Japan-Adjacency in Action: Six Smart Ideas from the Chefs of the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet
Each year, we invite a select group of leading-edge chefs to join The Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet, our inner circle of advisors who collaborate with us on foodservice recipe development, product ideation, industry outreach and more.
These brilliant innovators help Kikkoman stay in step with new and emerging foodservice trends. Right now, they’re all excited about Japan-adjacency: incorporating ingredients, flavors, techniques, and ideas from Japanese cuisine into innovative, globally inspired menu items.
As a company with roots in Japan that go back more than three centuries, we’re excited about Japan-adjacency too. From traditionally brewed soy sauce to teriyaki, ponzu, mirin, rice vinegar, and more, we’ve got products and solutions that make it easy to bring the umami and appeal of Japanese flavors to foodservice kitchens.
Here’s a look at how some of our Kitchen Cabinet chefs are drawing inspiration from those products in recipes that show how tapping into Japan-adjacency can open the door to a world of signature presentations that help differentiate menus, boost sales and build business.
1. Spray It with Soy Sauce
Chef Lon Symensma elevates his Kaya Toast with a finishing touch of Kikkoman® Soy Sauce. In this Singaporean specialty, toasted pullman bread is layered with custardy coconut jam and a light, airy egg-cloud foam. Just before serving, a mist of soy sauce and a dusting of pepper awaken the palate with a burst of savory umami. This technique is applicable to a wide range of dishes, particularly those with delicate flavors, to balance
Kaya Toast with Coconut Jam and Egg Cloud
Chef Lon Symensma| Cholon Modern Asian, Denver
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2. Infusion Is the New Fusion
Chef Angel Barreto layers flavors of Japan and Korea in his cooking—and one technique he’s fond of is infusing soy sauce with flavorful accents. In his Crab Fat Japchae, he infuses Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce with tomalley, also known as crab butter, to create a sweet, briny soy sauce for a signature presentation of Korean sweet potato noodles, stir-fried vegetables and crabmeat. Infusing soy sauce and other liquids with flavorful fats is an increasingly popular technique, known as “fat washing.” To learn how it’s done with soy sauce, read this article by Kikkoman Executive Chef Andrew Hunter.
Crab Fat Japchae
Chef Angel Barreto | Anju, Washington, DC
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3. Unlock the Magic of Mirin
Nikkei cuisine combines influences from Peru and Japan, and one of the best places to experience the cutting edge of Nikkei cooking is at Chef Nando Chang’s Itamae AO in Miami. Chef Nando’s menus always feature a tiradito—raw seafood dressed with a spicy citrus sauce. This one showcases freshly shucked scallops, lightly cured with salt and sugar, accompanied by a bright, clean lime-chili-garlic leche di tigre sweetened with Kikkoman® Kotteri Mirin®.
Mirin, a sweet rice wine, is the essential sweetening ingredient in many Japanese sauces, glazes and marinades. Try it in any savory application that calls for a note of sweetness. Unlike sugar or other sweeteners, it has a complex bouquet and rich umami that can perfectly balance savory flavors in all kinds of applications.
Scallop Tiradito
Chef Nando Chang|Itamae AO, Miami
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4. Turn Up the Heat
When umami ingredients like traditionally brewed soy sauce meet the spice of chilis, sparks fly. In fact, the savory qualities of umami and the sensation of spicy heat can actually enhance each other. For Chef Roberto Perez, this spicy-umami synergy is a source of endless flavor excitement. At Del Mar Ostoneria, he showcases fresh seafood in preparations that seamlessly fuse Mexican flavors with Asian influences.
His Tamarindo Habanero Aguachile features fresh, wild-caught shrimp bathed in not one, but two “umami-meets-spicy” sauces: a ponzu made with Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce, lime juice, and chiltepin peppers, and a tamarindo habanero sauce that pairs Kikkoman® Tamari with fiery habaneros.
Tamarindo Habanero Aguachile
Chef Roberto Perez | Del Mar Ostoneria, Los Angeles
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5. Look Beyond the Label
Chef Christine Ha loves to find new ways to use familiar ingredients. Here, she turns to two classic Japanese sauces, Kikkoman® Sushi Sauce (Unagi Tare) and Ponzu Citrus Seasoned Dressing & Sauce, in a totally unexpected application. Sushi sauce is a sweet-savory glaze that’s typically used on grilled eel (unagi) for sushi, and ponzu is a citrus-seasoned soy sauce. But the ingredients in these sauces, which include soy sauce, citrus juice and mirin, are right at home in Latin marinades, sauces and dishes like Chef Christine’s Fajitas. The presentation is straight-ahead Tex-Mex, but the flavor is mysteriously sweet, savory and bursting with umami—and that’s what Japan-adjacency brings to the table. So, when you’re working with Japanese-inspired products, look beyond the label. The bottle may say “Sushi Sauce,” but the taste says, “versatile sweet-savory flavor accent.”
Japanese-Inspired Fajitas
Chef Christine Ha | The Blind Goat, Houston
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6. Think Sweet Thoughts
There’s a reason salted caramel is such a popular flavor profile. A little salt adds depth and richness to sweet flavors—and that’s a foundational principle of Japanese cooking and confectionary making. Michelin-Star Chef Yuu Shimano based his take on crème brûlêe on the flavors of a favorite Japanese street-food sweet, dango mochi—chewy sweet rice dumplings smothered in a sweet soy glaze. Here, Chef Yuu adds Kikkoman® Soy Sauce to both the caramel and the custard to create a dessert that strikes the perfect salted caramel balance of sweet, savory and creamy.
Soy Sauce Crème Brûlée
Chef Yuu Shimano | Restaurant Yuu, Brooklyn
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Curious About Joining the Kitchen Cabinet?
The door is open. Kikkoman is always seeking passionate chefs to join our Kitchen Cabinet as ambassadors, advisors, and content creators. You’ll enjoy the benefits of publicity and exposure through our marketing efforts, while collaborating with a like-minded community. It’s a win-win partnership designed to elevate your culinary influence and inspire others.
If you’re interested in being considered for a coveted spot on the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet—or you’d like to recommend a friend or colleague—drop us a line here.
