Mushroom Skewers

At banya-Hana, a small izakaya in Osaka, Chris Kimball and Matt Card had these simple grilled mushroom skewers that were much greater than the sum of their parts. The chefs grilled fresh shiitake mushrooms, then glazed them with tare (a sweet, thick soy-based dipping sauce and marinade) and topped them with katsuobushi (fermented, smoked skipjack tuna flakes). "Arguably, this was one of the best things from the trip," writes Matt Card. "The katsoubushi were what made it—smoky, fishy, and crazy savory."