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Japanese beer brand Kirin has launched a pop-up yatai aka street food stand with Yasuhiro Mineno (ex head chef of Nobu) and Shinya Ikeda, joint owners and Head Chef of London’s fabled Yashin Sushi restaurant. Kirin Ichiban is being dished up with a menu of kushiage and other snacks to offer Londoners a taste of what will be served at the Yashin founders' full-blown kushiage restaurant set to launch in 2012 (learn more about my beloved kushiage here ). The Kirin Ichiban Yatai is around for just one week from 3-8 August in the open-air Dray Walk gallery near Brick Lane and is serving up a selection of the traditional Japanese pankoed and deep-fried skewer snacks. The short menu offers three sticks for £5, six plus edamame for £10, or nine plus ice cream for £15, with a free bottle of Kirin Ichiban for every diner who has booked online. Kirin Ichiban is a beer made by the unique “Ichiban Shibori" Process which translates as “first press”. Bottles of Kirin are £3 & a pint ...

I expect you think this will be a post on fugu aka Japan's notorious poison puffer fish. Well, despite the fact that Mr Fugu sits happily on my banner, I've never tried fugu nor am I in the least bit inclined to do so. God knows I love food - but not quite enough to risk death or even paralysis. I know, what a killjoy. However, I have tried Japan's most dangerous (rather than deadliest) meal and blow me if it wasn't the best experience I've ever had in terms of both taste and fun. What am I talking about? All-you-can-eat DIY Kushikatsu aka Kushiage. My mate Sati (bib optional) Just plain old kushikatsu is a fantastic thing in itself - you pick various sticks of panko -breaded eats and they're fried to order in front of you - nothing beats the flavour of a freshly-frittered king prawn. DIY kushikatsu means you fry the kebabs yourself, at your table, with next to no safeguards. All-you-can-eat DIY kushikatsu means you're trying to deep-fry as many of the ...