Umami is present in almost all savoury foods and is one of the five primary human tastes, along with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. It is often conspicuous by its absence, like the lack of meat taste in vegan stock. The word “umami” was coined in 1908 to describe the flavour discovered by Japanese chemist … Read more
1. Tara Margarita of Bourke’s wine bar in Hong Kong on putting simple human love back into cooking Margarita, head chef of Bourke’s in SoHo, shares her journey from corporate life to the culinary arts, emphasising simple, refined bar food. Avoiding the burnout so often found in fine-dining kitchens, she is now fostering a positive … Read more
Despite its modest beginnings, the first Japanese government-certified culinary school to open in Britain is promising big things, offering a course in the techniques and culture of Japan’s increasingly popular washoku cuisine. The London branch of the Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku, offering an officially recognised washoku chef certification, opened last month to great … Read more
Such is the case in Hong Kong. The city imported 457,000 tonnes of food from Japan in 2022, with a total value of more than US$560 million; of this, imported fish from Japan were valued at US$136 million, helping to supply the 3,979 restaurants (as of July 2023) licensed to sell sashimi. Sansada is one … Read more
She holds her classes at her village house in Sai Kung district in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is a bit tricky to find, but Yamagishi provides directions. People kept asking me to show them how to cook Japanese food, so it started that wayYuki Yamagishi With its warm wood decor and views … Read more
