We traveled so much this time during our stay in Japan, and we didn’t have a lot of time to spend at my parents’ house.
But when we were at their house, I enjoyed my time with my family, and my mom and sister cooked us terrific meals.
Our last meal the night before our departure was prepared by my mother and my sister both.
For an appetizer my mother made us veggie tempura which was divine, and for the main dish my sister made Thai basil chicken over rice, which is called “Gapao Rice” in Japan.
This dish was new to both of us, but the combination of basil, fish sauce, spicy and sweet flavored sauce, and a fried egg was intriguing, and my husband and I both devoured it.
So, here is my arranged version I made last night for dinner.
I used king mushroom and cauliflower in place of chicken, and this turned out delicious!!
You break the egg yolk and make each bite where you can enjoy everything together, the rice, the veggies, the egg, and the basil…
canola oil
3~4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 king mushrooms, chopped
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 green or red pepper, chopped
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper
1~2 tablespoon cane sugar
1~2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1~2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon toban-djan (chili bean paste)
Thai basil, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
2 fried eggs
1. Cook garlic in oil.
2. Add mushrooms, cauliflower, and pepper, and continue to sautee. Salt and pepper. Sprinkle crushed red pepper.
3. Add sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and toban-djan.
4. Add basil, and combine well.
5. Serve over cooked rice and a fried egg. Sprinkle fresh basil.
Stores and shops in Japan I like to visit to look for kitchen/dining stuff…
–Nitori: Furniture, home decor. Reasonable. Stores located all around Japan, but not in Hokkaido or Okinawa. The wooden trays (photos above) were bought at Nitori.
–Mujirushi-Ryohin: Furniture, home decor, clothing, food. Reasonable. Simple design.
–Tokyu-Hands: Home decor, appliances, electronics, stationary, everything! Fun and interesting stuff.
–Loft: Home decor, stationary, cosmetics…
-100-Yen Shops such as Can Do, Daiso, and Seria. I probably had the best shopping time at these 100-Yen shops. They have a great selection of fun kitchen stuff.
