Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

The first meal after landing in Tokyo in the aftermath of a typhoon in 1981: misoshiru, grilled fish (shioyaki) with oroshi (grated daikon), hot steamed rice, tsukemono (daikon pickles), sunomono (cucumber salad), ocha and of course, some cold sake. Variations of this are standard in Japanese American homes, a Japanese canteen at Camp Zama------this is great country food. While your chefs may consider mirin a key "brew", satosu, a combination of vinegar and sugar disolved over heat is much more important. Japanese cooks can make a lot of substitutuions but none of your six ingredients contain vinegar.

Slow poached, massaged octopus. So tender. Wow.

a tie between mochi and mochi

tempura udon

does the dynamite from Ave A Sushi count as Japanese?

Baked Mochi. It's best when it is a little bit warm but fine at room temperature as well.