Rice bowl with panko fried pork loin, scallion, kinshi tamago, ginger & sesame

Katsudon

Gyudon

Beef broth, gochujang braised short ribs, spices, topped with seared duck breast

Duck Ramen

Spicy pork and chicken broth made with ground sesame & almond milk, shredded pork belly, takana, bok choy, soy egg, sweet onion

Beef Short Rib Ramen

Kombu and shiitake broth, tofu, cabbage, carrot, ginger, menma, wakame, rayu, scallion

Shojin (v)

Chicken and soy broth, poached chicken breast, soy egg, menma

Shoyu

Chicken and pork broth, miso, pork belly, soy egg, cabbage, carrot, corn, rayu, scallion

Miso

Savory duck & chicken broth with warming spices, topped with seared duck breast, duck meatball, takana, menma, scallion, cilantro

Paitan

Farmhouse ale brewed with all Maine ingredients, 5.5%, 12oz

Sasanoa Back River Saison

Dry cider fermented with gin botanicals Vermont, 6%, 12oz

Shacksbury Vermonter Cider

Sacred Profane Dark Lager

Bissell Brothers Precept Pilsner

Goodfire Brewing Prime IPA

Sebago Haze Forward IPA

2021 Pas de Problème

Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet, Provence, France

2023 Pigoudet Rose

2021 Ruttenstock

Whiskey Hot Pot

Hillinger Secco Rose

Shiso Lucky

Kochi Sunset

Suntory Toki whisky, yuzu juice, lemon, lime, ginger beer

Miyake Mule

Miyake Marg

Ketel One vodka, cointreau, lime, ume simple

Ume Cosmo

Rinse the short-grain rice under cold water until the rinse runs clear. Drain and combine with 1.1 cups water in a small pot or rice cooker. If using a pot, bring to a boil uncovered, reduce to low, cover and simmer 12–14 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff and keep warm.

Cook rice

Whisk 3 eggs with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/8 tsp salt until smooth. Heat a nonstick skillet over low-medium heat and lightly brush with a little oil. Pour a thin layer (about 2–3 tbsp) to make a crepe-like omelette roughly 6–7 inches across. Cook 30–45 seconds until just set, flip briefly if needed, then transfer to a plate. Repeat to make 2–3 thin sheets. Cool slightly, roll each sheet and slice very thinly into fine ribbons (kinshi). Separate ribbons with your fingers and keep covered.

Make thin omelette sheets

If pork loin chops are thick, pound gently between plastic wrap to about 1/3–1/2 inch thickness. Season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Prep pork

Set out three shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten 2 eggs in the second, and panko in the third. Dredge each pork piece in flour, shaking off excess; dip into the beaten eggs to coat; press evenly into panko until fully covered.

Breading station

Pour about 1 cup oil into a heavy skillet to create a 1/4–1/2 inch depth and heat to 340–350°F (medium-high). Carefully place breaded pork in the oil, frying 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 145°F/63°C). Adjust heat to maintain color without burning. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate and let rest 3 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch strips.

Fry katsu

In a medium skillet large enough to hold the sliced katsu, combine 1 cup dashi, 2 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs mirin, 1 tbs sake, and 1 tsp sugar. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat to meld flavors, about 2–3 minutes.

Make sauce

Arrange the sliced katsu in the simmering sauce briefly (about 30 seconds) to warm and lightly soak. Whisk together 2 eggs with 1 tbs water and 1/8 tsp salt, then gently pour evenly over the katsu in the skillet. Cover immediately and simmer on low 1–2 minutes until egg is mostly set but still slightly runny (or longer for firmer egg).

Add katsu and eggs

Divide the cooked rice between 2 bowls. Using a spatula, lift portions of katsu and egg from the skillet and place over each bowl of rice, letting some sauce spoon over the rice.

Assemble bowls

Top each bowl with a generous pinch of kinshi tamago ribbons, sliced scallions, a few strands of julienned ginger, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Garnish

pork loin chops (boneless), about 1/2–3/4 inch thick

salt

black pepper

all-purpose flour

large eggs (for breading)

panko breadcrumbs

neutral oil for frying (vegetable, canola, or peanut)

large eggs

sugar

vegetable oil (for light brushing)

dashi stock (or low-sodium chicken stock)

soy sauce

mirin

sake

granulated sugar

fresh ginger, julienned (for garnish)

scallions (green onions), thinly sliced on bias

toasted sesame seeds

short-grain Japanese rice, uncooked

water (for cooking rice)

water

Rinse the short-grain rice under cold running water, stirring with your hand until the water runs mostly clear (about 3–4 rinses). Drain and place rice in a rice cooker or pot. Add 360 ml water. Let rice soak 20–30 minutes if time allows, then cook according to your rice cooker or bring to a boil on the stovetop, reduce to low, cover and simmer 12–15 minutes, then rest off heat 10 minutes covered.

Rinse and cook rice

While rice soaks/cooks, thinly slice the onion into half-moons about 3 mm thick. Slice scallions thinly on a bias for garnish. If using eggs, prepare for soft-poaching (see egg directions below).

In a medium bowl or measuring cup combine dashi (400 ml), soy sauce (80 ml), mirin (60 ml), sake (50 ml), sugar (1.5 tbs), and grated ginger (1 tsp). Stir until sugar dissolves.

Prepare sauce

Heat a wide skillet or shallow pot over medium heat. Add 1 tsp neutral oil or a small splash of water if you prefer no added oil. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften and become translucent but not browned.

Cook onions

Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet with the onions and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let simmer 2–3 minutes so the onions absorb flavor.

Simmer with sauce

Add the thinly sliced beef in an even layer, pushing it into the simmering liquid. Allow the liquid to return to a gentle simmer; cook just until beef is no longer raw — about 2–4 minutes depending on thickness. Use chopsticks or tongs to separate slices. Taste the broth and adjust: add up to 1 tsp more sugar for sweetness or 1–2 tsp soy sauce for saltiness if desired. If sauce reduces too much before beef cooks, add 2–3 tbsp water to maintain moistness.

Add beef and finish

Once beef is cooked through and the onions are tender, remove from heat. Optionally stir in 1 tsp sesame oil for aroma.

Bring 800 ml water and 1 tbsp rice vinegar to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat so water is at a bare simmer (not rolling). Crack each egg into a small ramekin. Using a spoon, create a gentle whirlpool and slip each egg into the water one at a time. Poach for 3–4 minutes for a runny yolk and set white. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towel. Keep warm until serving.

Soft-poached eggs (onsen-style)

Divide cooked rice into 4 bowls (about 150 g rice per serving). Spoon the beef and onion mixture over the rice, distributing both meat and sauce so each bowl gets some broth (about 125 g beef per bowl).

Top each bowl with pickled red ginger (benishoga) to taste (roughly 1 tbsp per bowl), a sprinkle of sliced scallions, and a light dusting of shichimi togarashi or ground pepper. If using, place a soft-poached egg on top of each bowl.

Serve immediately, offering extra soy sauce, pickled ginger, or shichimi at the table.

thinly sliced beef (ribeye or chuck), preferably for sukiyaki/gyudon

yellow onion

dashi (hon-dashi dissolved or homemade dashi)

ginger, grated

short-grain Japanese rice (uncooked)

water for rice

pickled red ginger (benishoga)

scallions (thinly sliced)

shichimi togarashi or ground black pepper

sesame oil (optional, for finishing)

water (for soft-poaching eggs)

rice vinegar

Toast dried shiitake mushrooms in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Smash garlic cloves lightly and slice ginger. In a large stockpot, add beef bone broth, water, toasted shiitake, garlic, sliced ginger, and the halved onion. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Stir in soy sauce, mirin, shaoxing wine, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons gochujang. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 30–40 minutes to meld flavors. Skim any foam or excess fat occasionally.

After simmering, remove onion, ginger and shiitake (reserve shiitake if you want to slice into bowls). Taste and season with toasted sesame oil, salt and black pepper. Keep broth hot on the lowest heat while you finish other components.

Pat short ribs dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove ribs and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic, minced ginger and the white parts of the scallions to the pot; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 3 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; cook 1 minute to bloom the paste.

Return short ribs to the pot, add 1 cup beef broth (or reserved hot broth) to come halfway up the ribs. Bring to a simmer, cover, then transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 to 2.25 hours until meat is fork-tender and falling off the bone (time varies by cut).

Remove ribs from oven. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and shred or slice meat, discarding excess fat and bones. Skim fat from cooking liquid, then reduce the liquid on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened into a glossy sauce. Toss shredded beef in the reduced sauce and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Keep warm.

Score the skin of duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat. Pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Place a cold skillet over medium-low heat and add the duck breasts skin-side down (no added fat yet). Cook slowly so the fat renders: 8–12 minutes, pressing occasionally and pouring off excess fat into a heatproof container as needed. Increase heat to medium-high for the last 1–2 minutes to crisp the skin.

Flip the breasts, add 1 teaspoon neutral oil if the pan is dry, and sear the flesh side for 1–2 minutes. Check internal temperature: 125–130°F (52–54°C) for medium-rare, 135°F (57°C) for medium. Remove to a cutting board and rest 6–8 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook fresh or dried ramen noodles per package instructions (fresh ~2–3 minutes, dried ~4–5 minutes) until just al dente. Drain, rinse briefly under hot water if desired to remove excess starch, and divide into bowls.

Reheat broth if necessary and taste for seasoning; adjust with a splash of soy or salt. Place 1 cup hot broth over the noodles in each bowl.

Arrange several pieces of shredded gochujang short rib in each bowl, and fan 1 sliced seared duck breast over the noodles. Add baby spinach or quickly blanched bok choy to wilt in the hot broth.

Halve soft-boiled eggs and place one half in each bowl (or one whole egg per bowl if serving two). Garnish with sliced scallions (green parts), nori strips, a drizzle of sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and a pinch of gochugaru or chili flakes if using. Add pickled kimchi on the side or a small spoonful atop the bowl for acidity.

beef bone broth (low-sodium) or beef stock

garlic cloves

ginger (fresh, 1–2-inch piece)

onion (yellow, halved)

shaoxing wine or dry sherry

brown sugar

gochujang

dried shiitake mushrooms

toasted sesame oil

beef short ribs (flanken or English cut)

vegetable oil

garlic (minced)

ginger (minced)

beef broth (from above) or water

scallions (white parts, chopped)

duck breasts (skin-on, boneless)

kosher salt

neutral oil (grapeseed or vegetable)

fresh ramen noodles or dried ramen

soft-boiled eggs

baby spinach or bok choy

scallions (thinly sliced, green parts)

nori strips (optional)

pickled kimchi or quick pickles (optional)

sesame oil (for finishing)

gochugaru or chili flakes (optional)

Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully lower 4 large eggs and simmer for 6 minutes for jammy yolks. Prepare an ice bath. Immediately transfer eggs to ice bath for 5 minutes to stop cooking.

Soft-boil eggs

Whisk 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp mirin and 1 tsp sugar in a container large enough to hold eggs. Submerge peeled eggs in marinade, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Reserve marinade for adding depth to broth if desired.

Make marinade & marinate

Season 2 lb short ribs with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side.

Transfer seared ribs to a medium ovenproof pot or Dutch oven. Add 2 cups water, 2 tbsp soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 1.5–2 hours, or until meat is very tender and falling from the bone.

Remove ribs from braising liquid, shred meat with two forks and discard large bones. Reserve braising liquid and add 1/2 cup to the broth later for extra beef flavor.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place 1 lb pork belly on a sheet pan skin-side up (score skin if present) and roast for 30–40 minutes until fat is rendered and edges are crisp. Alternatively, pan-sear pieces until caramelized.

While still warm, chop or shred pork belly into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp honey, 1 minced garlic clove and 1 tsp sesame oil. Set aside.

In a large stockpot, combine 8 cups chicken stock, 2 cups pork stock, 2 cups water, 1 piece kombu, 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, smashed ginger and 4 crushed garlic cloves. Heat gently to just below a simmer and maintain low simmer for 20 minutes to extract flavors. Do not boil aggressively while kombu is present.

Remove kombu after 15 minutes. Continue simmering with mushrooms and aromatics for another 10 minutes. Remove and discard aromatics and slice rehydrated shiitakes thinly if you wish to return to the broth or use as garnish.

Whisk together 3 tbs ground sesame paste and 1 cup almond milk until smooth. Add sesame-almond mixture to the pot along with 2 tbsp miso paste, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sambal oelek (adjust to taste), 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Stir and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to marry flavors.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Optionally add 1/2 cup reserved beef braising liquid for deeper beef flavor.

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook 12 oz fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions (typically 2–3 minutes for fresh; 4–5 minutes for dried) until just tender. Drain and rinse briefly under hot water to remove excess starch if desired; keep warm.

Blanch bok choy: in the noodle boiling water, drop baby bok choy for 30–45 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp. Remove and drain.

Warm takana (pickled mustard greens) and thinly sliced sweet onion briefly in a small saucepan with 1 tsp sesame oil for 1–2 minutes to soften and integrate flavors, or serve cold for contrast.

Reheat broth to a gentle simmer. Divide cooked noodles between 4 bowls (approx. 3 oz noodles per serving).

Ladle about 2 cups hot broth over noodles per bowl.

Top each bowl with shredded beef short rib (about 3–4 oz), 2–3 tbsp shredded pork belly, 1 soft soy egg (halved), 1–2 baby bok choy halves, 2 tbsp takana, 1–2 tbsp thinly sliced sweet onion, and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, a drizzle of chili oil (to taste), nori strips and cilantro if using. Serve immediately.

chicken stock (low-sodium)

pork broth or stock

ground sesame paste (tahini) or toasted sesame seed paste

unsweetened almond milk

ginger (peeled, smashed)

garlic cloves (crushed)

shallot (halved)

kombu (dried kelp)

miso paste (preferably white or mixed)

sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce

beef short ribs (flanken-style or English cut), trimmed

soy sauce (for braise)

pork belly (skin removed or scored)

honey

sesame oil

fresh ramen noodles (or dried)

bok choy (baby or halved)

takana (Japanese pickled mustard greens) or substitute: pickled mustard greens

sweet onion (thinly sliced)

chili oil

fresh cilantro (optional)

Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth to remove visible grit (do not rinse under running water). Place kombu and dried shiitake in a medium saucepan with 1200 ml cold water. Let soak at room temperature for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to rehydrate and extract flavor.

After soaking, slowly bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Just before it reaches a boil (small bubbles forming around edges), remove the kombu to avoid bitterness. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes to extract shiitake flavor.

Simmer for another 10 minutes with shiitake, then remove the shiitake and set aside (slice later if desired). Strain the broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot to remove any sediment.

Return the clear broth to the pot, add 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs mirin (if using), and 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust seasoning — the broth should be savory with a gentle mushroom-kelp umami. Keep warm on low heat.

Place the dried wakame in a small bowl with 60 ml warm water for 5–10 minutes until expanded. Drain and squeeze out excess water. If you reserved whole rehydrated shiitake, slice into thin strips.

Rehydrate wakame and slice reserved shiitake

If using silken tofu, gently drain and cut into 2–3 cm cubes with a sharp knife. For medium tofu, press lightly between paper towels to remove excess moisture, then cut into cubes. Handle gently to keep pieces intact.

Prepare tofu

Thinly slice the napa cabbage into bite-sized ribbons, julienne the carrot, and julienne 10 g fresh ginger. Thinly slice scallions on a bias for garnish.

Prepare vegetables

If using noodles, cook them according to package instructions, rinse briefly under warm water, drain, and divide between serving bowls.

Bring the seasoned kombu-shiitake broth back to a gentle simmer. Add the sliced cabbage, carrot, julienned ginger, menma, and rehydrated wakame. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until vegetables are just tender-crisp.

Carefully add the tofu cubes and warmed sliced shiitake to the pot. Heat gently for 1–2 minutes — do not boil vigorously to avoid breaking the tofu.

If using noodles, arrange them in bowls. Ladle the hot broth and vegetables over the tofu (and noodles if used) so everything is warmed through.

Drizzle about 1 tsp rayu per bowl (adjust to taste) and sprinkle sliced scallions and 1/4 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Offer extra rayu and shichimi togarashi at the table.