What are Home-style Meals?

Home-style meals refer, as expected, to dishes prepared within the home.

These meals are not made by professional chefs but are prepared at home, filled with love, simple, and take nutritional balance into consideration. I feel that the fact that "one never gets tired of eating it every day" is more important than "deliciousness." Also, I think it is something that gives a sense of comfort and nostalgia to those who eat it.

Even now, there are no shops in the DC area that specialize in Japanese home-style meals, and I often hear people saying, "I wish there were delicatessen shops like the ones in Japan." Cooking for yourself allows you to eat what you like, save money, and manage your health by avoiding additives that are often found in processed foods. It is said that the only drawback of Japanese cuisine is its high salt content, but in home cooking, it is possible to reduce the amount of salt used when preparing dishes.

That being said, when people are busy, sick, not good at cooking, or for various other reasons find it difficult to cook at home, I would definitely like them to make use of Harmonious Kitchen.　 Currently, we only have farmers’ market sales on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and catering services, so I understand that it may be inconvenient without a store. However, we plan to expand our sales channels in the future, including stores similar to mini-marts.

I brought home a salmon bento from the farmers' market, put it in the refrigerator, and tried eating it with miso soup the next day. I removed the lid (not microwavable) and placed a paper towel on the bento container, and microwaved it for one minute to warm it up. As expected, the rice was still a bit hard even after heating, so I am thinking of making it into ochazuke next time to enjoy it more.　 When I placed the warmed side dishes on a plate, the colors looked beautiful, and more than anything, I thought it was nice to be able to enjoy a variety of side dishes in small portions.　 It’s quite difficult to make several types of side dishes in small amounts by oneself, isn’t it?

"What is “Ochazuke”?"

Ochazuke is a traditional Japanese dish where green tea, dashi, or hot water is poured over cooked rice, often topped with various ingredients like pickled vegetables, grilled fish, or seaweed.