RICE BOWLS
QUICK GUIDE & RECIPE IDEAS
The rice bowl is one of the most versatile ways to eat well: a base of perfect rice, something delicious off the grill, a fresh element, and the right sauce to bring it together. It's humble enough for an everyday dinner, yet with the right ingredients it's easily good enough for casual entertaining — and always hugely flavourful. Get the rice right and reach for quality ingredients, and the rest falls into place
The Konro Grill & Binchotan Charcoal
If there's one piece of kit that transforms a rice bowl, it's the Konro grill. These traditional Japanese grills are built from diatomaceous earth, which holds fierce, steady heat and radiates it straight up into whatever you're cooking — ideal for skewers.
The other half of the magic is binchotan, Japanese white charcoal. It burns hot, clean and almost smokeless, with barely any flame or ash, so you get a pure, even sear rather than a smoky char. It's what gives yakitori and yakiniku that glossy, caramelised finish without ever tasting of lighter fluid.
You don't need one to make these bowls — but once you've grilled over binchotan, it's hard to go back.
RICE
In Japanese, uncooked rice is kome and cooked rice is gohan — a word that also just means "a meal." Rice mattered so much it was once literally money: samurai were paid, and land was valued, in koku — roughly the amount of rice to feed one person for a year. It was measured in go (合), 180ml a unit, scooped with calibrated wooden boxes. That's the reason rice cookers still comes with a little cup: one go, one serving.
Always rinse. Swirl the rice in cold water, tip away the cloudy water, gently scrub the grains to shed the bran, and repeat until the water runs almost clear. This is what gives you clean, separate grains rather than a gluey clump.
To soak or not. Soaking 30 minutes in fresh water lets the grains hydrate evenly and cook up plumper — worth it if you have the time. Skip it and the rice is still good, just a touch firmer.
How much water? Roughly 1 : 1.2 rice to water. sushi wants firmer rice, closer to 1 : 1 (you'll add seasoned vinegar later); poke and everyday bowls want plump rice at the full 1 : 1.2.
You can cook rice happily on the stovetop, but our tip is to use a rice steamer — gentle, even heat and beautiful results. Whichever way, rest it off the heat for 5–10 minutes before fluffing.
Koshihikari — your everyday, high-quality grain. Glossy, forgiving, perfect for poke bowls and skewers.
Wakai Noen 5-Star Master Rice — quite simply the best rice we sell, graded to the top standard. Not about occasion, but how seriously you take the rice itself. When the rice is the star, this is the one.
Yakitori
Marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs in Yakitori Sauce for 4–24 hours. Thread onto skewers, season, and cook on a Konro grill, turning often, for 15–20 minutes until cooked through. Sprinkle with Kimchi white sesame seeds.
Chiffonade hispi cabbage, carrot and heritage beetroot; toss in gomadare sauce for 5 minutes, then add sliced spring onion, chopped coriander and steamed edamame.
Serve over sticky rice, seasoned lightly with 2-year aged soy sauce.
Wagyu Beef Yakiniku
Cut Australian Wagyu sirloin into bite-size pieces, thread onto skewers, season and cook on the Konro grill, turning often. Once browned, brush with Yakiniku sauce 2–3 times as you turn.
Sauté maitake, baby shiitake, buna shimeji and finely sliced Cévennes onions; at the last minute wilt through baby spinach, then add confit lemon zest and a splash of Hon Mirin.
Serve over sticky rice, seasoned with citrus ponzu.Sprinkle with Kimchi white sesame seeds.
Rock Lobster / Mango Salsa
Also works beautifully with any premium prawn in our range — notably Gambero Rosso.
Gently remove the rock lobster from the shell, thread onto skewers and brush with black sesame oil. Cook on the Konro grill for 4–5 minutes, turning frequently.
For the salsa, dice fresh mango and deseeded cucumber; add sliced spring onion, finely chopped red chilli, steamed shelled edamame and a splash of mandarin ponzu.
Serve over steamed rice, lightly seasoned with 2-year aged soy sauce and black sesame seeds
CHILEAN SEABASS
Season a skinless Chilean sea bass portion, brush with black sesame oil and wrap in a moistened nori sheet. Insert two skewers and cook on the Konro grill for 6–7 minutes, until the nori crisps and the fish hits 55°C.
Dressing: chop roasted walnuts, finely dice Cévennes onions and coriander; bind with gomadare sauce.
Sauté tenderstem broccoli, add maitake and a little olive oil, then finish with confit lemon zest and sliced spring onion.
Serve Milky Queen rice seasoned with 2-year aged soy
TUNA POKE
Chop bluefin akami (yellowfin also works) and marinate in black sesame oil and yakiniku sauce.
For the spicy mayo, mix Kewpie Mayo with sriracha and a few drops of ra-yu chilli oil.
Salad: steamed edamame, deseeded and diced cucumber, thinly sliced radish and sliced spring onion, dressed with citrus ponzu.
Serve over steamed rice with a fan of avocado and the spicy mayo.
The secret to a great rice bowl isn't hours at the stove — it's having solid technique and brilliant sauces ready to go. The crux of any simple, flavourful rice dish is the quality of the ingredients you reach for, and that very much includes our Japanese selection: Hon Mirin, aged soy, gomadare, ponzu and spicy mayo. Knowing which to use when is really down to experimentation and personal preference — keep these on hand and a delicious bowl is only ever minutes away.
Japanese Essentials
