The Washoku Keeper

Yuki Tanaka

Yuki teaches washoku -- the everyday Japanese home cooking that UNESCO recognized as cultural heritage. She believes cooking is an act of seasonal awareness: what is ripe now, what the body needs this month. Her dashi is the foundation of everything, and she'll teach you to make it in 10 minutes.

Japanese

Voice · Meticulous, seasonal, calm, reverent of ingredients. Says more with less.

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Yuki's favorites.

45 MIN

Butternut Squash and Salmon Dashi Tempura Bites

Delicate tempura featuring tender butternut squash and silky salmon, served with a refined dashi dipping sauce that honors the washoku tradition of clean umami.

23 MIN

Ginger Soy Scallops with Radish

Delicate sea scallops seared to golden perfection, finished with a warm ginger-soy glaze and served over thinly sliced radish. Yuki's signature clean umami touch.

35 MIN

Pinto Bean and Kombu Dashi Patties with Smoked Paprika Aioli

Crispy bean patties with deep umami, served alongside a silky smoked paprika aioli. Inspired by Japanese technique but built on pantry staples.

32 MIN

Almond Flour Salmon Karaage with Pickled Turnip

Crispy almond flour-battered salmon with a tender, juicy center, paired with tangy quick-pickled turnip. Yuki's gluten-conscious take on karaage brings the same golden crunch without wheat.

40 MIN

Sesame Buckwheat Soba with Pickled Radish

A cold soba dish with nutty buckwheat noodles dressed in a rich sesame tare, topped with crisp quick-pickled radish and a soft-boiled egg.

38 MIN

Ginger Soy Glazed Eggplant and Tofu Bites

Crispy eggplant and tofu coated in a fragrant ginger-soy glaze, inspired by yasai no awa shōyu itame. A simple washoku-style weeknight dish that balances umami and gentle sweetness.

72 MIN

Sesame Seed Mochi Cake with Buckwheat and Honey

A chewy, nutty mochi-style cake rooted in Japanese technique, where ground white rice forms the base and toasted buckwheat adds earthy depth. Honey and sesame seeds bring gentle sweetness and fragrance to this contemplative, home-style dessert.

45 MIN

Rice Vinegar Braised Apple with Maple Syrup and Thyme

Tender apple quarters braised in a balanced bath of rice vinegar and maple syrup, finished with fragrant thyme. A refined sweet-savory side that bridges Japanese and Western sensibilities.

60 MIN

Ginger Pumpkin Custard with Almond Flour

A silky, gently spiced custard that marries roasted pumpkin with aromatic ginger, structured with almond flour for a delicate, gluten-free dessert rooted in Yuki's washoku sensibility.

15 MIN

Tuna Cucumber Salad

A clean, refreshing Japanese-inspired salad with tender flaked tuna and crisp cucumber in a light soy-sesame dressing.

45 MIN

Soy‑Braised Chicken Thigh

Tender chicken thighs slow-braised in a rich soy-based sauce with hints of ginger and garlic. Clean, umami-forward, and deeply satisfying.

60 MIN

Savory Egg Roll with Scallion

Thin omelet-style wrappers embrace a savory filling of cabbage, mushrooms and aromatic scallion. Pan-fried until golden and finished with a drizzle of soy-sesame sauce. Clean, umami-rich, and quietly satisfying.

40 MIN

Sesame Sweet Potato

Tender roasted sweet potato cubes tossed in a glossy sesame-soy glaze with toasted seeds and fresh scallion. Clean, warm, and quietly satisfying.

30 MIN

Soy‑Honey Glazed Cod

Tender cod fillets bathed in a glossy soy-honey glaze with warm ginger notes. A simple weeknight dish with deep umami character.

20 MIN

Ginger Shrimp with Scallion

Quick-cooked shrimp glazed in a savory-sweet sauce with aromatic ginger and fresh scallion. A clean, umami-rich dish that lets the natural sweetness of the shrimp shine.

50 MIN

Sesame Cucumber Rice Bowl

A light Japanese-inspired rice bowl with marinated cucumber and a fragrant toasted sesame dressing. Clean, seasonal, and deeply satisfying.

40 MIN

Gingered Vegetable Soup

A delicate clear soup where fresh ginger perfumes seasonal vegetables in a gentle dashi-inspired chicken broth. Clean, warming, and restorative.

35 MIN

Soy-Glazed Eggplant with Sesame

Tender eggplant halves caramelized in a savory soy glaze, finished with toasted sesame seeds and fresh scallion. Clean umami depth with gentle sweetness.

35 MIN

Salmon Teriyaki Bowl

A nourishing washoku-inspired bowl of glazed salmon over steamed rice with lightly cooked vegetables, finished with a house teriyaki glaze.

45 MIN

Spring Salmon Sesame Rice Bowl

A harmonious spring bowl featuring tender glazed salmon over steamed rice, dressed in toasted sesame and finished with crisp seasonal vegetables. Clean, umami-rich, and seasonal.

40 MIN

Ginger Salmon with Sesame Vegetables

Silky salmon glazed with fresh ginger and soy, served alongside crisp vegetables tossed in toasted sesame oil and seeds. A washoku-inspired dish where dashi whispers under every bite.

40 MIN

Seasonal Vegetable Nimono

A gentle Japanese simmered dish where seasonal vegetables absorb a savory-sweet dashi broth. Pure, clean flavors that celebrate what is ripe.

60 MIN

Grilled Soy-Ginger Trout Traybake

Trout fillets go onto the tray with carrot, lacquered in a ginger-forward soy glaze that caramelizes at the edges under heat. Sesame seeds scatter on last, toasting in the residual warmth. The fish stays moist where it matters and catches a gentle char where the glaze pools.

30 MIN

Sesame Soy Broccoli and Tofu Stir-Fry

Broccoli holds its shape and color over high heat while tofu takes on a light golden crust in the same pan. Garlic and soy build a coating rather than a sauce, just enough to bring the two together. Sesame seeds close the dish with a quiet, nutty note.

30 MIN

Oyakodon Chicken and Egg Over Rice

Chicken thigh and yellow onion simmer together in soy until the onion surrenders its sharpness and the chicken is tender throughout. Beaten egg settles over the top, turned off the heat, half-set and silky. Spooned over white rice, it is one of the most comforting things a single pan can produce.

35 MIN

Soy-Butter Scallops with Mushrooms

Scallops pressed into a hot dry pan until one side is bronze and caramelized, then butter and soy go in together to foam and coat. Mushrooms absorb whatever the scallops leave behind. Chives finish it — a small brightness over something deeply savory and warm.

45 MIN

Crispy Cod Katsu with Cabbage Slaw

Cod pressed into breadcrumbs after an egg wash and fried to a deep golden crust that stays crisp while the fish inside steams gently. Cabbage is shredded fine alongside, dressed simply with soy. The contrast between the crust and the yielding white flesh is the whole point.

45 MIN

Crispy Fried Tofu in Ginger Broth

Tofu fried until the exterior is firm and golden, then lowered into a clear soy-seasoned broth infused with ginger and mushroom. Chives scatter over the top, their green sharpness settling into the steam. The crust softens just enough at the edges; the center stays cool and clean.

35 MIN

Chicken and Egg Donburi with Spinach

Chicken breast simmered in a soy-seasoned broth until just cooked, then egg is poured over and left to set loosely before the whole mixture slides onto white rice. Spinach wilts in the residual heat. The egg should still tremble slightly at the center when you serve it.

45 MIN

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura Bowl

Shrimp and sweet potato coated in a cold, minimal flour batter and lowered into hot oil until the crust is pale and shatters on contact. Green beans go in last, barely a minute. Soy for dipping — sharp and immediate against the batter's neutral delicacy.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

soy-saucewhite-ricegingersesame-seedseggsalmon

Favorite tools

ChefKnifeRiceCookerStrainerGrater

Reaches for

KombuBonito FlakesSeasonal Vegetables

Steers clear of

Heavy creamCheese

Flavor Profile

The Loves

UmamiCleanSeasonal

The Defaults

DashiSoy SauceMirin

The Avoids

Overpowering spiceWasting ingredients