10 great Japanese restaurants in New York City

We're getting in the kitchen with New York chefs preparing international specialties, and this month Masaharu Morimoto shares a pork belly recipe he uses for three dishes at his new restaurant, Momosan Ramen & Sake. Chef Morimoto lived in Japan for 29 years, where he ran his own restaurant for five years. He's since opened a dozen restaurants around the world, including his flagship Morimoto in Philadelphia (with an outpost in New York City). Explore two of his restaurants in NYC along with eight other destinations for authentic Japanese fare, and see below for his recipe, cooking demo, and standout sake and whisky pairings.

Braised kakuni pork

by chef Masaharu Morimoto

Ingredients:

1/2 slab pork belly

1,700 grams water

1,420 grams sake

850 grams sugar

450 grams soy sauce

20 grams dark soy sauce

85 grams scallion oil

15 grams scallions cut into 2-inch sticks

10 grams ginger, skin on, sliced thinly

30 grams takatnosume (dried chili)

3 pieces Bay leaf

Method:

Steam pork belly block for 1 hour. Then cut into 40-gram slices and place neatly in deep hotel pan.

Braise in 350 degrees for 4 hours until tender.

Add a roasting rack over the portioned pork belly so the meat stays submerged while braising.  Cool in the liquid and remove fat next day once it solidifies.

Can serve as tetsunabe kakuni (iron skillet), in steamed bao buns or on ramen.

Watch Morimoto prepare the dish

Essential ingredients for Japanese cooking

Standout sake and whisky pairing options