4 Restaurant-Quality Japanese Meals You Can Make at Home (With a Little Effort)

Can you really cook high-quality Japanese food in your home kitchen?

Why, yes. Yes, you can. Even without going above and beyond with, say, a miniature hibachi grill in place of your stovetop.

You don’t even need a yakitori grill. Although that might be helpful. More on that in a moment.

The secret to creating Japanese-inspired dishes that approach restaurant quality without leaving the house is not to load up on expensive, specialized tools or equipment. A few additions to your kitchen’s arsenal wouldn’t hurt, but the main ingredients are a willingness to follow instructions, a comfort with spices and proteins you might not have worked with much before, and a lot of elbow grease.

In other words, you can do it, even if you don’t consider yourself a first-rate home chef.

Try these four restaurant-quality Japanese creations to start.

1. Yakisoba

Yakisoba is one of those straightforward dishes for which experienced cooks barely seem to need a recipe. Every cuisine has them, but this one is especially scrumptious. The basic process goes like this:

• Chop up your fillings (any type of animal or plant protein, plus the veggies of your choice, like carrots and onions) into bite-size pieces
• Warm or quick-boil your noodles (depending on the type) and set them aside
• Cook your proteins in a well-oiled frying pan or wok, then add the veggies in order of cooking time (softest last)
• Add the noodles back and toss in yakisoba sauce, which you’ll have made separately
• Cook until the noodles are lightly fried, taking care not to over-crisp them

Finally, remove from heat, let cool, and serve! Steamed edamame is a great side, if it’s not already in the dish itself.

2. Yakitori

Yakitori is a type of skewered, grilled protein. Traditionally, the meat is chicken thighs, but you can substitute another cut of chicken, another animal protein, or a vegan stand-in if you prefer.

To make yakitori at home, do the following:

• Soak bamboo (preferably) or other wood skewers in water for at least 30 minutes
• Add the chicken to the skewers, threading carefully to ensure they remain on during cooking
• Cook over medium-high heat, either on a grill, using a stovetop grill pan, or in the oven (in which case broiling may be recommended) for about six to nine minutes, or until the meat is just beginning to brown on one side
• Baste with yakitori sauce (a sweet soy glaze you’ll have made separately) as you turn over, then cook for a few more minutes to brown on the second side
• Baste and turn frequently until the chicken is golden brown all over and cooked through (other proteins may require a different sequence and cook time for this step)
• Remove from heat and serve hot!

3. Sushi

Making sushi at home is super fun and not that hard. If you’d like to really get into the process, make a roll rather than nigiri, or the type that’s just a square of rice with a slice of protein on top, wrapped in seaweed.

Here’s the basic process:

• Lay out a piece of nori (seaweed wrapper) flat on a bamboo mat
• Cover the mat evenly in a thin layer of sushi rice (which you’ll have cooked previously)
• Cut up your fillings into small pieces that are longer in one direction
• Lay out the fillings with the long side perpendicular to the direction you plan to roll them
• Use your bamboo mat to roll the wrapper into a tight cylinder, pressing firmly with each quarter turn
• Remove the bamboo wrapper and cut the roll into even slices (six to eight is typical)
• Serve with sliced ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, and/or the toppings of your choice

4. Yakimeshi

Yakimeshi is a classic Japanese fried rice dish made with old rice and a variety of other simple ingredients. It’s what you make of it — the veggies and proteins of your choice — but the cooking process does need to be followed. Here’s the gist:

• Cook white rice and store it for at least two days under refrigeration
• Par-cook eggs (two to three minutes) on a medium-hot skillet with neutral oil
• Transfer the eggs to a plate and par-cook the other protein and hard vegetable ingredients in the same skillet, adding more oil if necessary
• After about three minutes, add the cold rice and cook for another minute
• Add the soft vegetable ingredients and cook a minute or two longer
• Push the rice to the side and add sesame oil, then soy sauce, and heat until the soy sauce sizzles
• Recombine everything in the skillet and mix well, then cook until the rice is crispy and golden brown in places
• Remove from heat and serve warm!

Start Slow, Finish Strong

So, there you have it: Four Japanese-style foods you can make in the comfort and convenience of your home kitchen, no reservations required.

Once you’ve mastered these dishes, feel free to move on to more advanced creations — or branch out and do your best to conquer another national or regional cuisine. When it comes to home cooking, the only limit is your imagination.