Japanese Dinner on a Budget (and Diet)

Low-fat truly doesn't mean no-taste when braising thick slices of daikon radish and tender, young turnips in a broth of sake, mirin and soy sauce.

We'll admit it - brown rice can be deadly boring without a saucy accompaniment to moisten and accent the nutty grains. A super quick fix is a generous sprinkle of Ajishima Foods' numerous varieties of rice seasonings. Cafe Drake spiked our rice bowl above with seto fumi furikaki, a blend of bonito flakes, sesame seeds and toasted crumbled toasted nori.

"Custard-style" tofu served as a chilled salad, adorned only with a light soy dressing and snipped garlic chives to allow the clean, simple flavors of the bean curd shine.

Brown rice, tofu salad, Chinese cabbage with green and red chilies, pickles.