foodblogger

What do Japanese restaurants serving kaiseki look like?

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Japanese restaurants that serve kaiseki look a certain way. Each style of Japanese cuisine has its very own expression and, this also applies when it comes to the restaurant’s architecture and decor.

Kaiseki is an exclusive menu which consists of 8-12 unique, beautiful and tasty dishes from the traditional Japanese cuisine. A kaiseki dinner is not just a meal it is unique journey in historic ancient Japan.

The restaurants pay homage to the cultural virtues. The shoes are placed right inside the front door, there are small walkway bridges in the restaurant, there are tatemi mats on the floor in the dining rooms and, the female waiters are wearing kimonos. Dinner is served according to the traditional etiquette from the Edo period.

The restaurants will often be surrounded by a beautiful traditional Japanese garden, where even the smallest details are looked after and cared for. The traditional Japanese gardens surrounding the restaurants are beautiful all year round.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Sushi class for beginners

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sushi
The cooking class Sushi course for beginners is for people who would like to learn how to make different kinds of delicious Japanese sushi. In the long run you can save money by making your own sushi.

You learn how to boil the perfect sushi rice.
You learn about the Japanese ingredients used for sushi.
You learn about what you should be aware of when buying fish from the fishmonger.
You learn to prepare different kinds of raw materials for sushi.
You learn to make several different kinds of tasty sushi rolls.

Please read more about the cooking class  Sushi for beginners
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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

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Cooking class: Japanese noodle soup for beginners

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RamenThe cooking class Japanese noodle soup for beginners is for people who would like to learn how to make the Japanese noodle soup such as ramen soup.

You learn how to make healthy and tasty noodle soups which is very popular on a busy day.
You larn how to make Japanese stock by using traditional Japanese raw materials.
You learn how to know the difference between different kind of noodle used in noodle soup.
You learn to make 2 tasty and healthy noodle soups that are made from scratch with classical raw materials.

Please read more about the cooking class Japanese noodle soup for beginners

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

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What kind of fish can be eaten raw?

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Basically, all fish can be eaten raw. However, there is a big BUT.

Not all types of fish are suitable for eating raw. There are several reasons for this.

  1. In some fish species, the structure of the fish meat is of a quality that makes them unsuitable for being eaten raw. It requires you to be a Japanese trained sushi chef to be able to see that.
  2. The place where fish has been caught plays an important factor. There are some places where the world’s oceans are having a hard time due to local pollution. Fish caught in those places should never be eaten raw.
  3. Fish sold at fish auctions is divided into quality grades. Everything that is eaten raw must be of the best quality to avoid getting sick. It requires you to be a Japanese trained sushi chef to be able to see that too.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What is Japanese Sea urchin?

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Japanese sea urchin also called uni in Japanese is a sea animal. It is round and has a lot of spikes, like a hedgehog.

Japanese sea urchins can be found on the menu of Japanese sushi restaurants in Japan and exclusive sushi restaurants in the US. It is a very fine and delicate taste.

In Europe, more and more people gets to know sea urchins, there are several European chefs who have traveled to Japan in recent years. The food experiences they have had in Japan have been taken to Europe. More and more restaurants in Denmark have got sea urchins on the menu.

In Denmark, sea urchins most often come from the Faroe Islands.

In Japan, many different kinds of sea urchins are found in the sea around Japan.

Sea urchins do not taste the same. The Japanese sea urchins are divided into what area of ​​Japan they come from and their quality. It is bit like prawns.

In Europe you can buy cheap prawns, where the quality is not so good. Then you have the Greenlandic, which have a much finer quality. Similarly, there will be a difference in sea urchins.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Can I eat sushi if I have a seafood allergy?

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You can eat sushi if you have a seafood allergy. If I had a seafood allergy I would make the sushi restaurant aware of that too, even though I ordered food that did not contain seafood. There are several reasons for this.

It is quite important that if you have some kind of allergy, then the food you have ordered should not have been in contact with a cutting board or another kitchen utensil where an allergenic raw material has been in contact. Otherwise you may risk a reaction as well, even if a sushi knife has only touched the raw material.

As a sushi chef, it is extremely important that you are told if a guest has an allergy so that you can take it into account when preparing food. There is no one who wants one’s guests to have a bad dining experience.

To be 100% sure, you should always inform the sushi restaurant if you have an allergy.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Do the Japanese eat spinach?

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Yes, the Japanese eat spinach. They eat many different vegetables in one day.
The Japanese eat several different vegetables every single day. They diet pyramid is very varied and healthy.

In Japan, there are 3 different kinds of spinach plants. They each have their very own unique taste and, they are used differently depending on the type of the dish in question.

Horenso spinach is very similar to the classic European spinach. It is healthy and full of different vitamins.

Komatsuna spinach is mustard spinach. Of course, it is also healthy and full of vitamins. Of course it tastes like mustard and, it is used in salads or in soups and stews.

Mizuna is a spinach that has a more peppery taste. It is also healthy with many vitamins. The peppery taste makes it suitable for soups and strong stews.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What does a traditional Japanese sushi menu consist of?

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A traditional Japanese sushi menu, as served at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo, looks different.

The Japanese food culture is different than in Denmark.

In Japan, people learn to eat fish from childhood. On a daily basis, the Japanese eat as much fish as we eat meat in Europe. The Japanese eat as much meat as we eat fish.

The Japanese learn to appreciate many different kinds of fish and, it can be seen from the menu when you visit a sushi restaurant in Tokyo.

Typically there will be 20 different kinds of fish. The fish are turned into nigiri sushi. The Japanese love sushi rolls, but when it comes down to it, they prefer fish and rice. Therefore, A Japanese traditional sushi menu will consist of 10-15 nigiri sushi.

However, there will also be sushi rolls to a slightly more limited extent.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What seafood is best suited for sushi?

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Sushi chef Zoë EscherIn Denmark only a few seafood is available for sushi. You often find tiger prawns on the menu which is quite a shame for many miss the unique flavors from other seafood.
In Japan different types of squid is used and served in different ways. Sea urchins are extremely popular in Japanese sushi restaurants and have a delightful taste.

In addition, the Japanese have a large selection of shrimps found only in the East part of the world. Shrimp has a size, taste and character that you unfortunately cannot get in Denmark.
In Denmark, we have many beautiful and not so exotic commodities that are perfect for sushi like lumpfish roe, scallops and smoked eel.

Read more about advanced sushi course

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

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The healthiest Japanese lunch consists of only 3 different ingredients

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Yes, that’s for real.

One of the Japanese favorites to eat for lunch is an onigiri which usually consists of only 3 ingredients. When I talk about the classic Japanese onigiri, it contains rice, seaweed and fish.

Most people know fish is healthy. The Japanese are the population in the world that eats most fish. Their favorite fish are fatty fish, which are rich in omega 3.

The Japanese are also the population that eats the most seaweed. Seaweed is not just seaweed. There are many different types of seaweed depending on the dish to be made. Seaweed is the vegetable in the world that contains the most vitamins and minerals.

Since 2004 I have been eating onigiri in Japan. It was my Japanese kendo teacher in Tokyo who mentions me the classic Japanese lunch dish, which is also ideal when on the go.

Several have asked me if I do teach online cooking classes, and yes I do. I have therefore developed a new online course where you learn step by step to make 5 onigiri with 5 different kinds of fillings. It ranges from cooking rice, buying fish to the Japanese hand techniques used to make onigiri.

You can read more about the course Onigiri (stuffed rice balls) for beginners

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.