Japanese Food: Karaage, Ramen and More
Karaage is not a recipe so much as a method: cut, marinate, coat in potato starch, fry twice. The second fry is what makes the crust hold rather than soften under its own steam. Most of what an izakaya kitchen does works like that, a technique applied to whatever is good that week. These are the dishes we cook, how they are made in Japan, and what we do differently.
19 posts
- Aug 21, 2026The Kiyo Special: What Is Actually in ItIt started as my own staff meal, the kitchen kept adding things to it as a joke, and then we put it on the menu without saying what it was.
- Aug 20, 2026Gyu Don: The Bowl I Lived On in JapanYoshinoya has been selling beef bowls since 1899, and for a while it was most of what I ate. Here is where gyudon came from, why Japan picks sides over it, and what we did with ours.
- Aug 8, 2026Tebasaki: Nagoya's Fried Chicken Wings, and the Two Ways to Make ThemJapanese fried wings come in two schools, and they disagree about flour. Ours follows the older one: no coating, fried twice, glazed sweet and salty.
- Aug 5, 2026Why We Built a Handroll Bar Instead of a Sushi ProgramOmakase counters are opening everywhere. Most of the time I just want simple, fresh sushi, and our kitchen is small, so the menu had to be designed around that.
- Jul 4, 2026What Is Hiyashi Chuka? Japan's Cold Summer RamenCold ramen noodles, fresh toppings, and a bright dressing. Juraku's take on Japan's classic summer noodle dish.
- Jun 15, 2026Our Edamame, Three Ways: Boring, Spicy, and Possibly the Best EverOne of our edamame is named after a bad review. One came from a Thai restaurant that closed. And one is the reason people now come here for garlic edamame.
- Mar 4, 2026The Ramen We Almost Took Off the MenuThere is a ramen shop across the street from us and he was here first. Here is why we did not serve ramen, why we eventually did, and why we had to rebuild it.
- Feb 6, 2026Katsu Curry: Why Real Japanese Curry Is Mom's CurryJapanese curry came from the British navy and got thickened like a French sauce. But the version that matters is the one your mom made, and no two are the same.
- Feb 4, 2026Tonkatsu, and the Sauce With the Dog on ItAs a kid in San Francisco Japantown I could not read the label, so I asked my mom for the one with the dog on it. I still buy the same bottle.
- Jan 23, 2026Brown Butter Miso Ramen: The Bowl I Made to Get Through a COVID WinterOur most popular ramen started as something I made for myself while standing outside in the cold, when we weren't allowed to seat anyone indoors.
- Dec 16, 2025Pork Kakuni: The Dish That Made Me Like PorkI grew up on pork chops cooked to rubber, and I blamed the pig. It turns out the official advice was the problem, and kakuni is what fixed it for me.
- Apr 16, 2025Mentaiko Mazemen at Izakaya Juraku: Kiyo's Ultimate Comfort RamenChef Kiyo's Mentaiko Mazemen traces back to the mentaiko pasta he treated himself to during his Tokyo apprenticeship years.
- Apr 13, 2025Unagi Kabayaki: Smoky, Sweet, and Iconically JapaneseGrilled eel glazed in tare, served as Una Don over rice or as a crispy Unagi Handroll, a true izakaya classic.
- Apr 13, 2025Inaka Sushi at Izakaya Juraku: Rustic, Seasonal, and Purely JapaneseInaka sushi is countryside-style, vegetable-forward sushi. Right now our rotating nigiri features seared Eringi (king oyster) mushroom.
- Apr 13, 2025Crispy Rice at Izakaya Juraku: Where Crunch Meets UmamiOur Crispy Rice comes two ways: spicy tuna with mayo and chili, or yellowtail with a zesty yuzu wasabi drizzle.
- Apr 2, 2025Mentaiko Mazemen: A Creamy, Spicy, and Utterly Addictive Ramen TwistOur take on mentai pasta swaps in ramen noodles for spaghetti, coated in a rich sauce of mentaiko, butter, cream, and shio.
- Mar 9, 2025Japanese-Inspired French Fries at Izakaya Juraku: Crispy, Fluffy, and Loaded with FlavorFrom Okonomiyaki Fries to our viral Wasabi and Aka Shiso Shake Shake Fries, here's how we take a simple side and load it with Japanese flavor.
- Feb 6, 2025Why Every Skewer We Serve Is Gluten-FreeA regular brought her celiac mother-in-law in on our busiest night. What I improvised for her became the only tare we make.
- Feb 6, 2025Karaage at Juraku, Two WaysThe two karaage we serve, Signature with spicy mayo and Oroshi with grated daikon and yuzu wasabi, and why the potato starch is the part that matters.