Japanese Udon (on a budget)

JAPANESE HOME-COOKING - simple & healthier & artistic - a feast for the taste buds & eyes. As I always say, REAL eating should be an experience of all the senses (even if its just lunch in front of the TV!). --- Mindful eating (let's leave this for a latter post)

I am very much inspired by the book-Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat-Delicious slimming and anti-ageing secrets (Naomi Moriyama). It has easy to follow economical recipes, strategies, arguments for Japanese home cooking as opposed to Western-style eating.

Japanese cooking ingredients can be pricey. Just take a glance at the various soy-sauces for sushi, gyoza, soba, udon & shabu-shabu. It's usually above RM10. And what if you use it once only - the rest will be in your pantry until the expiry date! If you look at the ingredients that make up the sauce, they are almost the same, in varying amounts - salt, sugar, soya sauce, mirin & bonito. Noodles are also costly - buckwheat soba, cha soba (even more).. Luckily, demand for Japanese noodles in Malaysia is sustainable, so there is now a factory in JB that produces udon, tofu & fresh soba..etc.

I was at the Jaya Grocer @Jaya33 yesterday and picked up a small packet of fresh udon for RM1.90. So for today's lunch, I cooked up my version of :

UDON in SOUP
1 small pkt fresh udon
3 stalks baby choy sum/sawi (mustard leaves)
1 egg
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
a sprinkle of chilli flakes (from Domino's pizza)

For soup:
3 tablespoon light soy sauce (less salty, the better)
1 tablespoon mirin or Chinese cooking wine (ShaoXing)
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 pkt (3gm pkt) Bonito fish flakes (from Isetan, KLCC)

In a small pot, boil some water. Add udon & cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat. Use a tong to transfer the noodles on to a soup plate. Turn on the heat again & blanch choy sum. Pour away the water(drain) and arrange vegetables beside the udon.

Use the same pot to simmer the soup ingredients. Adjust to taste. Pour onto the udon. Wash the pot & wipe it dry. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (not too hot). Add some chopped garlic & fry till slightly brown. Break an egg over it. Keep low heat. Gently break the yolk. Turn over. Cook until egg is just done. Don't over cook. Spoon onto the udon. Sprinkle chilli flakes & remaining packet of bonito flakes.

Easy washing up: 1 pot, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 pair of tongs, 1 soup plate.

P.S. You would have noticed that the parts of a Japanese dish are cooked separately, then assembled decoratively in a bowl or plate. This, I believe is the philosophy of Japanese cooking (which may be applied to all forms of cooking). Every ingredient has its importance, has its role to play. By spending time to blanch, fry, boil each ingredient separately, one can reflect on LIFE with its various 'tastes' (happy, sweet, bitter, salty...). We all have to go through it but in the end it comes together to make a delicious 'meal' - a life well lived, well spent! Do not forget the spices, the condiments of life - just a dash of fun, a dash of adventure, a handful of experience, a bunch of optimism & enthutiasm; and a tinge of sadness, to remind us how precious life is!! Be MINDFUL of what you do in life, choose wisely each day, each action you take, each word you speak ... Do not be tempted to throw all the ingredients into the soup and hope for the best!

Sakae Salad

Sakae Sushi is a chain of Japanese restaurants in Klang Valley. Its philosophy, as stated in its menu - to provide good and economical food to its patrons. According to its story, the couple who founded the restaurant are fond of Japanese food but because of its usually high price, his wife used to do mental sums, adding up the bill and had to think carefully not to order beyond her budget. This, of course took much of the enjoyment out of the dining experience.

But don't be mistaken, cheap doesn't mean styrofoam plates and plastic chairs. The restaurant that I visited recently is in Subang Parade (G27A, Grd flr) was trendy and high-tech, with computer monitors and mouse at each table for placing your orders. The waitress that attended to me was young but very efficient and energetic.

Always looking for healthy food choices, I ordered the chawan mushi (steamed egg @ Rm1.90) , sushi (@RM 3.90 per plate) and Sakae Salad (RM8.90).

The Sakae Salad is somewhat like our Chinese Yee Sang. It came with delectable portions of jellyfish, seaweed, finely shredded cabbage and some crispy bits and crunchy bits, topped with 3 rolls of salmon in the center. And served in a beautiful ceramic black speckled bowl. Only the thick lemon sauce is a bit rich. I made the mistake of pouring half of it into the salad before mixing it. The jellyfish was already saucy and only needed a bit of the lemon sauce.

For some peace & quiet, to contemplate your meal!

My favourite spots are :

EDEN CAFE @ Amcorp Mall
- sit in the long padded bench, inside, furthest away from the counter.
I once seeked refuge from the hustle & bustle of the Sunday Flea Market and ducked into this cafe which serves a fairly decent ciabatta (type of Italian bread) Cajun chicken sandwich. I had chamomile tea, which is said to be soothing. Note: No more ciabatta sandwich. Now - Beef salami on Focaccia (Italian bread made with olive oil & oregano herb)

Service was friendly and non-obtrusive. I could feel comfortable enough to take out my book for a short read. There were only a few customers. Since the sandwich was to come with potato chips, I casually asked the male waiter if I could change it for some fresh veggie and he obliged with an understanding smile. Thumbs up for service! The female waiter politely commented that she liked my purse (it had an unusual feature) and the lady in the next table also noticed it, so there was some light conversation before I left, feeling refreshed & happy!! :))

TARBUSH @ Ampang Point
A Lebanese / Middle Eastern restaurant which started as a kiosk in the same mall. Its was very popular. A few years later, it expanded into a restaurant (and another in Bkt Bintang, I think). I had falafel sandwich which is chickpea (kacang kuda) patties deep fried and wrapped in the Arabic flat bread stuffed with salad leaves and a touch of hummus (blended chickpea paste). Served with some onion pickles, and French fries which I declined and the cook gave me a weird stare!

I also tried the 'Wara Ainab' which is flavoured rice wrapped in pickled wines leaves and steamed. Makes a good appetiser! I once saw it being made on TV during one of those Ramadan cooking shows. To compliment the meal, I ordered the Arabic tea, which is hot black tea poured into a cup with some mint leaves in it. A nice refreshing taste! I once had it with some honey at another restaurant.

It's quite a good place to hang out too. They have an interesting a decor : dark 3-D mural of Arabic pots and jars lining the whole beige wall, and two wooden camels in attendance! Service is average but obliging. I (being a bit finicky... not my usual self, I hope) asked for the menu a few times - wanted to try out the authentic dishes. Btw, a little tip : tabouleh is a parsley-based salad. You know, the type of parsley (dark green, small leaves) they use to garnish Western dishes. It has a strong taste and some (like myself) find it unpalatable!

ONAGI Japanese Restaurant (next to Hock Choon supermarket, opposite The Amp Walk & Sucasa)
The chef & owner formerly worked at Kampachi (THE Japanese restaurant most famous for its buffet-you have to book months in advance.. I was told some years ago) for more 10 years. Whenever I visit Japanese restaurants, I almost always order Saba Shioyaki and I have practically tasted the best & the worst of the lot. Onagi serves the best Saba Shioyaki I've ever had. The fish was fresh, and grilled to perfection - succulent inside & crisp on the outside, sealing in the juices. The portion was ample and the price was reasonable.

Although the waiters were young & inexperienced, the senior person at the counter was attentive. He recommended a potato salad to go with the fish but I felt the portion may be too filling, so he gave me a 'half' portion and charged half the price of that in the menu! Quite surprising. I've heard of half portions but never heard of any restaurants in KL implementing it. .. (maybe got to get out more... ha ha). ...The chilled potato salad was delicious, by the way.