There’s something oddly addictive about Japanese convenience store food, especially the crispy, juicy karaage.
Ingredients
500g chicken thighs or breast (skin-on if possible) Marinade 1 tbsp sake 1 tbsp mirin 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp grated ginger ( 2 cloves grated garlic ½ tsp white pepper ½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt ¼ tsp dashi powder ½ tsp MSG ½ tsp chicken powder (or crushed bouillon cube) 1 tsp cornstarch 3 tbsp soy sauce Coating 1 cup potato starch 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
Cut chicken into small, uneven chunks
Massage marinade into the chicken for 2–3 minutes.
Marinate for 2–12 hours
Coat with potato starch and cornstarch (The coating should look patchy and thin)
Fry until golden (Let coated chicken sit for 5–7 minutes max)
If you try this, don’t be surprised if it disappears fast. It always does.
This is now one of my ultimate comfort foods right next to lugaw with egg. Honestly, it’s the kind of dish I would want to come home to after a long, exhausting day. I still remember my last day in Bangkok. I was completely drained, and my body was starting to protest every step I took. Even though I wanted to keep exploring, I could feel myself running on empty. At that point, I felt the need to order something comforting, and Japanese food came to mind and then I ordered katsudon by mistake. It ended up being the best katsudon I’ve ever had.
The onions were soft and sweet, melting into the dish in a way I never appreciated before. Before that, I used to avoid katsudon because I didn’t like onions, but now, I realize that was probably the reason I never loved it. I was missing the very thing that made it good. I remember sitting there, so tired, quietly eating, I started to feel comforted, like the dish was made with love just for me. It sounds dramatic, but I swear, I almost cried.
Ingredients
Boneless chicken breast cut (butterfly cut) Salt & black pepper All-purpose flour 1 egg (beaten)(for coating)(enough for coating 480g chicken 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper) Panko breadcrumbs Oil (for frying)
Fry for 5–7 min until golden and crispy then slice into strips
Make the sauce base. In a small pan (medium heat), add: water, dashi granules, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake and onion
Bring it to a simmer first and let it bubble for 2 minutes
Place chicken into simmering sauce for 2 mins
Add egg (low heat) and cover pan 1–2 min
Put hot rice in a bowl and slide everything on top
Garnish with green onions (Optional) or pair it with Shibazuke & Takuan like in the featured image.
Maybe comfort food really is not just about the ingredients or how you cook it. It’s about the moment you eat it. It’s that small pause in your day, and somehow, something warm in your hands makes everything feel a little lighter even when you’re tired or overwhelmed.
This katsudon will always be that for me. A gentle reminder that even in unfamiliar places, even when you feel completely drained, there are still small, unexpected things that can hold you together.
Toss beef with soy sauce, then coat fully in cornstarch. Every strip should look dry and powdery.
Heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry beef in small batches until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towel.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a pan and heat for 30 seconds until bubbling and sticky.
Toss crispy beef quickly in the sauce. Don’t overcook.
Best eaten hot with rice.
And that’s it! Eating this didn’t really brought back any memories from my college days hahah but it tastes really good. I don’t have the words to describe it.
Last month, I mentioned that I impulsively bought squid but I forgot to say that I also bought shrimp along with it. When I got home, I had no idea what to do with the shrimp. The only dishes I knew were garlic butter shrimp and tempura. But the last time I cooked garlic butter shrimp, it didn’t make me – 🥺 and tempura wasn’t something I loved.
So there I was, staring at 500 grams of shrimp that looked a little alive. Then I remembered a recipe link I once saw on Facebook where the comments were really good. I searched my history, and thankfully it was still there: Creamy Tuscan-Style Shrimp. Unfortunately, I didn’t have all the ingredients at home so I decided to experiment with what we have in our kitchen… and this is the version I came up with.
Ingredients
500 g shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup chopped white onion (or minced) 1 tsp flour ½ cup water
1 tsp condensed milk ½ cup cheese, grated ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp dried basil ¼ tsp dried oregano 1 tsp soy sauce ½ tsp oyster sauce 1 tsp calamansi juice
Instructions
Lightly season shrimp with a pinch of pepper and
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp butter in a pan (medium heat).
Add shrimp and cook until both sides are pink
Remove shrimp from pan and set aside (Do not overcook)
Add remaining butter. (medium-low heat)
Sauté onion until soft.
Add garlic, cook 30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown).
Sprinkle 1 tsp flour over the butter-garlic mixture. Stir continuously for 30–60 seconds.
Slowly pour in ½ cup water, stirring constantly.
Add 1 tsp condensed milk. Stir until slightly thick and smooth.
Add cheese, stir until fully melted.
Season with black pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Return shrimp to the pan. Gently stir to coat shrimp in sauce. Simmer 1–2 minutes only.
Turn off heat and add 1 tsp calamansi juice.
It’s not the authentic Tuscan Style Shrimp but it turned out better than what I expected 🤍
The week after I got home from Thailand, I couldn’t stop thinking about Thai basil beef, so I had to recreate it. I needed my family to taste it too, because I refuse to walk around haunted by this flavor by myself. Here’s the version I made. The ingredients are easy to find in the Philippines, and somehow it tastes authentic and restaurant-level… at least if my taste buds aren’t lying, hahah.
Ingredients
400g ground beef or thinly sliced beef sirloin 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 siling labuyo, chopped (or 2 tsp chili oil) 1 red bell pepper, thin strips (optional) 1 cup fresh basil (loose)
2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp fish sauce (patis) 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1½ tsp brown sugar 2 tbsp water Lime or calamansi for finishing (just a squeeze)
Instructions
Mix sauce in a small bowl. Combine, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and water. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add garlic, onion, and chilies.
Sauté until fragrant and the onion starts softening.
Add ground beef or sliced beef.
Cook on high heat until it browns and caramelizes a bit. If there’s excess fat, you can drain a little.
Add bell pepper (optional). Cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly softened.
Pour in the prepared sauce.
Stir and let it cook for 2–3 minutes until the beef absorbs everything and becomes glossy.
Turn off heat. Toss in the basil leaves until they wilt.
Serve it over hot rice + a fried egg on top. You may also squeeze a bit of calamansi too. Its soooo addicting. 🍳🔥
At the start of the week, I went to a wet market and impulsively bought 500 grams of squid. I still don’t know what I’m going to cook with it. I told myself I’d probably just turn it into calamares. While scrolling online I came across Ojingeo Bokkeum and it looked delicious except that its spicy. And I am not built for spice. So I decided to tweak the recipe a little and make one with the ingredients I have at home.
While I’m cooking this dish I was a little worried that I will overcook the squid and make it rubbery because thickenning the sauce is kind of tricky as the squid was releasing water. Thankfully it turned out amazing though I’m not sure if it tasted close to the original lol. It tastes new to me but its so good paired with rice 🥹🍚
Ingredients
500 g squid 1 white onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil Sesame seeds, for garnish
For the sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp chili oil Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat pan on medium-high. Add olive oil + sesame oil.
Sauté onion first until soft and slightly golden.
Add garlic, cook 30 seconds only (don’t burn)
Add squid, stir-fry for 2 minutes
Add the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, chili oil
Let sauce thicken ON the squid, toss until glossy
Finish with pepper + sesame seeds.
Serve with hot rice 🍚✨
You can also toss in some carrots and cabbage before adding the squid if you want to add extra crunch and sweetness. Finish it off with scallions as a garnish for a fresh, bright touch 👩🍳🌿
Yesterday I was really craving pasta and I wanted it fast! The problem is… I only had pasta and some leftover tomato sauce in the fridge.
So, I did a quick Google search and found Pasta Al Pomodoro, and then I kinda just… improvised. Used what I had and made my own version. It was so good that it ended up being the only thing I ate all day. I knew I had to save this recipe and share it with you so here it is!
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium white onion chopped 3 cups tomato sauce 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp dried oregano diced cheese (as much as you want) Pasta
Instructions
Heat olive oil over medium heat
Cook onion until soft
Add garlic and cook until fragrant
Pour in tomato sauce and stir
Add salt, pepper, sugar, dried oregano and cheese
Taste and adjust
Reduce heat to low
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens
Add sauce to cooked pasta
And that’s it! This little pasta turned out way better than I expected. Sitting down with it, I just felt… happy. I don’t know, maybe it’s the fact that I made it all by myself. It definitely fed my soul. 👩🍳✨
