10/2/25 was the one year anniversary of Bachan’s passing and we were able to go to the cemetery. We miss her every day and we are so grateful to have such amazing memories to keep in our hearts. 

Thank you for all you shared with us Bachan. I love you so much. Here are a few pictures from her funeral and some of the food we made for her service with family and friends along with my reflections from her passing. 

This is a post I never wanted to make but somewhere deep down knew at some point I would have to. Death is inescapable and we can only be so lucky as to live a life filled with love for as long as Bachan did. On Wednesday, 10/2/2024 at about 5pm Bachan passed away peacefully at home with my Mom and Dad. 

Bachan lived an amazing 101 years, born on July 21, 1923 and we are so lucky to have had so many amazing memories with her. She is resting in peace with our loved ones and I am so grateful for everything she taught me and our one-of-a-kind relationship that we had during my whole life. 

A huge piece of me is missing as I sift through all the amazing memories I have, sit in long periods of  peaceful and painful reflection knowing she’s not just a car ride away anymore but still feeling the duality of comfort in her presence that is all around me and the ache of her absence. I will never be able to fully express the gratitude and love I have for Bachan and how much she influenced my life and allowed me to become the person I am today.  

With every piece of sushi I roll, inari I fill, mochi I make, each cup of rice I wash, each cucumber I peel and cut, each persimmon I eat, each bite of fresh fruit, and every walk around the block I remember her in simple moments of my childhood that have gone by and reflect on the person she helped me to become. Bachan loved me absolutely unconditionally and showed me that she did every moment she could and there is no one else who could ever have given me her special gift. She was creative, strong, fierce, funny and so loving. 

Thank you Bachan for allowing Brandon and I to live in your home, to carry on Japanese traditions you taught me when I was little and for caring so deeply for everyone in our family. 

I hope you know how much you are truly missed and we will be together again one day. 

I love you forever and ever.

Arigatou gozaimasu

Sachiko

2023 came and went and here we are a brand new year and ready to go in 2024!

I am so grateful to continue to share these Japanese and Japanese American traditions from the Fujitaki family! Every year things get a little more dialed in and I have more time for small details and fine tuning recipes and presentation, which is really helpful.

Osechi Ryori is a very special culinary opportunity that I am so happy to continue and to enjoy every year with the ones I love. This year we had a full house, lots of laughter, music, and fun together. The perfect way to bring in the new year with so much love and joy. To spend this time cooking and to see Bachan enjoy these foods is really such a privilege for us all.

So this is the 2024 spread! I hope everyone had a wonderful few months into the new year and we make the most of every moment we have together.

Osechi Ryori

Tazukuri (Candied Sardines)

• Symbolizes a bountiful harvest

Kamaboko (Fish Cake)

• Symbolizes celebratory colors

Gobo (Kinpira Gobo and Sesame Gobo)

• Symbolizes strength and stability

Ebi (Shrimp)

• Symbolizes longevity

Konbu (Seaweed)

• Symbolizes joy and good omens

Renkon (Lotus Root)

• Symbolizes luck in future prospects

Takenoko (Bamboo Shoots)

• Symbolizes advancing in life

Satoimo (Japanese Taro)

• Symbolizes lasting prosperity

Konnyaku (Yam cakes)

• Symbolizes bonds and relationships

Five-Sided Carrot and Daikon
Shiitake Mushroom
Shisito Pepper
Umeboshi
Tsukemono

Sushi and Inari
Ahi Sashimi
Korokke (Potato & Meat Croquette) 
Chicken Katsu
Teriyaki Chicken
King Crab
Rice
Sake Poached Shrimp
Fresh Fruit
Mochi and Butter Mochi
Spam Musubi
Wonton and Edamame

Inari
Chashu

Ozoni
Japanese New Year Mochi Soup

Kagami mochi “mirror rice cake” represents harmony in the family and mochi’s stretchy texture symbolizes hopes for longevity

Hope everyone is have a great start to 2024 and thanks for checking out our yearly celebration.

Cheers!

Well, it was a few weeks ago, but you know time, life and everything else that goes into things. But I still wanted to document Brandon’s birthday on the blog! On Brandon’s birthday, which was 9/7, we had a really delicious meal at Golden Deli in San Gabriel.

The best place to go when you are starving is a Pho restaurant because if you order Pho it will literally come out to you in 5 minutes. Before your egg rolls, before whatever else you order, sometimes even before you get your glass of water, and definitely before the other person who orders gets their food. So if you are used to getting all your food at once and it’s going to upset you, don’t go to a pho restaurant and get mad – or just everyone order pho. Everything else is usually relatively fast too, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long. 

Golden Deli is pretty popular, so you may have to wait outside for a bit before you get a table, but because everything comes out so quickly, most tables are turned relatively fast. It’s not really a place for a long sit down dinner, so come prepared. 

I highly recommend all these delicious things and I’m excited to go back and try more. We don’t cook Vietnamese food that often, so it was nice to have a variety of yummy things to enjoy.

For Brandon’s birthday weekend we took a trip up to Mammoth! 

Mammoth in September is beautiful and way less busy than in the summer months when we usually go. We had some rain, and then lots of rain at times, but it didn’t stop us from getting out on the lake and enjoying the beautiful Eastern Sierra. We caught so many trout that I lost count and we put most of them back in the lake. But we did get these four beautiful trout that we kept and one of them we ate fresh that day! Super delicious. Talk about lake-to-table!

We enjoyed a beer at June Brewery and dinner at Mammoth Brewery. Our favorite breads from Shat’s and brought some treats from home for some delicious meals on and off the lake. 

It was a weekend of lots of relaxation with a lot of walking, hiking, fishing and fun! I love Mammoth and am so happy we got to have this awesome fishing experience together for Brandon’s 40th Birthday. 

This was a trip to remember and I’m so proud of how much progress Brandon has made since his hip surgery just this past December! Here’s to many more trips to Mammoth, lots of movement, health and happiness for many years to come! 

Happy Birthday, Brandon! I love you so much!!!

All the Japanese food I cook and the Japanese New Year traditions that I have kept up with as an adult, are because of Bachan. Though she may not remember now at 100-years young, almost every year, during the week between Christmas and the New Year, I would spend time cooking, helping and preparing some traditional and Fujitaki family traditional foods for good luck in the coming year. I am truly blessed to have held these traditions and to continue them as time moves forward because of her willingness and patience to share them with me. Though the recipes may have changed a bit and the techniques modified ever so slightly, the essence of love and togetherness through food is always the priority. I am so privileged to be able to share this gift with our family and friends and for Bachan’s 100th birthday. We really did create a memorable event for everyone to enjoy! 

When we cater, we always get the question: how long did this take you? And this catering was a lifetime in the making. It consisted of so many different steps, details, and moving pieces that ultimately took weeks to plan and execute, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. The gift of love she showed me through her cooking over the decades is deeply expressed in my gift of food and love for her and our family during her very special celebration. 

Japanese serving dishes and platters from three households were present on our tables. These special platters and trays are part of the beautiful display of food that we prepared. Each dish has a special meaning to us and these dishes are plated on dishes that are older than I am – some of them even older than my dad! That’s the care and detail that Bachan has always preserved in her home and her cooking. To use these platters, trays, and dishes was a special touch that I am so grateful we were able to execute. It took a lot of time and care to transport and carefully place each dish, but the sentimentality of the presentation made all the difference.

I also want to say that about 85% of this food was made in Bachan’s very own home kitchen. And if you’ve seen Bachan’s kitchen, then you know that it isn’t very big at all. Something I always remember is that it’s not the kitchen that makes the chef, it’s the chef that makes the kitchen. I can cook anywhere and I am grateful to have the help of my amazing husband, Brandon, to do the odds and ends that sometimes just overwhelm me AKA baking, though I did make mochi and matcha cream puffs this year, which was definitely a stretch for me. 

This year we smoked some of the beautiful trout we caught in Mammoth and our Uncle Kenny brought us some delicious tuna he caught for sashimi and spicy tuna rolls. I am so grateful to my sister, my cousins, my Uncle Wayne, and our family for putting together such an amazing party. It truly was a team effort. 

Here is the menu:

Bachan’s 100th Birthday Menu 

Appetizers 

Wonton

Fruit Platter 

Vegetable Platter 

Spinach Dip 

Edamame

Main

Carrot Ginger Salad

Chile Bean Sprouts 

YakiTori (Chicken Skewer)

Grilled Vegetable Skewer 

Asparagus 

Somen 

Chicken Katsu/ Tonkatsu 

Chirashi

Wild Caught Tuna Sashimi 

Smoked Eastern Sierra Trout 

Sushi

Spam Musubi 

California Roll 

Spicy Tuna Roll

Shrimp Roll 

Veggie Roll 

Inari

Desserts

Paradise Cake 

Bachan Jello

Mochi

Fruit Skewers

Cupcakes 

Matcha Cream Puffs

Many of amazing photographs were taken by Lyz Cooper and Monarch Photography. If you need photos and are in the Ventura County area, I highly recommend them.   Also my cousins and family took a lot of the food photos because I was busy cooking.

Thank you everyone for being a part of this special day and a very special thanks to my amazing sister Kristen and my husband Brandon for putting up with all my shenanigans and making this beautiful event happen.

100 years and so much love. Thank you for all the love you have always shown us all. We love you so much Bachan!

<3 Sachiko

My sister, Kristen, just turned forty on March 12th. My sister-in-law, Linh’s, birthday is just one day before on March 11th a couple years before, so each year we get to celebrate these two lovely ladies and everything they do for our family on a daily basis! Kristen and Linh are raising the next generation of amazing little people and doing it with strength and knowledge. It is in no way easy to take care of all the things they do in order to keep us all whole and happy, but they do it anyway and we are so happy to celebrate them all March long!

For the birthday celebration, my sister requested Italian food. They used to make the trek out to Moorpark for Italian when I was working at Firenze back in the day, so we brought back some old-school favorites, like homemade raviolis and gnocchi, for the occasion, which were some “good old days” memories for me and Brandon. I can definitely say my Italian cooking skills are still up to par. Gnocchi was perfect and the day was a success!

This year I also practiced making some balloon arches. I have to get ready for Bachan’s birthday, so I bought this balloon inflator and made these arches for our family. The girls really liked them and I think they will be awesome for the 100th bday celebration in July!

I just want to thank my sister for always being there for me. For helping me along this crazy journey of life, for being my proofreader, listening to my shenanigans and my number one go-to person to help me when I need it. There is nothing like a big sister and she’s the cream of the crop. Thanks, Keek! I love you so much, may the 40th year be the best one yet.

Another Osechi Ryori has come and gone, but this year is also a special one because Bachan will turn 100 on July 21, 2023, so this is her 100th Oshogatsu and I am so grateful that I was able to prepare and host this year’s party!

2022 was hard —lots of pain and lots of transition—but with the help of our family and friends and the deep trust and love we have for one another, we made it into the new year!

I have been making Osechi dishes and celebrating Japanese New Year most of my life. You can search other years on this blog and though many of the items we enjoy on New Year’s Day are Japanese American, they still have great significance to our family and our evolving traditions. 

This year we got to share the day with our nieces, Maleeya, Amaya, Adelyn, and Quinn, and our new nephew, Keston, born July 30, 2022! We also hosted my uncle and cousins to share this special day with Bachan. Even with challenges, there is always so much goodness and joy!

I had some really good lighting this year and I’m grateful to share this menu and these dishes with you all. Also, some very awesome kamaboko art that Brandon took time to do this year. We are always looking for new ways to elevate and share delicious food.

Menu

Osechi Ryori

Tazukuri (Candied Sardines)
Symbolizes a bountiful harvest

Kamaboko (Fish Cake)
Symbolizes celebratory colors

Gobo (Kinpira Gobo and Sesame Gobo)Symbolizes strength and stability

Ebi (Shrimp)
Symbolizes longevity

Konbu (Seaweed)
Symbolizes joy and good omens

Namasu (Pickled Daikon and Carrot)
Symbolizes peace and happiness

Renkon (Lotus Root)
Symbolizes luck in future prospects

Takenoko (Bamboo Shoots)
Symbolizes advancing in life

Satoimo (Japanese Taro)
Symbolizes lasting prosperity

Konnyaku (Yam cakes)
Symbolizes bonds and relationships
Five-Sided Carrot and Daikon
Shiitake Mushroom
Blistered Shisito Pepper
Umeboshi
Tsukemono

Sushi
Ahi Sashimi
Korokke (Potato & Meat Croquette) 
Chicken Katsu
Teriyaki Chicken
Spicy Chicken Skewer
Grilled Sake Trout
Rice
Grilled Shrimp
Fresh Fruit
Mochi
Spam Musubi
Wonton
Chashu

Ozoni
Japanese New Year Mochi Soup

Kagami mochi “mirror rice cake” represents harmony in the family and mochi’s stretchy texture symbolizes hopes for longevity

I hope you enjoyed this year’s dishes! 

Happy New Year Everyone. May 2023 bring you lots of love and peace!

-Kimberly

Unrivaledkitch

We were able to have a lovely Christmas and see our family and friends while sharing the days with so much love and laughter. Christmas is for tamales, pozole, pasta, prime rib and all the yumminess that we can pack into the days surrounding. We got to see everyone. Brandon stayed stationary so everyone came to him, but he did great and we all made the best out of this lovely holiday season that I adore so much. 

Here are some of the photos of the food and celebrations. 

Hope you all had a great holiday season and are enjoying the newness of 2023!

Cheers

-Kimberly

Unrivaledkitch

Baby Fujitaki # 3 is on his way!

My brother, Kyle, and my sister-in-law, Viet-Linh, are having their third child and…drum roll, please…it’s a boy! Needless to say, his arrival is much anticipated, especially since Kyle already has two daughters, Adelyn and Quinn, and my older sister, Kristen, has two daughters too, Maleeya and Amaya, so now we are welcoming a little boy — name to be announced —  into the nibling crew, just to shake things up a bit. Our whole family is over the moon excited for him to join us!

Summer baby showers in Southern California are difficult. The temperature here can get pretty high and for this mid-summer shower, as temperatures approached 100 degrees, we definitely melted a bit, but we had lots of boba and ice tea to try to keep us cool. We also kept the party small and shorter (only a couple hours) to try to keep everyone in the shade of the canopies. We strung some misters for the kids to cool down next to as they ran around, while also keeping them entertained with bubble tea coloring sheets, a game of pin the boba on the milk tea, and balloon animals, plus nice and cool with popsicles and lots of ice! 

I want to thank Kristen for going along with my obscure ideas while bringing my boba baby shower vision to life. Her beautiful decorations — boba balloon art and cu-tea banner — added a fun and whimsy touch to tie into the boba bar for our theme. Special thanks to my husband, Brandon, for doing what he always does, which includes helping me make all the food and put everything together.

We’ve planned many baby showers, but we really did hit this one out of the park. It took about two weeks to just gather all the supplies, plates and other serveware for the boba station, but now we have it all on hand. Boba party anyone?

We are so excited to welcome our nephew into this world! We can’t wait to meet him — he is so loved already! <3 Thanks for joining us in the celebration. Times have been unpredictable and tough, so we are so happy we were able to get together and share this joyful moment with one another.

Nothing like food and fun to uplift the spirits!

Cheers,

Unrivaledkitch

This year is going by crazy fast but I’m excited to eat, give thanks and hang out with family. If you’ve been around my blog you’ve seen many Thanksgiving feasts from previous years. It’s usually the same stuff with a couple of twists. I’m sure you have your family favorites all planned out and if you need some different ideas here are three videos that Brandon made for thanksgiving ideas. If you are a pre-planner then these are great videos to reference and make ahead of time to take with you.

I’m terrible at preplanning my thanksgiving so I usually go to the store have someone with me to drive the cart because I hate driving the cart, buy everything, and then whatever we have we make. My parents are usually responsible for Ham and green bean casserole and deserts. The rest we figure out. This year Brandon is going to las vegas to visit family so we’ll have lots of different photos of Thanksgiving feasts. I love seeing everyone’s different dishes and delicious ideas. If you make the cranberry sauce I would cut it back dramatically, unless you want a ton of cranberry sauce! The batch Brandon made was for a large group donation so I would cut it in 1/4 if it’s just for a group of 5 or 7. He is used to making large amounts of food. lol

We hope you enjoy!

If you have any questions please let us know.

cheers

-Unrivaledkitch

I hope you had an awesome week. We had a pretty busy weekend for Halloween. I spent most of the week just recovering and trying to keep things together. But it was good to have some healthy things for us to eat during the week, after all, those Halloween goodies. Amaya had a trunk or treat for her school she decided that she wanted to have a blue witch bakery so my sister had to hand-make a lot of the decorations and we made cupcakes and treats to put in the trunk. It was a lot of fun and everyone liked the cupcakes and treats. We tried to give away as many of them as we could but still ended up eating a bunch. Here are some of the pictures:

This is the menu for this week’s meal delivery.

Please contact me for time slot/ delivery opportunities if this is your first time ordering.

You can email unrivaledkitch@gmail.com or you can text/ call 818-231-1293.

Here are some of the photos of last week’s meals for reference. Each week I change the menu to reflect seasonal changes, variety of cuisine and keep things fresh and different. If you have recommendations for dishes you’d like to have you are welcome to email me or comment and let me know.