous vide cooking a while ago.  After some research, I figured this is a way to go.  And here it is. Anova Precision Cooker The idea is to bag the food in a zip lock, air sealed, and cook in a water with a controlled temperature.  Every other cooking basically gives high heat like, 200C or more to the surface until the internal temperature reaches a desired temperature, like 60C.  It takes skills and experience to know the right timing, which is hard to acquire for home chef.  But with Sous Vide, you set the goal temperature and […]

Okinawa is coming into the season for bigfin reef squid! This squid can grow over 5kg here.  This one is a small 2kg size.  This was my only catch for yesterday.  Squid fishing is still new to me.  I need to improve my fishing skills on it because this squid is so delicious!  It’s good in any style of cooking.  Sashimi, pan-fried, deep-fried, soup, boiled, grilled, you can’t go wrong.  It can be a leading actor or a supporting actor in a dish.  And it doesn’t lose its quality by freezing!!! What a fish!   Cleaning done! Saving the ink and the liver of course. The ink, liver, fins and some […]

Now the Kanpachi (amberjack) fishing season is in its mid-season here in Okinawa. Time to fish and party!     This is a mackerel tuna.  The best tasty one in Katsuo family.  “Suma” we call it.  It’s got the signature black dots under pectoral fins. You hardly find this fish in the market.  They move in very small groups and they are scattered in the open waters.  They are so good to eat, and fast to go bad.  So fishermen usually keep and eat them, and don’t sell to the market.  It’s an angler’s privilege to enjoy this fish. Look at the marble in the belly. This fish is fast […]

It’s ignorant of me, but only recently I learned that in 2011 USDA: United States Department of Agriculture has officially lowered the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160F degrees to 145F degrees and adding a 3-minute rest time. 145F is about 62C degrees.   That is medium rare! And I love medium rare. (New guideline does not apply to ground pork.)   I’ve always thought the pork had to be cooked thoroughly. That’s what my mom taught me. Even though I have been kind of eating pork while pink at good Yakiniku (grill-your-own-meat type) or shabu shabu restaurants recently, I was feeling a little guilty […]

Ever since I had my first taste of his cheese in Tedako-Tei, the cozy Italian restaurant in Naha, I’ve always wanted to try more.   His name is John, the cheese guy. The Cheese Guy in Okinawa   While we knew so little about his cheese where-abouts, we heard that his cheese is available at Ryubo in Omoromachi, Naha.  We’ve been looking for a chance to go to Naha, and we finally did. (We didn’t know it was available at Chatan and also at Onna too.  from the cheese guy facebook.)     We found that Ryubo had a descent volume of imported natural cheeses.  For a Okinawan grocery store, that is. We love cheese.  It’s […]