This is the type of cookbook you pick up if you have a die-hard passion for Japanese cooking and want to understand not only basic recipes, but also some of the culture and tradition around Japanese food. While this wouldn’t be my go-to cookbook, it is a really good reference book.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

This book is overwhelming. The quantity of text/images on each page is difficult to read on a device.

The introduction says it includes basic Japanese "doable" recipes. No chance without a lot of specialist ingredients.

The recipes sound authentic but I don't have access to enough ingredients to make any. People with access to the right ingredients, will get a very detailed step by step guide with photos - so looks like they would be successful.

Lots of Japanese recipes with step by step pictures! Every recipe is provided with the step by step which is really handy when cooking something new. Lots of recipes to pick from, this is a must have for the beginner Japanese Cook!!

I really loved this cooking book! I am a very visual person so the easy step by step pictures were so helpful. The simplicity in Japanese cooking adds to the beauty of it.

I can't wait to make these recipes post covid when I can get to an Asian grocery store.

I love it.
It's easy to follow the recipes thanks to the sample pictures.that show the whole cooking process.
I also like the fact that it's written both Japanese and English so if someone is learning Japanese can follow the both languages

It could have been an excellent book...BUT
Photos not showing well,comments non visible,etc,etc
I presume this happens only in the digital edition and not on the print version,and that is why I give it 3 stars.

A very detailed step-by-step introduction to all the basics of Japanese cooking. It is entirely done in English and Japanese. As I read a digital copy, the pictures and text were a bit too small to read, but I assume the paper version would be much better. This would definitely be worth it for anybody who wantsto dive in deep into Japanese cooking.

While the beginning is overwhelming the reader with a lot of details, for example multiple ways to cut carrots, once it got to the recipes I liked it better. Going to try the beef and potato recipe and the different fried chicken recipes to start with. For the most part the ingredients are ones I can find in the stores, but a few are not. Perhaps if there were options it would help. The book is designed with a lot of pictures, both Japanese and English, and is designed to help people learn how to cook Japanese an for others to learn English. Overall a good starter book on Japanese cooking. Would recommend.

I'm always interested in cookery books, so had to read this one when it came up on Netgalley.

The book is split into 5 chapters (no of recipes):
- Basis of Japanese Food
- Main Dishes (14)
- Western & Chinese dishes (13)
- Side Dishes (11)
- Rice, Soup & Pickles (20)

The Basis of Japanese Food covers essential cooking utensils, different cutting methods for vegetables, chopstick etiquette and much more. The colour photography is excellent in providing an overview of the basis of Japanese foods.. There is also a calendar of seasonal events with the food prepared and eaten.

The recipes each come with a step by step guides and photography on how to create the dish, how many it serves and time required. Included with some recipes are tips to avoid failure and tips for cooking.

For each description or recipe the page includes it both in Japanese and English, however it makes the page now feel overcrowded. There is a measurement chart which provides the cup sizes for the US, UK, Australia and Canada. For some of the ingredients it looks like you would need to go to a specialist shop.

Overall it is an great book, with plenty of photography of each stage and the final dishes, though perhaps a little to advanced for me, though I'd love to try the Braised Pork Belly plus the Mixed fried Rice.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

I was really interested I learning some new Japanese dishes and the synopsis sounded interesting but unfortunately it is not a Kindle book and I am unable to download it.

Written “for people interested in Japanese cuisine and for Japanese people who want to study English” (quoted from author’s preface).

As a billingual edition, the English text leaves me aghast! It is absolutely mangled and unreadable. I can’t recommend to English speakers, the written word leaves readers with more questions than answers.

Did not finish.

1 star

I'm definitely a fan of Japanese food so I was really excited to get my hands on this cookbook. It has everything you need to learn the basics of Japanese cooking. The preamble at the beginning was albeit long but very informative. Some of the pictures of the recipes look like restaurant-level food. The main meal demands a lot of protein and meal and I found the side dishes most interesting.

This is a jaw-droppingly comprehensive manual on preparing Japanese food. It is written in both Japanese and English to assist Japanese people learning English. I would hazard that it is primarily written for a Japanese audience, but could also be used by English speakers with access to the required specialist ingredients.

There is an extensive introductory section covering everything from utensils to etiquette, with knife skills and sharpening in between.

Then the recipes. The author states that the emphasis is on everyday Japanese meals. There is also a segment with Chinese and Western foods. Each recipe is accompanied by a step by step photographic guide.

My store cupboard is well-stocked with Asian ingredients, but I baulked at attempting the recipes. Most of the recipes I looked at called for several Japanese ingredients. It would require, I think, considerable commitment for a non-Japanese to track down a supplier and buy in the required ingredients to attempt many if not most of the dishes. A few recipes called for specialist kit.

It's a beautiful book and would suit a lover of all things Japanese. The only criticism I have is that the bilingual approach results in rather busy pages. I have reluctantly deducted a star because of the degree of commitment required by a non-Japanese reader to source ingredients to use the book as intended by the author.

I've resolved to start with the recipe for Japanese-style laminated omelettes, because I'm curious and have the ingredients. Though I lack a rectangular Japanese omelette pan and bamboo mat for shaping, so my presentation will differ!

This book has everything you need/want to know about Japanese cooking. The author explains everything with rich details and photos of every step and it's written in English and Japanese. You will learn the basis of Japanese food, some main dishes, western and Chinese dishes, some side dishes, rice and soups and you will also learn about essential cooking utensils, the basic usage of cooking knifes (one of my favorite parts, so useful!), lots of tips and you will also learn about tea! Awesome book! I went to Japan last year and I'm fascinated by their cuisine and I'm so glad I found this book!

I got an advance reader's copy of this book complimentary from NetGallery in exchange of my honest review.

This book is the perfect present for any Japanese food fanatic.

First, I really appreciated the fact that this book is bilingual and every single block of text is in both English and Japanese. Even if I'm not trying to learn Japanese, this makes the recipes feel more authentic, which is what you always look for in a region-specific cookbook.

In addition, I must say I had never seen a cookbook with instructions this specific, which is ideal for a total beginner. The opening pages contain descriptions of authentic kitchen utensils, usage and maintenance of knives, cutting methods, instructions on proper serving of food, methods of preparing vegetables and fish, and more. Even in the recipe pages, each step is accompanied by a relevant photograph - and that is something I had never seen before. It's great!

At the same time, if you are vegan or vegetarian, there are very few recipes that you can make here. The author could either offer more vegetarian recipes or perhaps write a section on how to replace meat and fish with Japanese ingredients.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m big fan of the japonese food, and this book is really amazing, and delicious, omg I can’t wait for cook all this food

Wow this is a beautiful and colossal book of Japanese cooking!! It goes FAR beyond just recipes to completely teach the reader all about Japanese cooking culture, techniques, ingredients, and so much more!

The inside of the book is SO much prettier than the cover! It is relaxing and peaceful to page through every appealing page, and every page makes you want to make what is on it!

There is so much information in this book.... it seems like three books in one! Definitely worth the price!

We have a huge interest in Japan in our family, as we have lived in Asia and my daughter speaks Japanese, and she is a huge fan of everything Japanese. She agreed that this book is very realistic as well as easy-to-use!

I received a free copy as a reviewer for NetGalley.

This is a great resource for learning to cook Japanese recipes. Extensive introductory information about tools, methods, ingredients helps prepare the home cook to try something new. I love that recipes are in Japanese and English. This is a great way to study Japanese! Two fold purpose books are the best! I can brush up on my Japanese and learn to cook my favorite Japanese recipes. I love the format. It’s easy to follow. There are tons of pictures!! A cookbook definitely needs tons of pictures. This one gets an A+ where that’s concerned. I wish there were more recipes for each category. But I guess that leaves room for multiple volumes.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley. This has in no way influenced my review. All thoughts are my own.

Love Japan and am fascinated by the food/drink culture so to me this was a little gem. I loved the face that it felt authentic and broken down step by step using photos. Very much need an copy to add to my cook book collection.

This cookbook was incredibly different from the cook/baking books that I normally read. Other than sushi, I'm not terribly familiar with Japanese cuisine, and I had hoped to gain some more info from this book -- which I did. It was a bit difficult for me to read through, as it's both in Japanese and English (the author wrote it for both 'people who are interested in Japanese cuisine and for Japanese people who want to study English' which is wonderful) and visually I found it a little overwhelming. I still found it fascinating -- from the knives used, to the ingredients, and the recipes. It was unfamiliar but exciting to see different ingredients that I'd like to try -- however many require a special trip outside of your normal grocery store. I have future plans for making a few dishes and can only hope they'll be enjoyed by family and friends.