Recipes Pork Fried Rice 5.0 (565) 3 Reviews 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. By Takashi Yagihashi Takashi Yagihashi Why Because his dishes exquisitely combine French and Japanese ideas. Born Mito, Japan, 1957. Experience Yoshi's Cafe and Ambria in Chicago. Early food memory "I grew up only 10 miles from the ocean, so we had lots of fresh seafood. Fish was very cheap, meat was very expensive so nobody ever fed me beef or lamb." Favorite childhood restaurants "Western food was very rare in my town, so McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken were high-end." Least favorite food "Okay, I'm not crazy about ketchup. But I like mayonnaise." A rule in his kitchen His line cooks are forbidden to have soft drinks while they're working. "I think it ruins their palates." What he'd be if he weren't a chef A "Pat Metheny-style" guitarist. Favorite restaurants Savarin and Arun in Chicago. What he does when he's not working Spends time with his wife and three children, ages eight, five and one. "I cook traditional Japanese food; the kids like it. My son's favorite is sukiyaki. He calls it brown meat.'" Won Best New Chef at: Tribute, Farmington Hills, MI Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 16, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jerrelle Guy Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 3 tablespoons soy sauce 5 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening 3/4 pound Chinese barbecued pork, half cut into 1/2-inch dice and half sliced 1/3 inch thick 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed 2 large shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced 1 carrot, cut into 1/3-inch dice 1 head baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 6 cups cold cooked Japanese short-grain rice 2 scallions, thinly sliced Pinch of freshly ground pepper Kosher salt 1/4 cup pickled ginger Directions In a small bowl, stir the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar. Heat a very large skillet. Add the shortening and let melt. Add the diced pork and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Add the peas, shiitakes, carrot and bok choy and stir-fry until tender. Add the eggs and scramble just until set. Stir in the cooked rice, scallions, soy sauce mixture and pepper and stir-fry until the rice is hot. Remove from the heat and season with salt. Spoon the fried rice into bowls, top with the sliced pork and pickled ginger and serve. Suggested Pairing A spicy-yet-smooth Aussie Shiraz. Rate it Print