Thank you Bachan.
I wrote this when Bachan passed away but I never shared it on my blog until today. 10/2/25 was the one year anniversary of Bachan’s passing and we were able to go to the cemetery. We miss her every day and we are so grateful …
Recent Posts
Oshogatsu 2024
Happy New Year! 2023 came and went and here we are a brand new year and ready to go in 2024! I am so grateful to continue to share these Japanese and Japanese American traditions from the Fujitaki family! Every year things get a little …
A 40th birthday to remember!
Happy Birthday, Brandon.
Well, it was a few weeks ago, but you know time, life and everything else that goes into things. But I still wanted to document Brandon’s birthday on the blog! On Brandon’s birthday, which was 9/7, we had a really delicious meal at Golden Deli in San Gabriel.
The best place to go when you are starving is a Pho restaurant because if you order Pho it will literally come out to you in 5 minutes. Before your egg rolls, before whatever else you order, sometimes even before you get your glass of water, and definitely before the other person who orders gets their food. So if you are used to getting all your food at once and it’s going to upset you, don’t go to a pho restaurant and get mad – or just everyone order pho. Everything else is usually relatively fast too, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long.
Golden Deli is pretty popular, so you may have to wait outside for a bit before you get a table, but because everything comes out so quickly, most tables are turned relatively fast. It’s not really a place for a long sit down dinner, so come prepared.
I highly recommend all these delicious things and I’m excited to go back and try more. We don’t cook Vietnamese food that often, so it was nice to have a variety of yummy things to enjoy.
For Brandon’s birthday weekend we took a trip up to Mammoth!
Mammoth in September is beautiful and way less busy than in the summer months when we usually go. We had some rain, and then lots of rain at times, but it didn’t stop us from getting out on the lake and enjoying the beautiful Eastern Sierra. We caught so many trout that I lost count and we put most of them back in the lake. But we did get these four beautiful trout that we kept and one of them we ate fresh that day! Super delicious. Talk about lake-to-table!
We enjoyed a beer at June Brewery and dinner at Mammoth Brewery. Our favorite breads from Shat’s and brought some treats from home for some delicious meals on and off the lake.
It was a weekend of lots of relaxation with a lot of walking, hiking, fishing and fun! I love Mammoth and am so happy we got to have this awesome fishing experience together for Brandon’s 40th Birthday.
This was a trip to remember and I’m so proud of how much progress Brandon has made since his hip surgery just this past December! Here’s to many more trips to Mammoth, lots of movement, health and happiness for many years to come!
Happy Birthday, Brandon! I love you so much!!!
Bachans 100th Birthday
When I think back on all of the many caterings throughout my time as a chef, this particular one is probably the most significant catering that I have ever done. In fact, I get emotional just thinking about how much my Bachan has impacted my …
Fabulous at Forty!
My sister, Kristen, just turned forty on March 12th. My sister-in-law, Linh’s, birthday is just one day before on March 11th a couple years before, so each year we get to celebrate these two lovely ladies and everything they do for our family on a daily …
Oshogatsu 2023
Another Osechi Ryori has come and gone, but this year is also a special one because Bachan will turn 100 on July 21, 2023, so this is her 100th Oshogatsu and I am so grateful that I was able to prepare and host this year’s party!
2022 was hard —lots of pain and lots of transition—but with the help of our family and friends and the deep trust and love we have for one another, we made it into the new year!
I have been making Osechi dishes and celebrating Japanese New Year most of my life. You can search other years on this blog and though many of the items we enjoy on New Year’s Day are Japanese American, they still have great significance to our family and our evolving traditions.
This year we got to share the day with our nieces, Maleeya, Amaya, Adelyn, and Quinn, and our new nephew, Keston, born July 30, 2022! We also hosted my uncle and cousins to share this special day with Bachan. Even with challenges, there is always so much goodness and joy!
I had some really good lighting this year and I’m grateful to share this menu and these dishes with you all. Also, some very awesome kamaboko art that Brandon took time to do this year. We are always looking for new ways to elevate and share delicious food.
Menu
Osechi Ryori
Tazukuri (Candied Sardines)
Symbolizes a bountiful harvest
Kamaboko (Fish Cake)
Symbolizes celebratory colors
Gobo (Kinpira Gobo and Sesame Gobo)Symbolizes strength and stability
Ebi (Shrimp)
Symbolizes longevity
Konbu (Seaweed)
Symbolizes joy and good omens
Namasu (Pickled Daikon and Carrot)
Symbolizes peace and happiness
Renkon (Lotus Root)
Symbolizes luck in future prospects
Takenoko (Bamboo Shoots)
Symbolizes advancing in life
Satoimo (Japanese Taro)
Symbolizes lasting prosperity
Konnyaku (Yam cakes)
Symbolizes bonds and relationships
Five-Sided Carrot and Daikon
Shiitake Mushroom
Blistered Shisito Pepper
Umeboshi
Tsukemono
Sushi
Ahi Sashimi
Korokke (Potato & Meat Croquette)
Chicken Katsu
Teriyaki Chicken
Spicy Chicken Skewer
Grilled Sake Trout
Rice
Grilled Shrimp
Fresh Fruit
Mochi
Spam Musubi
Wonton
Chashu
Ozoni
Japanese New Year Mochi Soup
Kagami mochi “mirror rice cake” represents harmony in the family and mochi’s stretchy texture symbolizes hopes for longevity
I hope you enjoyed this year’s dishes!
Happy New Year Everyone. May 2023 bring you lots of love and peace!
-Kimberly
Unrivaledkitch
Christmas 2022
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make all my usual Christmas deliciousness because Brandon had his hip replaced just before Christmas. The unknown of going through a surgical procedure was a little unsettling, but luckily his hip replacement …
Cu-Tea Boba Baby Shower
Baby Fujitaki # 3 is on his way! My brother, Kyle, and my sister-in-law, Viet-Linh, are having their third child and…drum roll, please…it’s a boy! Needless to say, his arrival is much anticipated, especially since Kyle already has two daughters, Adelyn and Quinn, and my older sister, …
Thanksgiving Ideas
So we are rapidly approaching Thanksgiving!
This year is going by crazy fast but I’m excited to eat, give thanks and hang out with family. If you’ve been around my blog you’ve seen many Thanksgiving feasts from previous years. It’s usually the same stuff with a couple of twists. I’m sure you have your family favorites all planned out and if you need some different ideas here are three videos that Brandon made for thanksgiving ideas. If you are a pre-planner then these are great videos to reference and make ahead of time to take with you.
I’m terrible at preplanning my thanksgiving so I usually go to the store have someone with me to drive the cart because I hate driving the cart, buy everything, and then whatever we have we make. My parents are usually responsible for Ham and green bean casserole and deserts. The rest we figure out. This year Brandon is going to las vegas to visit family so we’ll have lots of different photos of Thanksgiving feasts. I love seeing everyone’s different dishes and delicious ideas. If you make the cranberry sauce I would cut it back dramatically, unless you want a ton of cranberry sauce! The batch Brandon made was for a large group donation so I would cut it in 1/4 if it’s just for a group of 5 or 7. He is used to making large amounts of food. lol
We hope you enjoy!
If you have any questions please let us know.
cheers
-Unrivaledkitch
Trunk or Treat and Meal Delivery
Hello everyone! I hope you had an awesome week. We had a pretty busy weekend for Halloween. I spent most of the week just recovering and trying to keep things together. But it was good to have some healthy things for us to eat during …