Japanese cuisine extends far beyond sushi. Ramen is a noodle soup with broth, toppings, and noodles, and its broth styles are a defining feature. Shio is the lightest, salt-based broth; shoyu is soy-based and lighter than richer styles; miso ramen is hearty with miso paste, particularly popular in Hokkaido; and tonkotsu is a creamy white pork bone broth. Common toppings include chashu, which is braised or roasted pork belly, and ajitsuke tamago, a marinated soft-boiled egg cooked for six to seven minutes for a jammy yolk center.
Tempura is battered and deep-fried vegetables or seafood. The secret to its light, crispy texture lies in using cold sparkling water and mixing the batter minimally. The oil should be heated to about 170 to 180 degrees Celsius, around 340 to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. Related fried dishes include tonkatsu, a breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet coated in panko, the Japanese-style coarse breadcrumbs. Karaage is Japanese-style fried chicken, marinated in soy sauce, sake, ginger, and garlic before being lightly coated and fried.
Hot pot cooking holds an important place in Japanese dining. Sukiyaki features thin beef, vegetables, and tofu cooked in a shallow iron pot with a sweet-soy broth of soy, sugar, and mirin, with cooked pieces traditionally dipped in raw egg before eating. Shabu-shabu is similar but involves briefly swirling ingredients in hot broth. Noodle dishes include udon, the thick wheat noodles, and soba, the thin buckwheat noodles often served cold with a dipping sauce. Somen is a very thin wheat noodle often served chilled in summer, while yakisoba is stir-fried noodles with sauce, vegetables, and meat. Rice bowls, or donburi, top a bowl of rice with simmered or fried ingredients: gyudon is beef simmered with onions, katsudon is tonkatsu over rice with egg and onion in dashi, oyakodon means "parent and child" with chicken and egg, and chirashi don is a sashimi rice bowl in a less formal style than nigiri. Other beloved dishes include okonomiyaki (a savory cabbage pancake), takoyaki (octopus-filled balls cooked in a special pan), and gyoza (pan-fried dumplings cooked by frying the bottoms, adding water to steam, then uncovering to re-crisp).