Japan Eats!

On today's show, we welcome Dave Broom, author of  The Way of Whiskey: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky . Broom has visited Japan 30 times in the past 16 years, studying and learning about its whiskies. In this major new book he shares his personal journey around Japan's whisky distilleries and the unique whisky culture of the country. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at h...

Machiko Chiba is a best-selling cookbook author and television personality in Japan. Her invention, the patented Cook-Zen microwave pot, was the top-selling item on QVC Japan for seven years. A proponent of "good food and good health," she teaches her microwave cooking techniques to aspiring chefs around the world. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...

Today's guest is John McCarthy, a former attorney who gave up the practice of law to attend the French Culinary Institute. After graduating from FCI at the top of his class, he worked for Chef Wylie Dufresne at wd-50 for several years, ultimately becoming Chef Wylie’s research and development cook. In 2012, he opened The Crimson Sparrow restaurant in Hudson, New York, which served a tasting menu o...

Josh Plunkett started cooking at Chapter One in Dublin before moving to New York where he worked at Momofuku, Luksus and Atera. Having spent the last year cooking in Kyoto, Japan he’s getting ready to make a move to San Francisco. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

This week, Akiko is joined by Jamie Graves, the Japanese portfolio manager at Skurnik Wines, a leading wine and spirits importer and distributer based in New York City. Jamie has an extensive knowledge of sake, and discusses the Kimoto Method of making sake, how long sake keeps after opening a bottle, and much more! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...

On this week's episode of Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Andrea Fazzari, a Tokyo based international photographer, author, and dining consultant with a background in fashion and film. Her book Tokyo New Wave: 31 Chefs Defining Japan's Next Generation will be released on March 13, 2018 worldwide. She has written, photographed, and styled this unique 304 page book, her l...

This week's guest is Ryunosuke "Jesse" Matsuoka, a certified sake sommelier, whose father was a top-ranked sumo wrestler in Japan before making his reputation as a chef in America. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Akiko is joined by Frank Cisneros, a Brooklyn-based bartender who lived and worked in Japan for a year, immersing himself in Japanese cocktail culture. Tune in to hear how learning the intricacies of Japanese bartending helped Cisneros to elevate his craft. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy...

Akiko is joined by fellow HRN host Michael Harlan Turkell, author of the book  Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar: With Recipes from Leading Chefs, Insights from Top Producers, and Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Make Your Own . Tune in for a discussion of all things vinegar! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

This week's guest is Stephen Lyman, one of the leading American experts on authentic Japanese shochu. He has visited approximately 70 shochu distilleries and has sampled around 2,000 different brands. In 2015, he was the first person to become a certified shochu adviser through the Sake School of America. He was also designated the first shochu ambassador through the Cool Japan initiative from the...

Akiko welcomes Elizabeth Andoh of A Taste of Culture back to the program to discuss quintessential Japanese condiments and seasonings. A Taste of Culture is a culinary arts program that combines spicy tidbits of food lore with practical tips and skill-building lessons on how to prepare Japanese food. Programs are conducted in Tokyo, Japan, and offer a unique opportunity for foreign residents and v...

On this week's episode, Akiko welcomes Murray Carter of Carter Cutlery, makers of handcrafted high performance cutlery using time-honored, traditional Japanese blade-smithing techniques. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

On the season premiere of  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined by Alexis Agliano Sanborn, an independent researcher, community organizer, and artist. Her research interests include food education, environmentalism, and sustainability. She received her Bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies and Japanese from UC Santa Barbara in 2008. In 2013, she received her A.M. from Harvard University...

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by Brian Polen & Brandon Doughan, co-owners of Brooklyn Kura , the very first Japanese sake brewery in NYC. Now that sushi and ramen are part of the American diet people are becoming more familiar with sake and opening sake breweries across the country. Brian and Brandon share a bit about their experience brewing sak...

This week on  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined by Mina Newman, the executive chef of Sen Sakana. There, she collaborates with Osaka native Taku Nagai, a well-respected chef in his own right, to blend Japanese and Peruvian flavors and dishes, showcasing the cuisine that was created with the migration of Japanese people to Peru. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at h...

This week on Japan Eats, Akiko is joined by Heidi Nestler, a fermentation teacher and co-owner of Wanpaku Foods, a Portland-based maker of traditional Japanese natto. In Japanese “wanpaku” is used endearingly to describe a naughty or mischievous child. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do...

On today's episode of Japan Eats , host Akiko is joined by Katsura Sunshine, a traditional Japanese Storyteller. On September 1st , 2008, Sunshine was accepted as an apprentice to the great Rakugo Storytelling Master, Katsura Bunshi VI, and subsequently received the name Katsura Sunshine. Sunshine received his professional debut in Singapore the following year, and completed his three-year Rakugo...

This week on  Japan Eats , Akiko is joined in studio by Naoki Takahashi of Naoki NYC . Tucked away in a hidden space in Chelsea, Naoki serves seasonal multi-course Japanese cuisines in a Zen-like interior. The recently launched kaiseki-style restaurant is part of Create Restaurants Holdings , which operates over 800 restaurants in Japan and around Asia. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Pr...

On this week's episode of Japan Eats , Akiko is joined in studio by Tim Sullivan, Brand Ambassador for the Hakkaisan Sake Brewery. Tim was the first person ever to receive a Cultural Activities Visa to study sake making in Japan! He founded UrbanSake.com, America’s longest-running sake website, and was awarded the title of “Sake Samurai” by the Japan Sake Brewer’s Association in recognition of his...

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, author and Japanese cuisine specialist Elizabeth Andoh is back in studio to chat with host Akiko about Japanese tableware. Looks aren't the only important thing in Japanese utensils; plates, bowls, and chopsticks must be functional, adequate for the type of food and season of the year, and above all feel good in the hands and mouth. Here are the links to the s...

This week on  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined by Mayumi Uejima-Carr of the Table for Two USA organization, a nonprofit that simultaneously addresses the opposing issues of malnutrition/hunger in developing countries and overconsumption/obesity in the developed world. The concept is to take excess calories from places like the U.S. and transfer them to countries in need. World Food Day...

On this week's episode of  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by Shinji Fukuyo, Whisky expert and chief blender of Suntory . Shinji Fukuyo joined Suntory in 1984 and eventually transferred to the whisky blending department in 1992. He quickly rose through the ranks and after four years studying at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh he moved to work in the Morrison Bowmore team...

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Fujiko Aoki, chef and owner at Mochin Rin. A dessert specialist, Fujiko created a new type of mochi that doesn’t quite exist in Japan by infusing New York’s locally-sourced ingredients into Japan’s popular traditional dessert. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

On this week's episode of  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined by chefs Nick Kim & Jimmy Lau of Shuko, where the duo offers daily tasting menus based on traditional Japanese flavors and techniques from the kitchen and sushi bar. Chefs Kim and Lau build their menu based on seasonality and freshness, sourcing ingredients locally and internationally. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast S...

On the season premiere of  Japan Eats , host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chris Bonomo, a passionate home cook who especially loves Japanese food. He is the co-founder of The Japanese Pantry, an organization dedicated to bringing the best quality artisanal Japanese ingredients to professional and recreational cooks in North America. If you are interested in artisanal Japanese ingred...