Sake

The trick to stuffed soup buns is to fill them with a solid form of soup. The tender wrappers are filled with an aspic made from pork and chicken bones, which melts into a savory broth during steaming.

Set that flavored Martini aside. Sake cocktails are the drink of the moment. You may be accustomed to drinking sake warm, but why not chill out instead with this cool concoction, courtesy of L.A. hot spot Sushi Roku? (The drink is best made with a good-quality sake, such as Ozeki, the brand the restaurant uses.)

(RICE WINE AND GINGER ALE COCKTAILS)

Trimming all corners and ragged edges from the carrots and potatoes is very Japanese; rounded edges also ensure even cooking. In Japan we used metal molds to cut our carrots into plum blossoms for a seasonal motif. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

A soy-sake marinade is the base for a delicious reduction sauce. For convenience, begin this one day ahead and refrigerate the steak in its marinade overnight.

Serve crusty bread and a chilled Pinot Grigio throughout the meal. Beer would be fun, too.

"On a recent visit to Las Vegas, my father and I ate at Malibu Chan's," writes Stephanie Flanders of Simi Valley, California. "I had the sea bass, and I'm already craving it again. I'm hoping to add it to my recipe collection."

This entrée from Anzu restaurant in Dallas partners Japanese miso and sake with Italian balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Serve over freshly steamed rice and garnish with chopped green onions.

Negimaki Many New Yorkers owe their first sushi experience to the boom in the city's Japanese population during the 1980s, which in turn led to a proliferation of Japanese restaurants. These beautiful rolls aren't raw—they're seared to create a flavorful brown crust and a medium-rare center.

The wasabi powder, which can be found in the spice aisle or Asian foods section of most supermarkets, gives the crust a spicy kick. Serve with: Packaged Asian rice pilaf enlivened with a bit of lemon peel, and green beans sprinkled with sesame seeds. Dessert: Tapioca pudding.

For this recipe you may use whatever mushrooms you happen to have on hand. Serve the dish as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats, seafood, or chicken or with soup as a light lunch or dinner.

Yakitori at its simplest is a chicken shish kabab with a very Japanese flavor. Pieces of dark meat are served either by themselves, neatly speared onto the ends of small bamboo skewers (three makes a serving), or interspersed with bits of green bell pepper or scallion. As the meat is grilled, it is dipped into a sweetened soy-based sauce. The servings are tantalizingly small, but you can have as many as you want. If you are hungry enough for a full meal, you can serve yakitori on a bowl of rice with tea and pickles on the side.