Welcome back! On to another cuisine – this time Japanese food, which is one of my favorite cuisines.
While many people may think of luxurious sushi, delicately prepared by top chefs or rich ramen broths, simmered for hours to release the maximum flavor, in this post, and on this blog for the most part, I really want to focus on dishes that would be cooked in people’s homes, aromas filling kitchens and memories.
In my research, I quickly stumbled upon the classic menu setup in washoku (Japanese cuisine) – a principle called “Ichiju-Sansai” – “one soup, three dishes”. This principle has been around since the Edo period and, while it’s not a strict rule you must abide by, it is meant to give some structure to the way a meal is constructed, making sure it is healthy, filling and interesting to the palate.
In keeping with this rule, especially for my first try, I decided to follow the structure as much as possible.
This week’s menu (2025/08/10)
Fish, meat or tofu usually make up the main dish served in this style. This time, I decided on some teriyaki salmon since it was a classic and simple recipe that still packs so much flavor! As for the pickles – they could technically be seen as one of the three dishes but these days are often just considered a nice way to counterbalance the rich flavors of the main dish with crisp pickle-y flavor.
One of the most traditional of the Ichiju-Sansai sides and a very tasty one at that. Kabocha pumpkin, when simmered in a mix of dashi broth, sake, sugar and soy sauce, turns super tender and sweet. It serves its purpose perfectly as a light but filling side next to the more flavor-heavy salmon.
This dish, often referred to as just “sunomono”, which is actually the collective term for light dishes served with vinegar, is a common and refreshing side that works well with everything. Including this meal – cucumber, wakame seaweed, sesame oil and rice vinegar really bring this dish together to more than the sum of its parts.
Miso Soup – the heart of the meal
As the name suggests – one soup – three dishes, puts special emphasis on the soup. Miso soup can really be many things based on your preference but usually tofu is added to it. For this soup I decided to go with the very popular silken tofu which brings almost no resistance when eaten and turns the soup into an almost custardy experience. Since it’s the middle of the summer, I made it with white miso as opposed to the richer and stronger varieties.
To sum it up:
Such a treat! I’ve always been a great fan of Japanese food and since it was one day before my birthday I decided to treat myself to a cuisine I know and love.
This meal was probably a 9/10 – flavorful, simple and very fulfilling. Every dish had its role to play. Especially the cucumber wakame salad and the salmon really brought the homerun. Mrs. W2P (my wife) also gave it a 9/10 – mainly focusing on the salmon teriyaki which seems to be a crowd pleaser!
Cook time was about 2 hours, that’s including prep. If you have it planned out well, it really works. Budget was about EUR 80 – a bit expensive but we also got a bunch of snacks so I can’t tell how much of it was spent on the dinner.
Stay tuned for what’s next!
The full meal
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