Years ago, Japanese restaurants were mainly located in communities heavily populated by people of Japanese descent. Not so today! Now there are more Japanese restaurants in America than ever before, particularly sushi-focused restaurants. You’ll spot them in metropolitan areas, suburbs, airports, and food courts. Generally speaking, these are one- or maybe two-location restaurants. A few Japanese restaurant chains exist, but they’re mainly Japanese steak houses, which are part food and part theatre.
Menu offerings in Japanese restaurants vary. Many traditional Japanese restaurants serve the whole gamut of Japanese favorites, from tempura, sukiyaki, and teriyaki to lesser-known cooking preparations or dishes, such as agemono (fried protein or vegetables without a batter), yosenabe (a hearty soup with noodles, a type of protein, and/or vegetables), and donburi (a rice bowl with a source of protein and/or vegetables). These restaurants may also pride themselves on a busy sushi bar that keeps the hands of multiple sushi chefs busy rolling up both familiar and exotic rolls.
With the increasing popularity of sushi, many Japanese restaurants stick solely to just that, serving sushi. And as sushi and sashimi become more popular—for health and nutrition reasons and because it can be eaten on the run—a few local chain sushi restaurants are cropping up in locations where you’d expect them to be. Sugarfish, for example, has a handful of locations in the Los Angeles area, whereas Haru Sushi can be found in several locations in Manhattan and Boston.
Another category of Japanese restaurants popular with younger diners (kids) and families are Japanese steak houses. These restaurants shine the spotlight on chefs who turn meal preparation into a tableside acrobatic performance and turn out tempting chicken, shrimp, or beef teriyaki complemented with rice and vegetables. Most of these restaurants are independently owned, although Benihana is a national chain that you may see in your area.
Because Japanese foods and cuisine have become popular, you now often find Japanese foods and preparations integrated into the menus of Asian fusion restaurants and some family restaurants. You may find an increasing number of upscale restaurants incorporating traditional Japanese flavors into their modern fusion cuisine.
On the Menu
With Japanese restaurants of all types springing up, more Americans are eating Japanese food today. This is good news because Japanese food is both healthy and low in fat. This type of cuisine falls right in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; it’s heavy on vegetables, moderate on the starches, and light on proteins, and fats. The biggest thorns in the side of Japanese cuisine are its high sodium count and its deep-fried items—the best known being tempura, but there are others, like the less familiar agemono.
Japanese cuisine accentuates carbohydrate, in the form of rice, noodles, and vegetables, and minimizes added fats by using food preparation methods that require little or no oil or fat, such as steaming, braising, or simply serving food raw (sushi). Another big plus, especially in our world of big portions, is that small portion sizes are standard with Japanese fare.
The higher-than-desired sodium count in Japanese cuisine comes mainly from soy-based items. Marinades and sauces, whether for teriyaki, sukiyaki, or shabu-shabu, are generally made up of a combination of some or all of the following: shoyu, dashi, mirin, sugar, sake, and a bit of kombu. See Menu Lingo at the end of this chapter for more on these ingredients.
It’s easy to control your fat gram count by selecting foods that are low in fat. For example, ordering fish, shellfish, or poultry rather than selecting beef or pork helps keep the fat down. When you see fats used in Japanese cooking, they’re mainly the no-cholesterol varieties: cottonseed, olive, peanut, or sesame oil. Sesame oil is used in small quantity for its wonderful nutty flavor.
You’ll also eat less fat if you order smaller portions. As with other Asian cuisines, it’s easy to limit portions in Japanese restaurants by ordering and eating family style. Remember, when eating family style, order fewer dishes than there are mouths at the table.
As with Southeast Asian cuisines, it’s typical to see sugar incorporated into many food preparations. Sugar is used in almost all the sauces and marinades. Sugar is also found in su (vinegared rice) used in sushi. Using sugar in the sushi rice gives it that sticky quality. In the end, most sauces and dishes will not provide you with more than a couple of teaspoons to a tablespoon of sugar. From a calorie standpoint that’s minimal. But from a glucose-raising standpoint, it’s worth noting due to the additional carbohydrate. If your glucose levels rise after eating your usual Japanese choices, you have one or two options. One is to carefully review what you order and make some changes that can reduce the sugar content. For starters, simply try eating less. Another tip: start your meal with a bowl of miso soup to fill up. Then up your vegetable count and lighten up on rice or noodles by making sure your sushi contains items like avocado and cucumber or by ordering noodle dishes that contain vegetables like broccoli, napa cabbage, and onions. If you take rapid-acting insulin based on your carbohydrate intake, you may have the option of taking a bit more insulin to cover the additional carbohydrate of your Japanese meal and/or changing the timing of your insulin. Refer to Chapter 8 to learn more.
The Menu Profile
Appetizers
You’ll find a number of healthy appetizers on Japanese menus. You can eat sushi and sashimi as an appetizer or make these items your entire meal. See below to learn more about sushi. Beyond sushi there are many healthy appetizers. This is a rare delight since so many restaurants serve appetizers that are fried and high in fat. You’ll find calorie and fat-wise appetizers that are barbecued, steamed, pickled, or served raw. Common hot appetizers are edamame (steamed soybeans in their shells that are lightly salted or glazed with a soy-based sauce), gyoza (small, crimped dumplings with protein-based or vegetarian fillings that are steamed or lightly fried), and shumai (small dumplings open at the top and filled with protein-based or vegetarian ingredients that are steamed or lightly fried) and the list of cold appetizers usually includes wakame (seaweed salad) and agedashi (fried tofu in a soy-based sauce).
Some appetizers are partnered with a dipping sauce. Often dipping sauces are high in sodium. Avoid the few fried items on the menu—tempura, agedashi, or agetofu (fried bean curd). The healthiest appetizers on the list are edamame, wakame, and steamed spinach.
Soups and Salads
Light and delicate broth-based soups are the mainstay soups in Japanese cuisine. You’ll find miso soup on nearly every Japanese menu. It’s mainly broth and bits of tofu and scallion (green onion). Or you’ll see a simple, clear broth called suimono, which has a base of dashi and bits of vegetables or meat. Udon- or dashi-based noodle soups have a few more calories due to the noodles. Other varieties of udon have stir-fried beef, vegetables, or tempura items added. Stick with the broth-based noodle dishes su udon (thinner noodles) or yaki udon (thick noodles). Soup is a healthy and filling starter that allows you to put a dent in your appetite. Or you can order soup for a filling entrée, but slurp sparingly if sodium is a concern. Also, be aware of the portion size and carbohydrate load of the soup you choose. Order a small bowl if you can or be sure to split a large bowl.
You’ll find salads in Japanese restaurants: either tossed greens, tofu, seaweed, or seafood salad. In Japan, salads are called sunomono or aemono. They consist of vinegared or otherwise dressed vegetables and seafood served in small quantities in elegant little bowls. The dressing is often a light miso dressing, which use a combination of the regular Japanese seasonings. This means the dressing is usually light in calories but contains sodium. The good news is that small salads equals minimal dressing.
Entrées
The majority of Japanese entrées are generally low in fat (and potentially low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if you choose wisely). Several styles of food preparation are usually stated on Japanese menus. You can have different proteins prepared in different fashions. For example, teriyaki is listed as a preparation method. You can order chicken, beef, or salmon prepared teriyaki style. The same goes for nabemonos: one-pot meals that are akin to a stew. Sukiyaki, yosenabi, and shabu-shabu all fall under the nabemonos category.
Donburi is a rice dish topped with broiled or fried protein, such as pork, fish, or poultry, with an egg on top and a soy-based sauce. Obviously, donburi is best topped with broiled items rather than the breaded and fried ones. Donburi, due to the whole eggs, might need to be avoided if you’re watching your cholesterol count carefully. If you need to limit your cholesterol, simply request that the egg be left in the kitchen.
At teppanyaki-style restaurants (Japanese steak houses), like Benihana, the food is often plentiful. Stick with leaner sources of protein, like chicken or shrimp, and opt for steamed rice rather than fried rice. While portion sizes will be a challenge, the benefit of these restaurants is that you can see your meal being made, making it easy to voice any special requests directly to your acrobatic chef.
Sushi and Sashimi
Sushi and sashimi have a long heritage in Japanese dining. Many different fish, shellfish, eggs, and/or vegetables are used in their preparation. Interestingly, the preparation of sushi began centuries ago as a method of preserving fish. At that time, sushi was simply rice that had been vinegared (mixed with sugar and vinegar, likely for the purpose of preserving it) and served with a piece of dried fish. Later the thin piece of nori—the black seaweed that is used in sushi rolls today—was added to avoid getting one’s fingers sticky from the rice.
You’ll find sushi most commonly served in rolls, with pieces of fish served atop a bed of sushi rice (called nigiri), or in hand rolls, which contain fish or vegetables wrapped in su rice and nori. People who are unfamiliar with sushi often think that all sushi contains raw fish. A lot of sushi does, but this is not always the case. Raw tuna, salmon, yellowtail (tuna), and other fish are certainly popular choices. However, cooked fish, such as crab, shrimp, surimi (imitation crab), soft shell crab, eel, and others are commonly used. Sushi can also be enjoyed by vegetarians because it can be made without fish. Commonly used vegetables in vegetable sushi are cucumber and avocado. You can also hold the rice by opting for sashimi, which consists of bite-size pieces of raw fish served with soy sauce and wasabi paste but no rice.
The su rice used in sushi is flavored with vinegar, salt, and a bit of sugar, which lends to the sticky quality of the rice. The volume of rice used in sushi varies. A general observation is that the more expensive the sushi, the less rice is used. Expect to see more rice and less fish or other ingredients in all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants. To study this in restaurants you may frequent, use your eyes. You’ll nearly always see sushi accompanied by wasabi and pickled ginger, which each provide a lot of flavor with almost no calories, fat, or sodium. Enjoy!
You can’t go wrong, healthwise, with sushi and sashimi. But do watch out for some of the newfangled Americanized types of sushi, such as the Philadelphia roll, which uses cream cheese, and tempura rolls that use tempura-fried seafood or vegetables. A few bites if sharing is fine, but avoid ordering and eating whole orders of these items. Also, be on the lookout for sushi preparers who use a lot of mayonnaise-based spicy and/or seasoned sauces. All in all, the small amount of fat from these preparations doesn’t hold a candle to the amount of fat you can down from a hamburger and french fries meal. If you frequent certain sushi bars and notice a heavy hand with mayonnaise-based sauces, simply request they use them sparingly or leave them off entirely.
A final note about sushi: great importance is placed on the creativity with which it’s prepared, as well as freshness of the fish. To help ensure that you have a safe food experience, choose a reputable restaurant that serves a lot of sushi. This means there will be a lot of fish sold and fresh fish coming in regularly. Keep an eye on the sushi chefs. Make sure they are working with clean hands. Also take a look at the fresh fish on display even before you order. If the raw fish doesn’t smell or look fresh to you, don’t eat it. See Chapter 17 for more guidance about the safety of seafood.
Drinks
A drink unique to Japanese restaurants is sake. Sake is a fermented rice wine. It is typically served in very small decanters and then poured into very small cups. It is served hot or cold and is sipped. Sake’s calories come mainly from alcohol and a few are contributed by carbohydrate. An ounce contains about 40 calories. If it’s a drink you enjoy, go ahead and sip a cup. Beer, either Japanese beer or common American varieties, is also commonly poured in Japanese restaurants. Explore Chapter 9 to learn more about nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages.
Desserts
Dessert in Japan is typically very minimal and doesn’t receive much attention. You’ll see a short list of desserts in full-menu Japanese restaurants: fresh fruit, ice cream, and maybe yo kan (a sweet bean cake). Obviously, fresh fruit is the way to go from a health standpoint.
Nutrition Snapshot
Green-Flag Words
Ingredients:
• Avocado
• Chicken
• Clear broth
• Cucumber
• Dipping sauce (high in sodium)
• Miso dressing (high in sodium)
• Pickled ginger
• Seafood—raw and cooked, fish and shellfish
• Soy sauce (high in sodium)
• Soybeans (edamame)
• Spinach
• Teriyaki sauce (high in sodium)
• Tofu
• Udon, rice or bean thread noodles
• Vinegar sauce (salt and sugar added)
• Vinegared, seasoned, or su rice (vinegar, salt, and sugar added)
• Wasabi
Cooking Methods/Menu Descriptions:
• Barbecued
• Boiled
• Braised
• Marinated
• Mushimono (steamed)
• Nabemono (one-pot meal; high in sodium)
• Nimono (simmered)
• On skewers
• Pickled
• Raw
• Salads
• Sautéed
• Served in broth (high in sodium)
• Served with vegetables
• Yaki (broiled)
• Yakimono (grilled)
Red-Flag Words
Ingredients:
• Cream cheese (used in sushi such as Philadelphia rolls)
• Fried bean curd
• Mayonnaise-based sauces
Cooking Methods/Menu Descriptions:
• Agemono (deep-fried)
• Battered and fried, breaded and fried
• Katsu (fried)
• Pan-fried
• Tempura
At the Table:
• Soy sauce (high in sodium)
Healthy Eating Tips and Tactics
• Start your meal with filling, low-calorie appetizers, such as edamame or miso soup.
• Avoid the tempura dishes. There are many flavorful, low-fat options on the menu. Take advantage!
• The fancier the roll, the more calories it generally has. For example, a tempura roll or dragon roll is likely in the 500-calorie range. A simpler tuna roll or California roll will have 150–250 calories.
• Remember that rice acts like a sponge for high-sodium soy sauce. Dip and drizzle sparingly.
• Choose your own dishes, rather than ordering omakase—a method of dining in which the chef chooses your foods for you. While Japanese chefs will generally keep things light and healthy, you will better meet your health goals if you remain in the driver’s seat.
Get It Your Way
• Let the server know if you are carefully watching your sodium intake. Ask that less soy sauce be used in preparing a high-sodium dish, such as a teriyaki, and that no salt or soy sauce be added to your edamame or steamed spinach.
• Ask that the mayonnaise-based sauce be left off the sushi to lighten up on fat grams.
• Substitute leaner proteins, such as shrimp, scallops, or chicken, for the beef in a dish.
• If you’re watching your cholesterol, request that egg be left out of the donburi (or other egg-containing dishes).
• Request dressing on the side of your salad.
Tips and Tactics for Gluten-Free Eating
• Soy, tamari, teriyaki, hoisin, plum, and Japanese barbeque sauces are used in the majority of Japanese dishes and typically contain gluten.
• Most tempura-based dishes, mock duck/seitan, imitation meats, fishcakes, and miso contain gluten.
• Most sushi and sashimi are naturally gluten-free, except for unagi, which is cooked eel marinated in soy sauce
• Try rice, rice noodles, or soba noodles that are 100% buckwheat (ask to check the label to make sure soba noodles are 100% gluten-free), or spring roll wrappers made from only rice with gluten-free fillings.
• Edamame prepared without soy sauce; steamed, stir fried, or grilled meat, poultry, seafood; and vegetables can all be safe choices if they are prepared in a clean wok or on a clean cooking surface.
Tips and Tactics to Help Kids Eat Healthy
• Sushi can be very foreign to kids. If it’s new to your child, start with sushi that contains more familiar ingredients, such as a cucumber roll or avocado roll. Remember, kids like to dip and that’s what sushi is all about.
• Demystify sushi and offer your child cheap entertainment by grabbing a seat at the sushi bar to watch sushi being prepared. Young kids may also like to watch fish in the fish tank of some Japanese restaurants.
• Nabemonos, the one-pot meals, are kid-friendly dishes that are generally low fat. Just be prepared for your child to do some serious slurping!
• Opt for cooked seafood, not raw, for kids under the age of 5 years. Young children are particularly susceptible to food-borne illnesses.
What’s Your Solution?
Your boss is taking you out to a nice sushi restaurant to thank you for a job well done. Your boss has a large appetite, is a bit of a sushi aficionado, and wants to handle the ordering, so you know there will be more than enough food on the table. Two of the healthy eating strategies you have been working on to get your diabetes under better control are managing portion sizes and limiting sodium. Could be a challenging meal!
How can you enjoy your meal without sabotaging your goals or offending your boss?
a) Fill up on the bowl of miso soup your boss ordered to start your sushi feast.
b) Ask for low-sodium soy sauce and limit the amount you use as a dip.
c) Employ chopsticks to help you eat slowly.
d) Let your boss know about one or two of the healthier side items you enjoy with sushi, such as wakame salad or edamame, both of which are vegetable-based, filling, low-calorie options.
See the end of the chapter for answers.
Menu Samplers
Menu Lingo
• Bonito: a fish important in Japanese cuisine, it is a member of the mackerel family. Bonito flakes are an important ingredient in the basic Japanese stock (broth) called dashi.
• Daikon: a giant white radish. Grated daikon is mixed into tempura sauces and sliced daikon can be used in sushi.
• Dashi: an important element in Japanese cooking, dashi is a basic stock made with water, kombu (seaweed), and bonito flakes.
• Edamame: steamed or boiled soybeans served warmed and salted.
• Gyuniku: the Japanese word for beef.
• Kombu: a Japanese seaweed that is a central ingredient in the basic stock (broth) dashi. Kombu is also used in sauces and as a wrapper for certain dishes.
• Mirin: Japanese rice wine, which is used more in sauces than consumed as a beverage. It is a central ingredient in the sauces and flavors of Japanese cuisine.
• Miso: a fermented soybean paste that comes in various types, thicknesses, and degrees of saltiness. It is used in soups, sauces, and dressings; it’s a basic ingredient in Japanese cooking.
• Nori: a seaweed often toasted prior to being used in dishes. It has a strong flavor and is used to wrap sushi (both rolls and hand rolls).
• Sake: fermented rice wine. Sake is the national alcoholic beverage of Japan and is most often served warm. It is also used as an ingredient in sauces.
• Shiitake: an abundant mushroom variety in Japanese cookery. It has a woody and fruity flavor and is used fresh or dried.
• Shoyu: Japanese soy sauce with both light and dark varieties. It is made from soybeans, wheat, and salt and is an essential ingredient in Japanese cooking.
• Teriyaki: a sauce used when broiling foods. It is made from shoyu and mirin. Teriyaki means “shining broil.”
• Tofu (soybean curd): a major source of protein in the Japanese diet; it is used in soups, appetizers, salads, and entrées.
• Ton: the Japanese word for pork.
• Tori: the Japanese word for chicken.
• Vinegar: in Japan, it is made from rice and it’s lighter and sweeter than the vinegar Americans are used to.
• Wakame: a seaweed used for its flavor and texture. It’s available dried.
• Wasabi: also called Japanese horseradish, it is fragrant and sharp in taste; regularly served with sushi and sashimi.
What’s Your Solution? Answers
a) Soup is often a great way to start a meal, as it can be filling. Miso soup works well because it’s mainly broth with bits of tofu. If there’s an option on sizes, go with the small.
b) Smart move. Rice can quickly soak up soy sauce, which is high in sodium. Ask for low-sodium soy sauce to immediately cut back on the sodium, but know that it’s still not really that low in sodium. Measure a small amount of low-sodium soy sauce into your dipping bowl and dip lightly to restrict your use to the amount poured—no refills.
c) Eating slowly is one of the best ways to implement portion control, especially if the dining partner(s) you are sharing your meal with are eating faster than you. Chopsticks can help slow down your eating, especially if you aren’t adept with them.
d) This is a great way to share your excitement about Japanese food with your boss, while subtly requesting a few healthier options.