Sauces are an integral feature to all types of Japanese cuisine and really help to bring out the best in your chosen dish. However, with the sheer variety offered by most restaurants, it can sometimes be tricky to decide on the most suitable sauce/dish combo – this can sometimes be an issue for those not in the know about the subtleties of Japanese food. So we’ve put together a brief guide that should help you make the most of your meal, the next time you decide to go Oriental.
Duck Rolls – Hoi Sin
The ubiquitous duck roll is found on most menus. And the best way to compliment this delicious dish is to order Hoisin sauce. Ingredients include sweet potato, wheat or rice as well as soybeans and white distilled vinegar. The resulting sweet and salty taste of the sauce, together with its thick texture, is the perfect accompaniment.
Eel – Unagi
Eel, like most fish, can be rather salty – so choose unagi to take the edge off. It derives from soy sauces and is made using sweet rice wine and sugar. The sweet and thick texture of Unagi sauce is more commonly used with eel dishes and can really help to offset the saltiness.
Fried Prawn Katsu – Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is a sweet and spicy sauce that goes very well with katsu dishes such as fried pork or chicken cutlets. It consists of vegetables and fruit and also includes over 10 spices including soy sauce, sugar and vinegar.
Chicken Rolls – Teriyaki
Teriyaki sauce is often used for seasoning or marinating and suits numerous dishes – there are four main ingredients: soy sauce, sake, sugar and ginger. If you’ve chosen chicken rolls as your starter or main course, teriyaki will compliment it beautifully.
Spicy Dishes – Spicy Mayo
A westernised condiment which proves rather popular in the West. It’s pretty versatile and can be used as an accompaniment to a variety of dishes including sushi and sushi rolls. It also suits spicy foods and really adds an extra zing to the overall flavours.
Gyozas – Sweet Chilli
Gyozas dumplings are dough-wrapped ground meat and vegetable parcels which offer a delicious alternative to the more well-known sushi dishes which prove so popular. If you’re ordering a sauce to go with them, opt for sweet chilli sauce. The sweet and spicy flavours offer a superb taste combination.
Spicy Prawn – Wasabi Mayonnaise
Wasabi is a traditional condiment for sushi and sashimi. The pungent sauce, although simple in its creation, is also rather versatile and proves the ideal addition to other seafood dishes such as spicy prawns, snow crab rolls and salmon.
Hopefully the above guide will help you decide on the most suitable sauces and condiments to choose with your order. If you’d like to sample some of these combinations yourself, please feel free to visit our main site and browse our menu. All of the above mentioned dishes are readily available for home delivery in London.
