Julia Barretto And JP Anglo Bring You The Flavors Of Japan In Their New Show, Knorr Kitchen Nomad

EATdakimasu! The first episode of Kitchen Nomad takes Julia Barretto and Chef JP Anglo to on a Japanese adventure. Quarantine is not a limitation, as Chef JP teaches Julia the secrets of cooking Japanese by teaching her two iconic dishes: the classic Japanese noodle soup with a twist, Pork Liempo Ramen and his pared down, easy version of Chicken Katsudon. 

Who doesn’t love a steaming bowl of ramen? “You can taste all the meticulous preparation that goes into each bowl,” says Chef JP. “Fortunately, some elements can be made in advance.” His homework was t make the ramen broth. It’s as simple as throwing together some flavorful ingredients, but with a lot of patience. “I personally like to add a little bit of Knorr cube for deeper flavor,” says Chef JP, before he boils the broth for six hours.  

Julia’s homework is to make Ajitsuke Tamago. Easier than you think, all you need to do is to boil the egg (at the correct temperature!), submerge it in cold water to stop the cooking, then soak the eggs overnight in a marinade made with Knorr Liquid Seasoning for that hit of flavor. 

Going through the ramen cooking process is how Julia picks up techniques, like how to control how ot pour liquid ingredients into the pot, and what to do with inadvertently burned pork liempo (you add it to the broth which will absorb its flavor — a great trick to achieve deeper flavored-broth). 

Julia says ramen reminds her of her a trip to Japan in March last year, shooting for a movie, when she had really, really good ramen almost every day. Chef JP says his last Japan vacation was years ago. He tagged along with a pro Japanese surfer who lived in La Union, surfing where he surfed, eating where he ate. “I had a lot of very good food. You really get the feel of the place,” he says.

With the ramen done, the pair move on to make Chicken Katsudon, a dish that the chef has only learned to make in quarantine. After frying the chicken without mishap, they move on to the sauce which “makes the dish.” Chef JP uses onions, ginger, a little sake, Knorr Liquid Seasoning, the white part of the leek (because the flavor is here), and a little Knorr Chicken Cube because it’s made of real chicken and is so potent it goes a long way. 

And finally, they’re done! At the taste test (they sent each other food via courier), Chef JP admits he likes Julia’s katsudon better. “I like my katsudon a little sweeter,” she says. 

“You’re right,” he nods. And as they sip on sake, he adds: “Don’t you feel like you got a glimpse of Japan?”  We definitely do. And we’ll try out the recipes at home, too. Watch out the next episode of Knorr Kitchen Nomad on Metro.Style.  

If you want to follow the recipe, here are the ingredients with quantities:

Pork Liempo Ramen

For the Stock:

½ kilo pork bones ½

kilo chicken bones

2 pieces grilled whole onions

4 stalks grilled leeks

6 to 8 cups water

1 piece Knorr Pork Cube, crushed

For the Ajitsuke Tamago:

3 eggs

water, for boiling the eggs

4 tablespoons Knorr Liquid Seasoning

1 stalk lemongrass, crushed

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons mirin

For the Liempo:

½ cup Knorr Liquid Seasoning

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sake

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 stalks lemongrass (white part only), crushed

1 head garlic, sliced

garlic powder (optional)

½ kilo pork belly, sliced

For the Ramen:

200 grams ramen noodles

water, for boiling the ramen

tare sauce stock

Toppings

liempo

ajitsuge tamago

sesame seeds

chopped spring onions

Chicken Katsudon 

4 to 8 pieces chicken thigh fillet

1 cup all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

oil, for deep frying

chopped leeks, for garnish

chopped spring onions, for garnish

nori, for garnish

pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)

Katsudon Sauce Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large white onion, sliced

1 thumb-sized ginger, smashed

¼ cup sake

1 stalk leek (white part only), sliced

¼ Knorr Chicken Cube

1/2 cup Knorr Liquid

Seasoning ½ cups water 2 tablespoons mirin