Chef Way Takashi Yagihashi crusts strip steak with a spicy wasabi-horseradish cream, then serves it with miso-glazed potatoes and deep-fried salsify (a root vegetable).Healthier Way Coat lean but tasty flank steak with bottled horseradish and wasabi—no cream. Skip the salsify. More Amazing Steak Recipes
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For a Taste of: JapanTry this book: Takashi's NoodlesIn this cookbook, top Chicago chef Takashi Yagihashi divulges his best recipes for ramen, soba, udon, rice noodles and more.More Fast Asian Dishes
Chef Way Takashi Yagihashi cooks scallops, squid and shrimp in stock, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil and mirin, then tops the dish with crispy deep-fried noodles.Healthier Way Stir-fry shrimp in a small amount of oil and top with a light sprinkling of crunchy instant ramen noodles. More Fast Asian Noodle Recipes
Chef Way Takashi Yagihashi roasts hamachi (yellowtail) until crisp, then combines it with buttery root vegetables, spinach and a lush sauce of mirin, soy sauce, butter and Szechuan peppercorns.Healthier Way To simplify the recipe, skip the hamachi in favor of easy-to-find tuna and cook it in a touch of oil. Don't make the sauce; instead, use the key ingredients to flavor the root vegetables. More Fast Asian Recipes
Chicago shoppers are in luck: Takashi Yagihashi (an F&W Best New Chef 2000) has a Japanese noodle shop in the Macy's on State Street. On his menu is this Japanese-style pork fried rice, his favorite childhood after-school snack.