Japanese on Bruce loves to cook

Pressure cooker Japanese curry

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a simple, warm curry, based on widely available Japanese curry cubes. These cubes last forever and are delicious.

Mechanic

The curry roux goes in on top of the other ingredients, unmixed, right before sealing the lid. Stirring it in first lets it sink and scorch on the bottom under pressure; left on top, it melts gradually into the stock as the pot comes up to pressure and stays clear of the heating element.

Basic chicken ramen stock

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is the basic chicken ramen stock I use for my lunch ramen (when working). It’s a hybrid of a French and a chintan-style stock, with ingredients that are easy to find.

Ramen noodles

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a simple chewy noodle recipe perfect for ramen, based on the Serious Eats base recipe with some tweaks from Ramen Lord’s book. These noodles will start out very shaggy, but will come together after resting.

Teriyaki sauce

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a simple teriyaki sauce, with some common add-ins. It’s simmered until reduced, and can be thickened if desired.

Mechanic

Every ingredient scales as a percentage of the soy sauce (shoyu) volume, the base of the formula, so the sauce scales to any batch size. Liquids are by volume and solids by weight: 40% sugar means 40 g per 100 ml shoyu.

Chicken yakisoba

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a warm, filling Japanese stir-fry.

Ingredients

Sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Stir-fry

2 chicken breasts, cut into 4 cm strips
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
1 carrot, cut into thin planks
½ head green cabbage, roughly chopped
3 green onions, cut into thirds
100 g (1 cup) bean sprouts
450 g yakisoba noodles (e.g. Maruchan)

Method

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Chashu pork

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is one of the best pork recipes I know; tender, savoury, and perfect on soups and with noodles. The braising liquid becomes the tare (seasoning base) for simple ramen broths.

Tuna rice bowl

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is a simple way to use frozen tuna, cooking quickly, served with easy sides.

Ingredients

Tuna

2 tuna steaks (~200 g each), frozen, about 2 cm thick
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon neutral oil

Tuna sauce (for cubing and tossing)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sriracha
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Bowl dressing

60 ml soy sauce (¼ cup)
60 ml rice vinegar (¼ cup)
60 ml water (¼ cup)
12 g sugar (2½ teaspoons)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
7 g toasted sesame oil (1½ teaspoons)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Bowl

steamed rice or quinoa
cucumber, thinly sliced or lightly pickled
green onions, for garnish
kimchi (optional)

Method

Combine all tuna sauce ingredients and set aside. Combine all bowl dressing ingredients and set aside.

Ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago)

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

These savoury and jammy eggs are a perfect topping for ramen.

Mechanic

The 1:1:½:½:½ marinade ratio (water : sake : soy : mirin : sugar) produces a mildly sweet, balanced brine. The eggs are shocked in ice water and go into a cool marinade, so they don’t cook further: the 7-minute boil sets the jammy yolk.

Miso salmon

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Savoury and sweet, a subtle glaze for a clean and simple meal.

Mechanic

The miso paste acts as both marinade and glaze. White miso is sweeter and milder; red miso is deeper and saltier. The marinade will start to firm up the fish as the salt draws out moisture. This is not a problem and actually helps the glaze adhere. Pull at 50–53°C for medium.