Shop-bought Teriyaki sauce [London]

[Robin Joy]

Please can anyone suggest a good source of sauce? I love Kikkoman soy, but I find their teriyaki way too salty and in fact their sweet soy is closer to what I'm looking for. Waitrose own label teriyaki is slightly thick and quite good but still nowhere near the "Zen" take-away near my office. Any ideas please?

[Robin Joy]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I know I should really make it myself, but we only cook Teriyaki about once a month and to reduce clutter etc. I was just looking for an acceptable ready-made bottle. Just bought a Kikkoman version with honey & garlic added. Not tried it yet and unsure how the garlic will sit with salmon?

PS. My local take-away is actually called "Yen", on King William St. London EC4, and I highly recommend it to any Hounds passing at lunchtime.

[DollyDagger]

If you haven't tried the Blue Dragon teriyaki sauce, I'd recommend it. It's not perfect, but it's better than most I've tried and not super-sweet. It comes in a sachet, not a bottle.

We also buy random Japanese brands at Oriental City (Colindale) that are usually successful, despite us being unable to read any of the packaging. If you have any specialist Asian / Oriental shops nearby, it might be worth asking or browsing.

[foodie guide]

Robin

Could I recommend making it? It's DELICIOUS, and quick to make. I rarely cook, but Kimiko Barber taught me how to make teriyaki sauce, and I've never had to buy it since. You can make a large enough batch to refrigerate for a few weeks too. I can't recommend it highly enough! It goes with everything...If you're interested, the recipe is on my blog (post: how to make teriyaki salmon). It's a thousand times better than commercially bought versions...

Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://worldfoodieguide.wordpress.com

[Harters]

Easy peasy recipe, Helen. I've blagged it for future use. Many thanks.

Do you think it would work reasonably well using Shaoxing rice wine (which is what I usually have in) in place of sake. I appreciate the lack of authenticity.

John

[foodie guide]

Hi John

I haven't used Shaoxing cooking wine for ages, but can vaguely remember it being stronger in taste than sake, which will probably affect the end result. The trick about using sake is to buy a drinking sake rather than a cooking one - it doesn't have to be expensive! - and so you can cook and drink at the same time...Let me know how it turns out!

[Harters]

All I have to do now is source sake in my part of the world.

If any of my fellow north westerners are reading.....any ideas?

J

[foodie guide]

Where are you based? There are online shops where you can buy sake. Just checked www.japancentre.com for you, and they offer 29 varieties!

[Harters]

North Cheshire, fg.

[greedygirl]

Would they not sell it in that big Asian supermarket on (racks brains) Princess Way?

[Harters]

Possibly Princess Parkway, but I can't think of an Asian supermarket there. That said, your idea prompted me to have a look at the Wing Yip website and they do stock it. They have a store on Oldham Road - I feel an excuse for lunch at Glamourous coming on again.

J

[portseven]

What about that Japanese place in Manchester on Whitworth St?

New Samsi??

[Harters]

I'd wrongly assumed the Samsi was just a restaurant but I'm travelling in on the train later in the week and ,as its just round the corner from Piccadilly, I'll pop in

Ta for the heads-up.

[greedygirl]

I've consulted with him indoors, and it's WH Lung on Upper Brook Street.

[Harters]

I've actually never been in there - even though that's the route I'd drive in to the centre. Restaurant above it (Taipan) is supposed to be better than "fair"

[greedygirl]

I persuaded Mr GG to let me go there once - it's great and, as you say, on the way into town. Mr GG says the restaurant is good, but then he's not as discerning as me!!

[oonth]

http://www.mountfuji.co.uk/acatalog/J...

John, you can order some decent sakes via this online Japanese store. If you're a sake virgin, I would recommend the unpasteurised sake from the small bottles selection, "nama" sakes have a more obvious and accessible flavour profile for first timers. All that said, IIRC you are on the wagon these days so you may be using the sake purely for cooking purposes.

[Harters]

" IIRC you are on the wagon these days"

Yes, regretably. 99 months and 11 days - not that I'm still counting of course :-0

[Harters]

Robin

I quite like the Kikkoman terikayi (using it to marinate tuna steak). But for something sweeter and gloopier what about a ketjap manis (the Indonesian sweet soy). I have a bottle from one of the shops in Manchester's Chinatown under the Conimex label.

John