Buyers guides

Best Katsuobushi Shaver for Fresh Bonito Flakes

A simple wooden box shaver with a built-in blade is the traditional and still easiest way...

Best Wok Brush for Cleaning Carbon Steel

A simple bamboo wok brush is the traditional choice, gentle enough to clean a seasoned wok...

Best Ssamjang Brand to Buy in the UK

CJ Beksul or Chung Jung One are the ssamjang jars most easily found through Korean grocers...

Best Yuzu Kosho Brand to Buy in the UK

S&B is the yuzu kosho most reliably stocked by UK Japanese grocers and online, sold in...

Best Rendang Paste Brand to Buy in the UK

Tean's Gourmet or Ayam are the rendang pastes most UK shoppers can find, and a reliable...

Best Donabe (Japanese Clay Pot) for Home Cooking

A simple glazed ceramic donabe is a good starting point, sturdy enough for rice, stews and...

Best Gyoza Pan for Crispy, Steamed Dumplings

A flat, non-stick frying pan with a well-fitting glass lid is really all a gyoza pan...

Best Hot Pot Set for Home Use

A dual-flavour induction hot pot is the easiest setup for a UK kitchen, letting you run...

Best Donburi Bowl Set

A simple ceramic donburi bowl set is worth having if you make rice bowls regularly, since...

Best Chunjang Brand to Buy in the UK

Sempio is the most widely available chunjang brand through Korean grocers and online, and a reliable...

Best Laksa Paste Brand to Buy in the UK

Tean's Gourmet or Prima Taste are the laksa pastes most UK shoppers can find, and a...

Best Shirataki Noodles Brand to Buy in the UK

Miracle Noodle and Youtiao brands are the most consistently stocked shirataki noodles in the UK, sold...

Best Sake to Buy in the UK

Gekkeikan or Hakutsuru are reliable everyday sakes, sold in most UK supermarkets and fine for both...

Best Bento Box for Meal Prep

A simple two-tier stackable bento box is the easiest all-rounder, keeping rice, protein and vegetables separate...

Best Mandoline Slicer for Asian Cooking

A simple adjustable Japanese-style mandoline is the easiest way to get consistently thin, even slices for...

Best Kombu to Buy in the UK

Kishibori or Kayanoya kombu are widely available online, and a solid choice for a clean, reliable...

Best Chilli Crisp Brand to Buy in the UK

Lao Gan Ma is the chilli crisp most UK shoppers reach for first, and a reliable...

Best Black Bean Sauce to Buy in the UK

Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce is the jar most UK supermarkets stock, and a...

Best Chinese Five Spice Powder to Buy in the UK

Bart Chinese Five Spice is a reliable everyday jar and one of the easiest to find...

Best Dashi Powder to Buy in the UK

Shimaya Dashi-no-moto is the granule sold through most Japanese grocers in the UK, and an easy...

Best Sriracha Sauce to Buy in the UK

Flying Goose Sriracha is the bottle most widely stocked in UK supermarkets, and a good all-round...

Best Rice Noodles to Buy in the UK

Blue Dragon rice noodles are the easiest to find in UK supermarkets, and a reliable choice...

Best Doubanjiang Brand to Buy in the UK

Lee Kum Kee and Sichuan brand doubanjiang jars are the most widely available in the UK,...

Best Chinkiang Vinegar to Buy in the UK

Look for a bottle labelled Chinkiang or Zhenjiang vinegar, since these are the same product under...

Best Doenjang Brand to Buy in the UK

CJ Beksul and Sempio are the two doenjang brands most commonly found through Korean grocers in...

Best Rice Paper Wrappers to Buy in the UK

Look for rice paper wrappers made from rice flour and tapioca starch, in a round 22cm...

Best Ponzu Sauce to Buy in the UK

Kikkoman ponzu is the most widely stocked bottle in UK supermarkets, and a reliable everyday choice...

Best Spider Skimmer (Noodle Strainer) to Buy in the UK

Best Tamari (Gluten-Free Soy Sauce) to Buy in the UK

Best Sushi Rolling Mat (Makisu) to Buy in the UK

Best Rice Paddle (Shamoji) to Buy in the UK

Best Wok Spatula to Buy in the UK

Best Tamarind Paste to Buy in the UK

A ready made tamarind paste or concentrate is the easiest option, since it skips soaking and...

Best Sichuan Peppercorn to Buy in the UK

Look for red Sichuan peppercorn, the common variety, rather than the rarer green one, unless a...

Best Dumpling Wrappers to Buy in the UK

Round wrappers suit gyoza and potstickers, while square wonton wrappers suit soup dumplings and wontons, so...

Best Tonkatsu Sauce to Buy in the UK

Bulldog is the brand most Japanese restaurants use, and it is the easiest tonkatsu sauce to...

Best Char Siu Sauce to Buy in the UK

Lee Kum Kee makes the char siu sauce most home cooks reach for in the UK,...

Best Yuzu Products to Buy in the UK

Fresh yuzu is nearly impossible to find in the UK, so bottled yuzu juice and yuzu...

Best Kewpie Mayo to Buy in the UK

Kewpie Original, the yellow squeeze bottle with the red cap, is the one most recipes mean,...

Best Rice Paper Wrappers to Buy in the UK

Look for wrappers labelled banh trang, since that is the Vietnamese rice paper used for fresh...

Best Gochugaru Brand to Buy in the UK

Check the packet says coarse gochugaru rather than fine chilli powder, since the two behave differently...

Best Furikake Brand to Buy in the UK

Nori komi furikake, the sesame and seaweed blend, is the easiest all rounder to start with,...

Best Nori Sheets to Buy in the UK

Look for roasted sushi nori sheets rather than plain, and check the pack is resealable, since...

Best Mirin to Buy in the UK

Yutaka and Clearspring are the two mirin brands most UK supermarkets and Asian grocers stock, and...

Best Katsu Curry Sauce Mix to Buy in the UK

S&B Golden Curry is the block sauce mix most home cooks reach for, and it comes...

Best Panko Breadcrumbs to Buy in the UK

Any plain panko breadcrumbs work well, the main choice is white or golden, and whether you...

Best Wasabi to Buy in the UK

Almost all wasabi sold in UK shops is not real wasabi. It is horseradish, mustard powder...

Best XO Sauce to Buy in the UK

Lee Kum Kee is the most widely available XO sauce brand in UK Chinese supermarkets and...

Best Shaoxing Wine to Buy in the UK

Pagoda and Lee Kum Kee are the two most widely available Shaoxing wine brands in UK...

Best Rice Vinegar for Sushi and Stir-Fries: A UK Buying Guide

For sushi rice, dressings, and stir-fries, buy plain, unseasoned rice vinegar from a brand such as...

Best Hoisin Sauce Brands to Buy in the UK

Lee Kum Kee is the most widely recommended hoisin sauce in the UK, with a balanced...

Best Sesame Oil to Buy in the UK

For flavouring Asian dishes, buy toasted (dark) sesame oil from a brand such as Yutaka, Clearspring,...

Best Oyster Sauce Brands to Buy in the UK

Lee Kum Kee is the most widely available and best-regarded oyster sauce brand in UK supermarkets...

Best Miso Paste Brands to Buy in the UK

For an everyday miso paste, buy a white (shiro) or awase (mixed) miso from a brand...

Best Sushi Rice Brands to Buy in the UK

For sushi at home, buy a short-grain Japanese rice labelled "sushi rice" such as Yutaka, Nishiki,...

Best Kimchi Brands to Buy in the UK

For shop-bought kimchi in the UK, look for a jar that lists napa cabbage, gochugaru, garlic,...

Best Japanese Knife for Home Cooks: A UK Buying Guide

A single-bevel gyuto or santoku in VG-10 or similar high-carbon stainless steel is the best all-round...

Best Fish Sauce: A UK Buying Guide

The best fish sauce for most home cooks is a high-nitrogen, anchovy-only sauce such as Red...

Best Gochujang Brand: A UK Buying Guide

The best gochujang for most home cooks is a traditionally fermented paste, such as Chung Jung...

Best Soy Sauce Brand: Light vs Dark, and What to Buy in the UK

There is no single best soy sauce, since light and dark soy sauce do different jobs....

Best Chinese Cleaver: A Buying Guide for Home Cooks

The best Chinese cleaver for most home cooks is a mid-weight stainless steel blade, around 200...

Best Rice Cooker for Sushi Rice: What to Look For

The best rice cooker for sushi rice has a dedicated sushi or fuzzy logic setting, a...

Best Rice for Fried Rice: A Simple UK Guide

The best rice for fried rice is long grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati, cooked...

Best curry paste: which jar to buy

The jar you buy decides whether your curry tastes like Thailand or like a supermarket ready...

Best wok for an induction hob

Induction changes the rules. Half the woks sold in the UK will not even switch the...

Best coconut milk: what to check before you buy

Two tins, same shelf, same price. One makes a rich curry and one makes thin grey...

Best green tea: which type to buy and how to brew it

Most people who say they dislike green tea have only had it brewed with boiling water....

Best matcha: how to buy it and what to avoid

Price tells you very little. Colour, origin and grade tell you almost everything. Which matcha should...

Best instant ramen: what to look for

Instant ramen covers everything from a 60p brick to a bag that costs more than a...

Best chopsticks: which type to buy

Most chopsticks sold in the UK are the wrong ones for the job. The material and...

Best sushi making kit: what is worth buying

Most sushi kits are a bamboo mat and a lot of packaging. Here is what is...

Best soy sauce: light, dark and which to buy

There is no single best soy sauce, because light, dark and Japanese soy do different jobs....

Best chilli oil: which style to buy

Chilli oil ranges from plain heat to a jar of crunchy, savoury bits you will eat...

Best wok in the UK

A wok is one of the cheapest pans you will ever buy and one of the...

Best ramen bowl set

A cereal bowl holds about half what a bowl of ramen needs. That is why homemade...

Is a tofu press worth it?

A tin of beans on a plate does most of the job for nothing. Here is...

Best bamboo steamer

Cheap, stackable and the only way to do dumplings properly at home. The one thing people...

Best commercial rice cooker for a takeaway

A home cooker in a commercial kitchen lasts about six months. Sizing and holding temperature are...

Best rice cooker in the UK

A rice cooker does one job and never gets it wrong. The hard part is working...