Japanese Cookbooks

Metropolis Japan

a day ago

By Yukari Sakamoto
Simplicity is at the heart of Japanese cooking, and even the humblest of ingredients can make the most sophisticated dishes. Etched into tradition and our mothers' donabe (earthenware pots), these recipes and ingredients are anything but forgettable. Healthy, balanced and straightforward — Yukari Sakamoto reviews the best Japanese cookbooks closest to home.
Umai by Millie Tsukagoshi Lagares
Umai feels like sitting down in someone's cozy Tokyo apartment while they cook for you and tell stories from their life. Millie combines nostalgic food memories with practical recipes—nothing fancy, just good food without the stress of turning your kitchen inside out. One thing that you'll notice is that most dishes do not use more than 10 ingredients, so you're not hunting down obscure stuff just to make dinner.
The photography is warm and inviting, and there's a beautiful rhythm to how the book flows between personal essays and straightforward recipes. You feel like you're learning Japanese cooking from a friend, not a chef from a fancy restaurant, with ingredients and techniques that are equally impressive. The book is a love letter to Japanese (and Asian) home cooking.
This is the kind of book you don't just cook from—you study it, live with it and let it shape how you see Japanese food. Born and raised in California, Nancy brings decades of professional experience to the table, making it clear how she deeply honors the traditions behind every recipe. It's a thick, generous book that features more than 250 healthy, delicious vegetarian recipes for cooks and connoisseurs alike.
The ingredient notes are thoughtful, and she gives context that helps you understand why things are done or prepared a certain way. It's a gold mine for people who love digging deep into food, culture and technique.
Make It Japanese by Rie McClenny
Must try: Yakisoba Noodles
You might know Rie from BuzzFeed Tasty, and like their videos, this book is nothing short of a confidence booster, especially if you're new to Japanese cooking. The book is focused on meals that you and your family can make even during the busiest of days. Rie connects home cooks from around the world with authentic, homey Japanese cuisine.
The recipes don't cut corners, but they're designed for regular kitchens with regular ingredients. There's also a nice balance between conventional and modern—like she's giving you her family's recipes but tweaking them to fit today's pace.
Described as a 'foolproof introduction to Japanese cuisine', Rie's recipes are approachable without being watered down. By the end, you'll feel like you've found a new favorite way to cook at home.
Julia grew up between France and Japan and brought her childhood flavors into a fully vegan Japanese cookbook. The book features recipes clustered into pantry staples, mains, sides, street food and desserts. She has no intention of letting go of her childhood favorites, as she reintroduces them with veganized sauces, condiments and seasonal ingredients.
Julia is no stranger to reinventing Western dishes to fit the Japanese and vegan palate. Recipes like the eggplant dengaku and miso butter ramen show how she blends comfort food with delicate flavor. She has carefully curated each recipe—practical for weeknights, but special enough to share.
Tokyo Vege Guide by Space Shower Books
The cover is promising for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who loves vegetables. Packed with vibrant photos, this compact guide showcases about three dozen restaurants divided into three sections: vegetarian and vegan, vegetarian-friendly, and salad spots.
It features staples like Ain Soph.Ginza and Nagi Shokudo alongside fresh faces like Revive Kitchen Three Hibiya, making it a go-to for plant-based dining in the city.
Many of the restaurants serve brown rice and colorful vegetable side dishes. Some draw inspiration from Japanese teishoku (set meals), while others take on a more Western influence.
The book includes an Indian restaurant, Vege Herb Saga in Ueno; Falafel Brothers in Ebisu for Middle Eastern cuisine; and even a Taiwanese vegetarian spot in Kinshicho. It also introduces a shop for Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches and Korean reimen noodles.
The book is in Japanese with a short paragraph describing each restaurant and notes on the photos, but do not let that deter you. The photos of the dishes and the restaurant exterior or interior will give readers a general idea of the restaurant. Prices are listed with the photos of the dish. Six local markets are also introduced.
Chef Tim Anderson of Nanban restaurant in London has released his much-anticipated third cookbook, 'Tokyo Stories.' There are 90 recipes that cast a wide net, including traditional dishes such as tempura, sushi, ramen, yakitori and tempura as well as non-Japanese bites like pizza, pasta and yakiniku.
The book divides its chapters into sections that begin with a guide to Japanese ingredients and cover various food categories, such as depachika (department store food halls), conbini (convenience stores), home-style cooking, and traditional cuisine. It tailors the recipes for home cooks, using ingredients that are, of course, easy to find in Japan.
Preparing omuraisu (omelette rice) traditionally involves putting the rice into the omelette while it's still in the pan and gently tapping the pan to make the omelette wrap around the rice. Anderson's version has the ketchup-seasoned rice put onto a plate and simply topped with the omelette; much easier and it still tastes the same.
Tokyoites will enjoy the introduction to specific restaurants that inspired the recipes, like the Totoro choux creme or Ginza Nair for Indian cuisine.
This book is a resource that covers the basics of winemaking and viticulture — the vineyards, geography, climate and soils. It also provides precise tips on tasting wines blind to identify their origin and the types of grapes used.
Most of the book looks at wine regions from around the world and delves deep into the typicity of the style of wines from that area. Beginners will be able to glean information on grape varietals and the names of significant producers. Wine aficionados will appreciate the great amount of detail, including percentages of plantings in certain regions, differences in the soil types and the effect on wines and notes on labeling, which vary depending on the country.
There is so much information in here from discussions on soil, harvest yields and the history of wine that will even impress savvy wine connoisseurs. The book guides readers on what to look for when they're looking at color, acidity, tannins and volatile compounds. The section on wine faults will help readers to better understand why some wines are flawed.
There are even a few appendices with practical information, including website links to major wine regions' organizations throughout the world. This is a reference book that wine lovers will go back to time and time again.