Full Day of Authentic Japanese Home Cooking: Breakfast, Bento, Okonomiyaki & Fluffy Cheesecake

Crack 3 eggs into a bowl, add 1 tsp mirin, and whisk thoroughly using chopsticks until fully blended and pale yellow. Heat a rectangular tamagoyaki pan over medium-low heat and grease lightly with 1 tsp vegetable oil using folded paper towel. Pour a thin layer of egg mixture into the pan. Lay 1 sheet of nori seaweed and 1 slice of mozzarella cheese on top, then gently roll the egg sheet from top to bottom. Slide the roll back to the top edge, grease pan again, and pour another thin layer of egg batter under the roll. Add remaining nori and mozzarella, rolling repeatedly until all egg batter is used up. Plate the rolled egg, slice into bite-sized rolls, drizzle with 1 tbsp mayonnaise, and top with 1 tbsp capelin roe.

In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp miso, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp sake, and 2 tbsp mirin. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Place 2 salmon fillets in a shallow dish, pour the miso mixture over them, and rub evenly into all sides. Line a frying pan with parchment paper and place over medium-low heat. Lay the marinated salmon fillets onto the parchment paper, cover with a lid, and steam-cook until browned on the bottom. Flip the salmon fillets and cook covered until completely opaque, flaky, and golden brown on both sides. Serve hot on a serving plate.

Slice 200g silken tofu into uniform small cubes. Trim the stringy ends off 50g snow peas and slice in half diagonally. Cut 60g enoki mushrooms in half. Bring 360ml dashi stock to a gentle boil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the sliced tofu cubes, enoki mushrooms, and snow peas to the pot. Scoop 2 tbsp miso paste into a ladle, submerge slightly into the hot dashi, and stir with chopsticks until the miso is completely dissolved into the broth. Turn off the heat immediately once dissolved, and ladle into soup bowls to serve.

Cut 250g chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and place inside a sealable ziplock bag. Add 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp grated garlic, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tbsp sake into the bag. Seal the bag, massage thoroughly with hands until seasonings are evenly distributed, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. In a bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp flour and 4 tbsp potato starch. Coat marinated chicken pieces evenly in the flour mixture. Heat 500ml vegetable oil in a deep pot to 170°C (340°F) and carefully drop chicken pieces in. Deep-fry until crispy and deep golden brown, then drain on a wire strainer.

Whisk 1 egg with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp cooked edamame in a small bowl. Cook in a small skillet into a thin egg layer and roll up firmly into a log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let cool to hold shape. In another bowl, combine 100g cooked rice, 2 tbsp cooked salmon flakes, and 2 sliced shiso leaves. Mix well with a rice paddle, then press into 2 compact triangular onigiri rice balls using your hands. Slice the cooled edamame egg roll in half. Arrange the rice balls, karaage fried chicken, and edamame egg roll inside a bento box.

Whisk 100g flour, 160ml water, and 1 tsp mirin in a bowl to create a smooth, thin batter. Ladle a small circle of batter onto a hot electric griddle set to medium heat, spreading thin into a crepe circle. Sprinkle 1 tsp bonito powder over the batter. Pile 150g shredded cabbage, 60g bean sprouts, 2 tbsp tempura bits, 20g chopped scallions, and 4 slices of pork belly on top. Drizzle a spoon of remaining batter over the stack, then confidently flip the entire stack upside down using two spatulas. On the side of the griddle, stir-fry 1 pack yakisoba noodles with 2 tbsp okonomi sauce into a round disc. Move the cabbage stack on top of the noodles. Crack 1 egg onto the griddle, break the yolk flat into a circle, and place the noodle-cabbage stack over the egg. Flip the entire okonomiyaki stack right-side up. Brush with 2 tbsp okonomi sauce, drizzle 1 tbsp mayonnaise, and sprinkle 1 tsp aonori green laver and 2 tbsp bonito flakes before serving.

In a bowl, combine 200g softened cream cheese and 2 egg yolks. Sift 70g pancake mix into the bowl, then beat with an electric hand mixer until blended. Add 150ml heavy cream in small additions while whisking continuously until smooth. In a separate clean bowl, whip 2 egg whites with an electric mixer, gradually adding 50g granulated sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Gently fold the meringue into the cheese mixture using a spatula until completely combined without deflating. Grease the inside of a rice cooker pot with 1 tbsp melted butter. Pour batter into the inner pot, tap lightly on counter to remove air pockets, place pot into rice cooker, and cook on standard cook cycle for 70 minutes. Once done, invert cake carefully onto a plate, dust with 1 tbsp powdered sugar, and slice into wedges.