7 selected online resources to learn Japanese cuisine and food business

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many Japanese food lovers had to cancel their plan to study cooking in Japan in spring or have no job till the end of April since the restaurants they were working closed.

Below are 7 videos selected by Chef’s Wonderland. You can learn Japanese cuisine and food business online, so please enjoy them even though you cannot come to Japan!

A Day In The Life of A Japanese Sushi Chef

Length: 10 minutes

The video features Uryu-san, a sushi chef at Sushi Tou, a high-end sushi restaurant in Roppongi. You can take a glimpse at the process of purchasing fish at the Toyosu Market, which opened in October, 2018. In the sushi chef world, where people say 10 years are necessary to finish training, it took Uryu-san 8 years to become a professional since he joined the world at the age of 18.

What is the perfect sushi for him? He is one of the chefs that are attracting attention, among young chefs in their thirties and forties rising at sushi restaurants in Tokyo.

A Day in the Life of a Japanese Ramen Chef

Length: 15 minutes

Kikanbo is a popular ramen restaurant in Kanda. It serves “kara-shibi” miso ramen, which features spiciness (kara) of chili peppers and numbing sensation (shibi) of sansho, Japanese peppers.

The video follows a day of 41-year-old Tetsuya-san, the restaurant’s chef/manager, since he gets up at 6:30 till he closes the store at 10pm. You can see various aspects of the ramen restaurant, including cleaning before the store opens, day-to-day operations, making of soup and chashu (marinated braised pork).

The highlight of this video is when the owner tries new squid ramen created by Tetsuya. Does the owner approve the new ramen?

Washoku World Challenge 2019

Length: 12 minutes

“Washoku World Challenge” is a contest in which chefs from Japanese restaurants around the world compete with their passion and techniques for Japanese cuisine. It is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. 6 chefs from 5 countries (South Korea, China, Hungary, Thailand, and Mexico) passed qualifying rounds overseas and showcased their techniques and senses in accordance with the contest theme, “UMAMI,” for two days in January, 2019.

Who will be the champion?

Tokyo Sushi Academy -How to make shari sushi rice-

Length: 9 minutes

Sushi rice is an important part of making sushi, as people say “Rice decides 70% of the sushi’s taste.” Published by the first sushi school in the world, the video uses the know-how cultivated by teaching more than 4,000 students, both Japanese and non-Japanese, and provides detailed answers to common questions one by one in English.

One Day at a Ramen School

Length: 3 minutes

The video shows a day at Miyajima Ramen School in Osaka. It was broadcasted by NHK World, an English service of Japan’s public broadcaster, in December, 2018. What can you learn about ramen in an one-on-one lesson at school? A student from Argentina enjoys the lesson in the video.

Kampai! For the Love of Sake

Length: 1 minute

This full-length documentary film was released in 2016 and explores the appeal of Japanese sake. It follows Philip Harper, who was fascinated by Japanese sake and entered the world of sake making after graduating from the University of Oxford to become the first non-Japanese “toji” (the chief executive of sake production) at the Kinoshita Brewery in Kyoto and John Gauntner, an American journalist who lives in Kamakura and is known as “The Sake Evangelist.” What is the appeal of Japanese sake that made them decide to come to live in Japan?

On YouTube, you can see only a-minute-long official trailer. You can buy the DVD on Amazon Japan and other websites.

Jiro Ono and René Redzepi Have a Cup of Tea

Length: 12 minutes

In the video, René Redzepi, one of the most famous chefs in the world, talks with Jiro Ono, a living sushi legend. When René asks “When did you feel that you had become a master?,” what is Jiro’s answer? It is impressive to see two chefs transcend language and culture to sympathize with and recognize each other’s passion for cooking.

How were the 7 selected online videos? It is heartbreaking to hear about the situations of the restaurants in Japan and abroad, but all we can do is to believe that “Every night comes to an end” and pray that the situations be settled.

There are definitely people who are looking forward to the day when they can eat meals cooked by you chefs.

Let’s not give up our hope and wait till customers come back!

What would you like to know more?