Dear Customers.
First of all, Thank you for visiting our
KAIDO web site.
We created this Web site for an introduction
to Japanese food and a little history of
our restaurant.
In Dec, 2004, we started operating the restaurant
at the present location of 207 West Main
street.
As you may recall, this facility has a history
of 10 years as a Japanese restaurant.
First, " Kura Kura " and then "
Yuka's ".
They both had a good reputation as the one
of the presentable Japanese restaurants in
Grass Valley.
Since KAIDO has opened, I really wanted everyone
to know more about our food.
So, I took lots of pictures of our food from
the menu and used them in this site.
My hope is that you can easily understand
what we have on the menu.
I am sure it would be enjoyable if you had
some knowlidge ofJapanese food before having
an experience at our restaurant.
Following on this page, I have prepared a
little more explanation about Japanese food.
Thank you again.
Kazu Mukai
Dec. 2004
- SASHIMI -
SASHIMI is raw, thinly sliced foods served
with a dipping sauce and simple garnishes,
usually fish or shellfish but can be almost
anything including beef, horse and chicken.
KAIDO use only sushi materials for the Sashimi
dish.
- TEMPURA -
Japanese deep fried batter-dipped shrimps
and vegetable. The Batter is made of ice
cold water and flour. Small bite-sized pieces
of fresh shrimps and vegetable are dipped in flour, then in batter, and
then deep fried for 2-3 minutes. Our fresh
oil makes light brown color and idealy crispy
outside.
All items are accompanied by our home made
Tempura sauce.
- TONKATSU -
Invented in the 1930s, is one of the most
popular dishes in Japan.
It consists of a Breaded, deep-fried pork
cutlet half inch thick, and is generally
served with shredded cabbage. but, KAIDO
use traditional cooked Vegetable instead.
The etymology of the word is "ton"
(pig) + "katsu," a shortened pronunciation
of "cutlet" ("katsuretsu"). It is eaten with a brown sauce called
Tonkatsu Sauce, commonly called simply "sauce",
the ingredients of which vary from place
to place but which usually has a taste similar
to Worcestersshire sauce. Some people also
like to eat their tonkatsu with a spicy yellow
Japanese mustard or soy sauce.
- CROQUETTE-
Croquette is a Japanese deep fried dish originally
related to a French dish, Since its introduction
in early 1900s, it has become a completely
different dish. It is made by mixing chopped
meat, seafood, or vegetable with mashed potato
or white sauce, rolling it in flour, eggs,
and breadcrumbs, then deep frying this untill
brown on the outside.
KAIDO use only potato from HOKKAIDO, area
where is very popular region for sweet potatos
like IDAHO in America.
- TERIYAKI SAUCE -
TERIYAKI SAUCE is a Japanese cooking sauce
such for fish or meat which has cut or sliced
is bloiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce
marinade,. The word derives from the word
" Teri " which refers to a shine
or luster given by the sauce, and "
Yaki " which refers to the cooking method
( grilled or broiling ). KAIDO Teriyaki Sauce
is made simply by mixing and heating four
ingredients of Mirin, Sugar, Soy sauce, and
Sake with chicken, beef, ginger, garlic,
and lots of vegetables.
- SUSHI -
SUSHI is vinegard rice topped or mixed with
various fresh ingredients , usually fish
or shellfood.
- NIGIRI-ZUSHI -
It prepared by putting a slice of raw fish
onto a bite-size portion of hand-rolled,
vinegar-flavored rice with little amount
of wasabi .
- MAKI -ZUSHI -
Translated as "roll sushi," This
is where rice and seafood or other ingredients
are placed on a sheet of dried seaweed, Nori,
and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a
bamboo mat and then cut into smaller pieces.
- TEMAKI-ZUSHI -
Basically the same as Makizushi, except that
the Nori is rolled into a cone-shape with
the ingredients placed inside.
- CHIRASHI-ZUSHI -
Translated as " scattered " , sushi
ingredients being placed on top of bed of
sushi rice in a bouwl or dish.
I am afraid, KAIDO dose not have this dish
on our menu.
But upon your request. Chef, kazu, may make
it when the time is available.
- BENTO BOX -
A container Japanese serve meals in and they
can be elaborate lauquer boxs or simple square
one.
Usually three to four items are in.
- SHIOYAKI -
One of popular cooking method in Japan. Lightly
salted fish bloiled or grilled.
KAIDO use this method for fresh salmon as
salmon SHIOYAKI on our menu.
But SHIOYAKI can be used chicken or beef
also. Good salt takes good taste from materials.
- MISO SOUP ( MISO SHIRU) -
MISO, which is known as soybean paste to Westerners,
has played an extremely important role in
the dietary life of the Japanese for centuries
along with rice and barely. It is said that
miso came to Japan from China.
At first, fermented food like miso was treasured
as luxuries by Buddhist monks and nobles.
But it became a daily necessity in the Nara
Period (710-784). Later in the Muromachi
Period (1392-1573), it came to be a popular
food of common people.
It was in the 17th century that industrial
production of miso was started.
In the course of its development, various
kinds of miso native to different regions
began to appear depending on the raw materials
available, weather and climate conditions,
and the eating customs of each region. As
a result, a great variety of miso, such as
"shiromiso" native to Kyoto, "hatchomiso"
native to Aichi Prefecture and its environs,
and "Shinshu miso" produced chiefly
in Nagano Prefecture were created
MISO SOUP is a traditional Japanese soup
consisting of a stock called " dashi
" into which is dissolved softened Miso.
The most common dashi soup stocks for miso
soup are made of Niboshi (dried baby sardine)
or Kelp with Katsuobushi (thin shavings of
dried and smoked Ocean bonito ). KAIDO use
Tofu and Green onion as ingredients. The
soup is usually served in lacquer boel with
lids and drunk directly from the bowl. In
Japan, miso soup and white rice make up the
traditional Japanese breakfast, and most
Japanese people eat miso soup at least once
a day.
- NATTOU -
Fermented Soybeans, known as 'Nattou' in
Japan, have been eaten for more than 10,000
years and represent an important part of
traditional Japanese cuisine. Nattou is traditionally
served as part of the Japanese breakfast,
which as well as nattou, also consists of
rice and miso soup - this is the established
style of eating in Japan since the Edo period
(1603~). Nattou has since become very well
known in Japan for it's abundant health benefits
and high nutritional value.
- SAKE -
Made primarily from rice, sake is a fermented
beverage brewed using a microorganism called
koji and yeast. It has an alcohol content of
from 13% to 16%. The quality of water used
in brewing sake is also important. Brewers
take advantage of the various kinds of natural
water available in Japan to make excellent
sake. There are many different varieties
of sake, and it can be enjoyed either warm
or chilled, depending on the season. Here
KAIDO is proudly selected 12 kinds of variety Sake
for you. Enjoy and feel like you are in Japan
with our authentic Japanese food at Kaido.
- RICE -
Californiafs Japanese rice is Koshihikari
and is similar to that grown in Japan. Professor
Ken Chinen, a Japanese university professor
in California, decided to conduct an experiment
to determine if Japanese Koshihikari tastes
better than California Koshihikari. He conducted
his test with 161 Japanese citizens who are
living in California. Before the test, almost
all of these Japanese citizens said they
preferred Japanese rice to California rice.
These Japanese citizens were given samples
of cooked rice and were not told whether
the rice was Japanese rice or California
rice. Then they were asked whether the rice
was Japanese or California rice. Forty percent
of these 161 made a mistake and said the
rice they tasted was from Japan, when in
fact, the rice was from California. In other
words, almost half of the Japanese citizens
could not tell the difference between California
and Japanese rice. In February 2003, the
Japan Rice Association conducted a survey
in Japan about the quality of California
rice sold in Japan. They used a scale of
0 - 100, with 100 the best tasting rice.
Japanese who tasted Koshihikari rice from
California gave it a score of 78, and those
who tasted Akitakomachi rice from California
gave it a score of 74. These same tasters
gave a score of 74 to Koshihikari rice grown
in Niigata and a score of 72 for Akitakomachi
rice grown in Akita.
- GOMA-AE -
Gomaae is a Japanese side dish and may be
translated as "sesame dressing".
There are several types of gomaae dishes.
We are going to present the most popular
one: Gomaae with spinach.
SOY SAUCE & NIKIRI SOY SAUCE
Soy sauce is made from soy beans, wheat
and salt by a fermentation with rice malt
('kouji.') Without soy sauce (sho'oyu,)
sushi can not be eaten because it is too
fishy and less tasty indeed. An ordinary
soy sauce is sometimes a bit salty and bitter
for some kinds of sushi, which have lighter
tastes such as sea bream ('tai') or flounder/plaice
('hirame'/'karei') etc. From the old days, a specially prepared soy
sauce ('nikiri') has been used and those
restaurants who have self-prides or self-confidences
never use a mere 100% regular soy sauce. KAIDO create home-made nikiri soy sauce in
the traditional way to serve for our sushi
lovers. It's good for Sashimi and nigiri-sushi.
- SESAME CHICKEN -
One of most popular recipes in the nenu of
Japanese restaurant in America, with crispy
deep-fried chicken in Tempura style covered
by home-made teriyaki sauce, topped with
toasted sesame seeds.
- FURIKAKE -
FUIKAKE is a Japanese condiment usually sprinkled
on top of rice. It typically consists of
a mixture of sesame seeds, chopped seaweed,
sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other
flavorful ingredients such as dried bonito
shavings katsuobushi, salmon etc. are often added to the mix.
- WASABI -
Wasabi (scientific name Wasabia japonica (syn. Cochlearia wasabi, Eutrema japonica)) is a member of the cabbage family. Commonly
known as Japanese horseradish, it grows naturally
along stream beds in mountain river valleys
in Japan. It is green, has an extremely strong
flavor. Its hotness is different from chilli
pepper, which burns the tongue; wasabi's
strong sensations shoot up one's sinus cavity
instead. Mostly accompanied by sushi and sashimi
and it can be put on the materials directly
or dissolved in soy-sauce and dipped.
- SHISO -
Shiso (Perilla frutescens, Lamiaceae) is also called Beefsteak plant,
Perilla, or Chinese basil. It resembles basil,
but the leaf edge is very irregular. There
are two types, a green type called "aojiso"
or "ooba" which is often eaten
with sashimi (sliced raw fish) and a purple
type called "skajiso" which is
often used to make umeboshi (pickled ume).
Although it tastes a little bitter, it smells
very good and it has been proven that it
has minerals and vitamins, and sterilizing
power and prevents from decay. The Japanese
often eat the green type and sometimes cut
into thin strips and enjoy the taste of it
in salads, spaghettis, meats and fish dishes.
- SANSHO ( Szechuan pepper ) -
The Szechuan peppecorn (Zanthoxylum piperitum, Zanthoxylum simulans, Zanthoxylum sancho and others in the Zanthoxylum genus) is not a member of the pepper family.
It is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of
a plant related to the prickly ash. It is known in Chinese as hujio (faa1jiu1 in some dialects), literally "flower
pepper"; a lesser-used name is shnjio, "mountain pepper". In Japanese
these same characters are pronounced sanshM, which can also be written in kana as In Tibetan, it is known as emma. It is widely used in the cuisine of Sichun
province, from which it takes its name (Sichun
used to be spelt Szechuan). KAIDO use for
Nigiri sushi of "ANAGO"
- INARI SUSHI -
Inari-zushi ( stuffed sushi ). A pouch of
fried tofu filled usually with just sushi
rice. It is named after the Shinto god Inari,
whose messenger, the fox, is believed to
have a fondness for fried tofu. The pouch
is normally fashioned from deep-fried tofu
( abura age ). Regional variations include
pouches made of a thin omelet ( ukusazushi)
or dried gourd shavings ( kanpyo ).
- KANPYO -
Dried gourd shavings. Bottle-calabash pith
is shaved and dried in long ribbon like strips.
These buff-colored dried gourd strips have
two primary uses: first, as something decorative
to tie to or to fasten around food gifts,
and second, as something edible, namely in
such foods as makizushi . KAIDO use it in KANPYO roll.
- DASHI -
Dashi is Japanese soup stock, which becomes
the base of many Japanese dishes, such as
soup and nimono (simmered dishes). There
are different kinds of dashi. It can be made
from konbu (dried kelp), katsuo-bushi (dried
bonito flakes), niboshi (dried small sardines), hoshi-shiitake(dried
shiitake mushrooms), and more. Konbu dashi
and shiitake mushroom dashi are known as
good vegetarian soup stocks. KAIDO use them
for miso soup dairy. Also, we use them for side veges in main
dishes as a traditional OKAZU.
- TATSUTA-AGE -
Mix of shoyu and sake or Mirin to make marinade.
Cut tuna into bite size pieces. Marinate
Tuna for five minutes. Drain and coat with
potato starch. Deep fry at 350 degrees until
reddish brown. ( Tuna will create reddish
brown instead of golden brown color ). The
name came from a name of river, Tatsuta-gawa,
in Kyoto, previous capital in Japan. When
it was marinated in Shoyu or Mirin and deep fried them, , it became like red foliage/red leaves floating
on the Tatsuta river in Kyoto.
- SUNOMONO -
Sunomono are vinegared dishes in Japanese
cuisine. Su indicates vinegar in Japanese.
Sunomono has a refreshing taste and goes
good with many types of dishes. It's a good
side dish or an appetizer for your Japanese
meal. Sunomono helps to enhance your appetite. KAIDO has cucumber, shrimp, octopus sunomono
of three kinds and the combination.
- POKI -
A favorite treat of Hawaii is poke. It is
similiar to sashimi, raw fish, It is mixed
with shoyu, sesame oil, onions and green
onions. Ahi is a yellowfin tuna, but other
fish can be used. It is a great pupu, snack,
and a favorite of many local residents of
Hawaii.
- AGEDASHI DOFU -
Until the mid-19th century in Japan,
religion generally prohibited the eating
of meat. Tofu is called "meat from the
fields" because it is made from soybeans
and is high in protein. For centuries, tofu
has been a very important food in Japan,
not only because of religion but also for
health reasons.
Even today, tofu appears in many
dishes, for example, miso soup and nabemono (a meal served in a pot). Two other ways
to eat tofu are as hiyayakko (chilled tofu) and yudofu (boiled tofu). Or you can flavor it with
a little soy sauce and eat it just as it
is.
AGEDASHI DOFU is deep-fried tofu served in
a soy-sauce based broth. You can taste the
light flavor of the tofu, but this dish has
a special fragrance as well, because the
tofu has been deep-fried in oil. The sauce
adds taste. The tofu has a marvelous texture,
crisp on the outside, soft inside. KAIDO
use ginger and green onion as garnish.
- KAKI NAMASU -
Namasu is one of Japanese New Year's food.
Usually It is carrot and daikon radish pickles.
KAIDO decorate in a special way using percimon
as a boel of namasu and salmon roe for special
appetizer of autum season. The Namasu is
sometimes used as side vegetable on the dish
of main entree.
- ANKIMO -
Ankimo is made with monkfish liver. The liver is first rubbed with salt, then
rinsed with sake. Then its veins are picked
out and the liver is rolled into a cylinder
and steamed. Ankimo is often served with
thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce, and
ponzu sauce. It would concidered one of the
Chinmi ( delicacies ) of Japan. Ankimo is
used as sushi material too.
- HIMONO -
Himono is sun-dried fish. Aji is very popular
used in this method of cooking. The fish
is cut and open fresh. and soaked in salt
water and half-dried for a night, then grilled.
- TATAKI -
Sushi or Sashimi menu items that end in gtatakih
which means gseared.h We cook lightly outside
of tuna, albacore for the some of the special
appetizer and sushi rolls.
