Teriyaki: From 17th Century Japanese Cooking

Teriyaki, yakitori and sukiyaki are terms having “yaki” in them, and the word is interpreted to mean “grilled.” Teriyaki originated from 17th century Japan and is a method of cooking and not the dish itself. However, looking into MW dictionary, it is defined as a Japanese dish of meat or fish that is grilled or broiled after being soaked in a seasoned soy sauce marinade. That entry was made in the 60’s when the cuisine became popular in the US.

On the other hand, the teriyaki sauce came not from Japan but from Hawaii, from Japanese immigrants who came to settle there. Today, it’s ingredients consist of brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic, mirin (rice wine) sake, and soy sauce.

Teriyaki sauce is sweet and is a favorite marinade for chicken, beef, fish and other meats. After they are marinated for a minimum of 30 minutes, longer if you want a more heightened flavor, the meats are usually grilled, then served with vegetables and rice. It can also be used as a dipping sauce.

Interestingly, while chicken teriyaki can easily be found in American menus, it is only occasionally seen in Japanese menus. This is due to the fact that by tradition, the teriyaki cooking method in Japan is primarily applied to the preparation of fish, like yellowtail, marlin, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna. More often used in the West are the white and red meat – chicken, pork, lamb, and beef.

Not Just Any Teriyaki at Bellevue Japanese Restaurant

At Flo Japanese restaurant, you are treated to exceptional teriyaki selections – we have chicken, salmon and beef – all using high quality soy sauce that flavors our protein dishes. If you are thinking about lunch in Bellevue and craving Japanese, Flo is just the place to have some high-quality teriyaki.

Japan has a long tradition of amazing pastas, one of the most notable being soba. This noodle, available at our Japanese restaurant in Bellevue, has a long-standing reputation for its valuable health properties, many of which have been scientifically demonstrated in modern laboratory settings.

The value of soba comes from the fact that it is made out of buckwheat. This grain has many powerful health benefits, some of which are entirely unique to it. Aside from being high in protein and fiber, it is the only grain that contains rutin. This is an essential bioflavonoid that works to strengthen capillaries and help people with heart disease or circulatory problems.

Buckwheat is also a good source of lipids, iron, phosphorus, copper, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2. So do your body a favor and come try a bowl today!

History tells us that wasabi was discovered in the wild by a group known as the Heike clan. Following a defeat in the eighth century, the survivors of this group fled upriver to Japan’s Mount Bahun. Many of these survivors came from nobility, and were therefore familiar with the benefits of dining on vegetation along with their meat dishes. When they found the plant, they served it with their fish and venison.

Wasabi would not be cultivated as a crop until years later. It was introduced to a warlord known as Tokugawa Ieyasu, who found it so to his liking that he declared it to be a treasure and passed an order that it should only be farmed in Skizuoka.

Over time, wasabi grew in popularity throughout Japan. Farmers developed superior practices for raising the plant, coming up with higher quality wasabi with more efficiency. Some of these practices remain closely guarded secrets, which explains why authentic wasabi is such a delicacy.

You can experience the fruits of the wasabi farmer’s labor for yourself at our Bellevue Japanese restaurant. If you’ve never tried real wasabi before, come to Flo Restaurant for some of your favorites today!

It’s easy to understand why one would need to practice to become a sushi chef. After all, arranging fish, vegetables, and rice so artfully is not something that anyone can do. But what about sashimi? As simple as this dish appears, one may make the mistake that it is just as simple to prepare. However, this is a practice at least as delicate as the rest of the itamae’s art.

First and foremost, a sashimi chef needs to have a careful hand and a practiced touch. Fish meat is very tender, and can break apart easily when you try to cut it on the small scale used in this dish. An even, visually appealing slice is the big challenge in cutting sashimi.

Further, there is a specialized knowledge that goes into selecting a good piece of fish and knowing the best way to cut it. If an itamae is making sashimi from tuna belly, for example, he or she should know to cut it thin so that the powerful taste does not overwhelm the diner. Other fish, and even other parts of the tuna, may be better served with a thicker cut.

If you wish to see the difference that a professional sashimi chef makes, come to Flo Restaurant. Our Japanese restaurant in Bellevue offers many different kinds of sashimi for your dining pleasure.

Our Bellevue Japanese restaurant is nothing without the support of a healthy and robust seafood industry. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of an uphill battle to maintain the important fish populations that make up so much of the world’s favorite sushi dishes. This is according to some fairly unpleasant information compiled by the World Wild Fund for Nature, which serves to track the health of some of the ocean’s fish populations.

In a recent report, the World Wild Fund for Nature reported that there are seventeen species of tuna and mackerel that have dropped by about 74% from their levels forty-five years ago. Tuna is one of the biggest commercially-fished species, and one of the biggest choices for sushi in Japan and abroad. Though fewer people would be upset about the loss of mackerel on their sushi menu, this fish represents a big part of the tuna’s food chain; the more the mackerel suffers, the more difficult it will be for the tuna to recover.

If we are to continue enjoying quality seafood, it will be important to utilize responsible fishing practices and sustainable consumption of the ocean’s resources. Be informed about important efforts to protect our fish populations, and how you can help to assure that future generations will be able to enjoy sushi.