Everyone orders Chinese food. Everyone goes out for Thai food. And we've all had Sushi. But day-to-day Japanese cuisine deserves a little of your culinary attention too! With no rich sauces, no fiery chilis and no overpowering curry mixtures, it sets itself apart from other Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines through its simplicity and respect for the character (and seasonality) of every ingredient. Today's menu takes a few simple ingredients — some prawns, some spinach, some sesame seeds, and a bit of seaweed — and comes up with a soup, a side dish and an appetizer for a light simple meal.

Easy ingredients:

Prawns, cornstarch, oil, spinach, sesame seeds, Japanese soy sauce, miso, shitake mushrooms.

Not-as-easy ingredients:

Mirin, Japanese 7-spice pepper, Kombu kelp, bonito flakes.

Prep and cooking time: 1 hour