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Shichirin Tasting Dinner For Two

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Shichirin Tasting Dinner For Two

Cuisine:Japanese

Course:Dinner

30m prep 30m cook 1h 0m ready

A Japanese-style shichirin charcoal grill dinner for two, featuring a sequence of grilled proteins and vegetables served with rice, ponzu, and yuzu-kosho.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
    • 1 king oyster mushroom large
    • neutral oil
    • salt
    • ponzu
    • spring onion sliced
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Slice the king oyster mushroom lengthwise into approximately 6 mm thick planks, keeping the slices uniform so they cook evenly.
    2. Very lightly coat the mushroom slices with neutral oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, using just enough oil to prevent sticking without making them greasy.
    3. Grill the mushroom slices over the heat, turning once, until they are browned on both sides and beginning to become tender, about 2–3 minutes per side depending on the grill temperature.
    4. Serve the grilled mushrooms immediately with a small splash of ponzu and a scattering of sliced spring onion.
    • 4 large scallops
    • Fine salt
    • 0.5 lemon
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Pat the scallops extremely dry. Season lightly with salt immediately before grilling. Place over high heat and leave undisturbed until browned, approximately 60–90 seconds. Turn and cook the other side. They should remain tender inside. Finish with just a squeeze of lemon. Two scallops each. Don't bury good scallops in sauce—the charcoal is the seasoning.
    • 5 2/7 oz boneless skinless chicken thigh
    • 2 spring onions
    • Salt
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Simmer the tare briefly until slightly reduced. Cut the chicken into approximately 2–3 cm pieces. Cut the white/light-green portions of spring onion into similar lengths. Thread: chicken → onion → chicken → onion → chicken Make two or four small skewers. Grill while turning frequently. Leave half seasoned simply with salt. Brush the other half lightly with tare during the last couple of minutes , turning and brushing repeatedly to create a thin lacquer rather than a burnt sugary coating. Serve one shio and one tare portion each.
    • 4 large shell-on prawns
    • Sea salt
    • Lemon
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Leave the shells on. Dry thoroughly and sprinkle lightly with salt. Grill over high heat, turning once, until the shells become deeply colored and the flesh is just cooked. Serve one or two each with lemon. The shells protect the flesh from the intense heat while picking up tremendous charcoal flavor.
    • lean sirloin
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • 2 tbsp ponzu
    • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
    • 1 tsp spring onion sliced
    • Sesame seeds
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Slice the sirloin across the grain into pieces approximately 5–7 mm thick. Do not marinate the meat; keep it plain until cooking.
    2. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp ponzu, ½ tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp sliced spring onion, and sesame seeds to taste. Stir well and set aside as the dipping sauce.
    3. Just before cooking, season the sirloin slices lightly with salt and black pepper on both sides. Do not season earlier, as the salt will draw out moisture.
    4. Heat a shichirin or grill to very high heat. Once hot, place the seasoned sirloin pieces on the grill and cook for roughly 30–60 seconds per side, depending on thickness and desired doneness. The pieces should develop a quick sear but remain juicy inside.
    5. While the meat cooks, have the ponzu-sesame dip ready nearby. If using yuzu-kosho, place a tiny amount on one or two pieces instead of dipping them.
    6. Eat the grilled sirloin directly from the grill, dipping each piece lightly into the ponzu mixture or enjoying the yuzu-kosho variation.
    • pork belly
    • Salt
    • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • black pepper
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Slice the pork belly into pieces approximately 6–8 mm thick. There is no marinade; the meat will be seasoned simply with salt.
    2. Season the pork belly slices lightly with salt on both sides. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
    3. Grill the pork belly slices until the fat renders and the edges become crisp, turning once, about 2–3 minutes per side. The slices should be golden brown and slightly charred at the edges.
    4. While the pork belly grills, mix the sesame-salt dip: in a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ¼ tsp salt, and lots of black pepper. Stir to blend.
    5. Serve each person just two or three pieces of the grilled pork belly with the sesame-salt dip on the side. This is intentionally the richest course and comes near the end of the meal.
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp mirin
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Shape the cooked rice into two small rice balls, about 70–75 g each. Triangles are traditional, but slightly flattened rounds are easier to grill and turn. Ideally, make them before dinner and let the surfaces dry for 20–30 minutes; this helps them hold together and form a crust.
    2. While the rice balls dry, prepare the glaze by mixing 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp mirin in a small bowl. Set aside.
    3. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the rice balls on the grill without any sauce first. Let them cook undisturbed until a proper crust forms before attempting to move them, about 3–4 minutes. If they stick, wait a bit longer.
    4. Turn the rice balls and crisp the other side, another 3–4 minutes. The surfaces should be dry and lightly toasted.
    5. Once the rice is crisp, brush the glaze very lightly over the top of each rice ball. Do not soak the rice in sauce or it will fall apart. Grill briefly, about 30 seconds, until the glaze sizzles.
    6. Turn the rice balls, brush again with glaze, and grill until fragrant and lightly caramelized, about 30–60 seconds more. Serve hot as the final savory bite.
  • 5 2/7 oz cooked Japanese short-grain rice
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 spring onions
  • Ponzu Soy sauce
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Yuzu-kosho
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Fine sea salt
  • Black pepper

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Estimated based off 6 of 9 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).

Energy
710 cal
Protein
19.7 g
Carbohydrate
96.2 g
Fiber
18.8 g
Sugars
5.33 g
Sodium
655 mg
Total fat
31.7 g
Saturated fat
4.48 g
Monounsaturated fat
11.8 g
Polyunsaturated fat
13.8 g
Vitamins & minerals
  • Calcium: 199 mg
  • Iron: 8.5 mg
  • Magnesium: 274 mg
  • Phosphorus: 616 mg
  • Potassium: 780 mg
  • Zinc: 7.97 mg

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Light the charcoal in the shichirin early enough that it is fully established before cooking; you want a bed of glowing coals with a light ash coating, which typically takes 20–30 minutes. While the charcoal heats, prepare the ingredients: cook 150 g Japanese short-grain rice if not already cooked, and set out the lemon, spring onions, ponzu, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, yuzu-kosho (if using), toasted sesame seeds, fine sea salt, and black pepper.

  2. Step 2.

    Cut the lemon into wedges and slice the spring onions thinly, keeping the white and green parts separate if desired. Arrange the proteins and vegetables for the cooking sequence: mushroom, scallop, yakitori, prawn, sirloin, pork belly, and yaki onigiri.

  3. Step 3.

    Have all components within arm's reach of the grill so you can cook and eat course by course without rushing.

Tips & variations

Plan n Cook Kitchen
10/14/2026 15:36

For this particular meal, good-quality lump charcoal will work, but Binchotan or high-quality Japanese-style charcoal is ideal because you're cooking small pieces over intense radiant heat for an extended period.

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