We’ve shortened the name of this Japanese cuisine to robata but its full title is robatayaki, which literally means ‘fireside cooking’. The method, just like cooking over a barbecue, sees the different ingredients cooked at varying speeds over hot charcoal. Where it differs though is that, just like teppanyaki restaurants, it is theatrical to watch. It takes the skill of the chef to use various points on the grill, each with differing heats, to ensure everything is cooked properly. Each morsel, when combined with a generous basting of marinade cooked over aromatic coals, tastes divine.
Try the simple Sesame-grilled Asparagus Rafts (see page 116), cooked mega-quick so they’re just charred on the outside and lovely and tender on the inside. And if you plump for the Gyu Yaki – Japanese Beef Skewers (see page 120) – you’ll find the slivers of beef become melt-in-the-mouth delicious as they’re marinated first in a ginger, soy and sake marinade. At home, a super-hot grill or summer barbecue will mimic the same effect as a robata grill.
If you fancy a bowl of nourishing goodness, try one of our ramen. It’s one of Japan’s most well-loved foods. The large wide bowls are filled to the brim with noodles, frilly black fungus mushrooms, vegetables and meat or tofu. These all sit in a savoury umami broth and are topped with garnishes such as sweet sushi ginger and nutty sesame seeds, providing a tasty contrast to the other ingredients.
Remember to slurp noisily just as the Japanese do in bars across the country as this shows you’re enjoying it and, as you draw in more air, you enhance the flavour, too.