> I'm interested what dishes you're specifically talking about here? Japanese cooking is not complicated, just different. That isn't necessarily true, Japanes

> I'm interested what dishes you're specifically talking about here? Japanese cooking is not complicated, just different. That isn't necessarily true, Japanese cuisine (along with Italian which are my two cuisines I cooked professionally) actually relies more on elaboration and skill of seemingly humble ingredients: more than just about any other cuisine in my experience. It's a great equalizer to have something seen as exotic as truffle shaved on a soufflé be outshined by a long way by a Chawanmushi with a proper dashi, seasonal (cheap) vegetables, herbs and seafood. Sure you can make staples like maze gohan, tamago gohan, takikomi gohan or ocha zuke with whatever you have on hand and rift where needed to keep it from being boring but each and everyone of those dishes that is carefully created and balanced makes it so much more satisfying and I find that to be the trick to Japanese cuisine as it makes you re-evaluate your perceptions/positions, and thus the execution of what is really important in a recipe as a result: I dislike eating in the morning, like really hate it, but I really loved having onsen tamago over slightly seasoned uruchimai rice and some handmade zukemono and miso (with proper dashi) for breakfast. The extra I could just eat as onigiri with toasted nori later in the day with a miso shiro and it was that good and never something I never get tired of despite being prone to 'palate fatigue.' And all of that is because the elaboration and prep that went into making things that use affordable ingredients but require a great deal of attention to detail--for example a bitter salty dashi, or worst yet that hondashi powder, is repulsive and indicative of improper heat monitoring and regulation with the katsubushi/niboshi. A hastently made zukemono is very disappointing when eating teishoku as you want the sourness and saltiness and crunch to refresh your palate as you go back and forth between dishes. Not having that ruins the meal entirely.