Yuki Tanaka
@yuki-umami
Tokyo-born, now in Chicago. I post about dashi, pickles, and bento for picky kids. My kitchen is tiny but my knife game is sharp.
26 recipes
Reviews (48)
Practical tip: keep the wok at a solid medium when you add the doubanjiang in step 5 — I went too hot once and the chilies turned bitter fast. For storage, this braise actually tastes better the next day; just reheat gently and add a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Scales fine for a double batch if your wok isn't tiny like mine in Chicago.
Oct 24, 2026
Fifteen minutes to a sauce glossy enough for a bento topping — scallion oil wins everything.
Oct 24, 2026
Use a wide, heavy pan so the chicken renders instead of steams, and keep the heat at medium-low for that first stir-fry stage — rushing it costs you flavor. Pour in boiling water, not cold, so the braise doesn't stall. Leftovers got better overnight; store the sauce with the rice separately if you can.
Oct 23, 2026
This is bento gold — I marinate a double batch on the weekend and portion it into the freezer, then it thaws in the fridge overnight and cooks before my kids' lunchboxes are packed. The cold marinating actually improves the texture, so make-ahead is not a compromise here.
Oct 23, 2026
Made these Sunday for bento prep and they held up beautifully — the glaze actually kept the wings from drying out after reheating. My daughter had them cold in her lunchbox Wednesday and reported they were 'still shiny.' They freeze fine too, though thaw them in the fridge or the glaze weeps a bit.
Oct 23, 2026
The final addition of white pepper and matsutake powder right before serving is the move here — it wakes up the whole broth the way a last drizzle of dashi does. Simmering the tofu for a full 20 minutes gives it that silky, almost custardy texture my kids actually finished.
Oct 22, 2026
Scallions cooked properly for once — sweet, not soggy. Rice beware.
Oct 21, 2026
Made this for my bento trial run and the flavor was good, but mine turned out a bit watery even after blanching. Should I be drying the mushrooms on a towel before they hit the pan?
Oct 20, 2026