Tokyo Recap & What I Cooked Last Week

A week in Japan, crispy supreme pizza rolls, baked egg in a bread bowl, carbonara fried rice, mom's shrimp and chive gyoza

Hi everyone,

Hope you had a great week! I just got back from a week in Tokyo with my mom, aunt, and cousin. My mom and aunt love Japan, they went together last year, and they thought it would be really special to take my cousin and me on a double mother daughter trip. Doug and I were in Tokyo in March and found so many places we love, but it felt extra meaningful to have my mom and aunt show us their favorite spots and discover new ones together.

Beautiful lights all around Tokyo this time of year ❤️!

Below you’ll find all the hidden gems from our time in Tokyo, including the best ramen we’ve ever had, a fun kitchen supply street, an affordable sushi omakase, and an amazing cooking class.

Before flying to Japan, I met up with my mom in San Francisco for one night and finally got to show her the finished copy of my cookbook. She actually cried when she saw it. (I’ll share a video of her reaction soon!) I brought the book with me so I could show my aunt and cousin right away. They were both so excited, especially since one of my aunt’s recipes is in the book and my cousin is mentioned too. When my aunt was flipping through the pages, she said something so sweet: “I could cook out of this book for the rest of my life and be happy.” I hope you feel the same, and I cannot wait to share it with you in just a few months. If you want to preorder a copy as a gift, you can print a gift voucher.

First, here’s a recipe for my mom’s shrimp and chive dumplings. We always make these around the holidays and everyone gathers in the kitchen as my mom churns out batch after batch. We hope you try these!

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Mom’s Shrimp and Chive Dumplings

These are my mom’s signature shrimp gyoza, made with Chinese chives. They’re crispy on the outside, and so juicy and flavorful on the inside.

Shrimp And Chive Gyoza

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

Hidden Gems from Our Trip to Tokyo

We had so much delicious food and such a wonderful time in Tokyo. Here are some of the highlights.

A day of walking and eating in Akasaka

We started at Sensō-ji temple, where the street outside is lined with incredible food vendors. We ate daifuku (custard-filled mochi with a strawberry on top), one of my mom’s favorite treats in Japan, and we also tried a delicious Hokkaido milk serve. I finally got to taste tanghulu (candied strawberries), another one of her favorites. The area is a bit touristy, but it’s still fun to wander through.

Trying daifuku for the first time!

For lunch, we headed to Noriaki Bibi, which ended up being the best ramen we’ve ever had. We found it on Tabelog, the Japanese restaurant review site. The tonkatsu miso broth was rich and deeply flavored and balanced with a hint of citrus. They give you an egg on the side so you can break the yolk into a little bowl and dip the noodles into it as you eat. I had never done that before with ramen and it was so tasty. The shop is tiny, you order from a vending machine, and it was only ten dollars for a bowl.

After lunch, we walked to Kappabashi, a street filled with kitchen supply shops. If you go, set your Google Maps to Dengama, a cute pottery store. I found small plates for spices and prepping that I can use in my videos. (I’m always on the lookout for nice props!) There are so many affordable cookware shops in the area. I picked up chopsticks that I plan to send along with my cookbook as a gift to other content creators. Publishers often put together book PR boxes filled with branded items, but I liked the idea of choosing something a little more personal from Japan.

An outstanding shabu shabu meal