Rating: 
Summary: I was impressed
Review: I was looking for a book that taught the fine art of okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza pancakes). I thought after buying this, if only it also had sushi recipes. Looking inside, I realized that an entire chapter was devoted to this purpose. It also gave miso and udon recipes, as well as the difference between oden and udon.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book without Glitz
Review: Ignore the rabble who say that this book doesn't give you presentation photos. You want that, go buy a picture book. I'll be reading this beauty, which details something lacking in many of the "high gloss" japanese cookbooks: the actual food preperation. Granted, many of the supplies are not easily available outside of the west coast, but it is STILL easily the best book on Japanese cooking I have read. This book actually tells you how to prepare the food, in clear simple, english. Further, the author give copius sections over to explaining what the less familiar ingrediants are, what they are made of and their nutritional value. This book is excellent. AS said before, if you want a picture book instead of a cookbook, then dandy, go elsewhere. If you want a REAL cookbook however, choose this text.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful recipes drawn from traditional Japanese kitchens
Review: Selected and compiled by food writer, consultant, teacher, and Japanese cuisine expert Hiroko Shimbo, The Japanese Kitchen features 250 wonderful recipes drawn from traditional Japanese kitchens. Enhanced descriptions of Japanese ingredients (including where to find them and how to choose them), as well as with helpful illustrations and clear, step-by-step preparational instructions, the recipes range from Ingen no Kurumi-miso-ae (Green Beans in Walnut-Miso Dressing); Shimeji Gohan (Rice with Shimeji Mushrooms); and Buta-miso Ramen (Ramen with Pork-and-Miso Sauce); to Suzuki no Gomamiso-yaki (Broiled Sea Bass with Sesame Seeds); Tori-nabe (Hearty Chicken Hot Pot); and Mushi Chokoreito Keiki (Light and Delightful Steamed Chocolate Cake). Informative and thoroughly "user friendly", The Japanese Kitchen is enthusiastically recommended for inclusion into multi-cultural and ethnic cookbook collections.
Rating:
Summary: A classic !
Review: This book is really one of the best cookbooks. The great chef Charlie Trotter(a big culinary hero of mine) said something about choosing cookbooks:" When you get a cookbook, READ it, don't just look at the pictures! ...review any information the book gives on different foods, and look through the notes that are included with the recipes....This is where you can get your best ideas."This book is a treasure to help you get many many great ideas and understand authentic Japanese cuisine. Every recipe comes with valuable notes that you can't find in most Japanese cookbook, and these notes are beautifully written with the author's deep knowledg of cooking, love of nature, and respect of Japanese tradition. One simple example is the last recipe in this book "Mom's Japanese Green Plum Wine". The ingredients are simple: fresh plums, sugar, white liquor. Yet the author explains that rock sugar is preferred because it dissolves more slowly than granulated sugar, and so helps to extract more juice from the plums. Details like this make a difference. I've seen this recipe before but it's not untill I read this book, I feel I have the most authentic recipe. This is also a good book for vegetarians and vegans, because there's only a small part of the recepies that contain meat, and the meat can often be substituted with Tofu. Read this book, please...
Rating:
Summary: A classic !
Review: This book is really one of the best cookbooks. The great chef Charlie Trotter(a big culinary hero of mine) said something about choosing cookbooks:" When you get a cookbook, READ it, don't just look at the pictures! ...review any information the book gives on different foods, and look through the notes that are included with the recipes....This is where you can get your best ideas." This book is a treasure to help you get many many great ideas and understand authentic Japanese cuisine. Every recipe comes with valuable notes that you can't find in most Japanese cookbook, and these notes are beautifully written with the author's deep knowledg of cooking, love of nature, and respect of Japanese tradition. One simple example is the last recipe in this book "Mom's Japanese Green Plum Wine". The ingredients are simple: fresh plums, sugar, white liquor. Yet the author explains that rock sugar is preferred because it dissolves more slowly than granulated sugar, and so helps to extract more juice from the plums. Details like this make a difference. I've seen this recipe before but it's not untill I read this book, I feel I have the most authentic recipe. This is also a good book for vegetarians and vegans, because there's only a small part of the recepies that contain meat, and the meat can often be substituted with Tofu. Read this book, please...
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for food lovers
Review: This is a terrific book. It is straighforward and pleasing to read, with nicely put together recipes and lots of information about ingredients (and substitutes). This is not a book to flip open on the coffee table for inspiration as you stare at gorgeous photos of Japanese cuisine. Nope, this is the sort of book you'll dog-ear and spill shoyhu on as you're prepping the shabu shabu Hiroko Shimbo is telling you how to make. About 250 recipes, several sequences of drawings demonstrating technique, and both traditional and freestyling recipes that seem to have been well tested.
Rating:
Summary: The DEFINITIVE guide to Japanese home cooking
Review: This is THE BOOK to have on Japanese home cooking. 250 wonderful true homestyle recipes - I'm in heaven! Not only are the recipes delicious and instructions precise, Shimbo does a good job explaining WHY certain steps must be taken - these hints are great for making anyone a better cook overall, period. My only slight complaint is the lack of photographs - but I understand the cost would have been prohibitive and would have resulted in less recipes being published, so I can live with the tradeoff. A MUST-HAVE for anyone looking to have DELICIOUS, SIMPLE, and HEALTHY food on your table! Being Asian-American, this book allows me to have comfort food I thought I'd never get again after leaving my mom's house!
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece of Japanese Home Cooking
Review: This is the pinnacle of Japanese cooking. Here for our kitchen and table comes this expert advice on enjoying entry into this fascinating cuisine.
It is full of tips and advice on ingredients, techniques and preparation of authentic Japanese dishes.
There is task of finding rare ingredients first, from international cuisine section of supermarket or better yet from gourmet store, or mail order source in this book.
Book is void of photos but has fine drawings which aid in prep techniques and ingredients.
Have tried some new eating experiences from this book and have heard raves of diners who enjoyed the likes of: Japanese Stuffed Pancakes (Okonomiyaki); Swordfish in Yuan Style; Chicken Breast Fillets in a Crust of Mung-Bean Noodles.
There is sizeable section on Sushi.
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