5 AM Freelance Life | Teriyaki Chicken Bento | Solo Izakaya Night | Miniature Watermelon Craft

5 AM Freelance Life | Teriyaki Chicken Bento | Solo Izakaya Night | Miniature Watermelon Craft

Waking up to the sound of cicadas. Good morning, everyone (｡･ω･｡) Making an okiben today since I have work around noon. Adorable dinosaur-shaped pasta. I checked the label and found out it’s made with egg. I didn’t know some pasta had egg in it… Still so much I don’t know… (・ω・;) Seasoned with a shiso leaf–style genovese twist. Finely chopped shiso and garlic. Give the garlic a smash—it chops up way easier. Smashing also breaks the cells, which helps release more aroma. I thought about making the sauce in a blender, but it was just a small amount and… kind of a hassle ( ¯꒳¯ ) so I just chopped it up instead! Seasoned with plain salt and dashi salt. Too bad the cute dinosaur pasta got covered in shiso… It ended up looking a little sad ( ᐪᐤᐪ ) Making teriyaki chicken with two chicken thighs I got for 592 yen. Saw some extra fat, so I’m trimming it off. Sometimes there are small bones left in, so I take those out too. The oyster (sot-l’y-laisse) part is quite thick,
so I slice it to even out the thickness. Just a light dusting of potato starch. Coating the chicken with a little potato starch helps the sauce stick. It also keeps it juicy and adds a nice crisp. Skin-side down first. In go the green onions. The green onions cooked faster than I expected. Flip it once the skin gets crispy. Wipe off the excess oil sake（3 tbsp） Mirin（3 tbsp） Soy sauce（3 tbsp） Sugar（1 tbsp） Lower the heat and mix in the sauce right in the pan. lol Just pour the sauce over the skin side. The key is not to simmer the skin side in the sauce. The slightly crispy skin adds so much flavor For a touch of extra sweetness, try drizzling a bit of honey at the end. We have a lot of corn at home, so I’ve been eating it every day. I reheat last night’s leftovers in the microwave. Warming it up once helps prevent spoilage
and brings back the flavor and texture. Toasting the nori adds a nice roasted flavor. Teriyaki chicken and nori make a perfect match. It keeps slipping around—kinda tricky to cut (´・ω・｀) Teriyaki chicken is one of my go-to dishes, so I make it pretty often. Try adding tartar sauce or torching it with mayo—both are delicious! The golden ratio for teriyaki sauce is:
Soy sauce 2 : Sake 2 : Mirin 2 : Sugar 1 I find this ratio a bit too sweet, so I tone down the sugar (´ω`) That’s the fun part of cooking—there’s no one right way (*´༥`*) If there were a right answer, I’d fail every question and repeat the year. I’ve added the recipe in the description,
but feel free to tweak it to your taste〜( *´ω`* ) Sometimes a super spicy one sneaks in—
shishito peppers are a gamble (´罒`) Just one brush of sauce gives it that irresistible sizzle. A little shibazuke to tie it all together Teriyaki Chicken Bento
｜照り焼きチキン弁当 Our go-to bento—one the kids absolutely love. Wrapped up as usual, with an ice pack to keep it cool. I’m making onigiri for myself. I only took the part of the chicken that was sticking out. Think of your hands as the mold, and you’ll get a neat triangle shape. It’s got that clean triangle shape,
just like a convenience store onigiri. I’ve shown this before,
but today I’m making crispy nori onigiri again. The nori is wrapped right before eating,
so it stays nice and crispy. Soft nori is nice too,
but sometimes you just crave that crispy kind. Guess I’m just greedy…(๑¯ ∇ ¯๑) Make sure to wrap the top part too, even if it sticks out of the nori. I’m bringing the mayak eggs I made yesterday, too. Popping them into the egg case. 190g (≈0.42lb) Perfect fit! Here’s my bento for today Heading to my workplace. After work, my sweet tooth kicks in… I had a light breakfast, so I’m really hungry now. I used a lot of energy today, so that’s probably part of it too… It was only a few hours of work, but I’m exhausted… I can really feel my energy dropping these days…
Time to get in shape (´ω`) Mayak egg time〜 Whoa, pretty strong… Gotta be careful eating this in public (´Д`；) Chewy taiyaki filled with custard. Pure dessert bliss ( ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ) Quick stop before heading home. I want to eat this curry. A cream soda mist?? Carefully choosing cosmetics, Buying sprouts to take home. My daughter’s out eating with friends,
and my son’s at his part-time job. I’m having dinner alone tonight. I usually cook things my kids will enjoy, but tonight I’m making something I want to eat. Maybe it’s because I used a lot of energy today,
but I’m feeling pretty tired. I wanted to have sashimi for dinner,
but I completely forgot to buy it ( ᐪᐤᐪ ) I had the perfect chance to enjoy it all by myself… (๑¯ω¯๑ )w I’m turning what I have at home into a little one-person izakaya night⭐︎ When I was working full-time,
I’d sometimes go to izakayas for work gatherings. These days, I rarely get the chance—
and honestly, it feels liberating (o´罒`o)v I’m not really the type who enjoys drinking in big groups… (｡･ө･｡) Can’t even eat what I like, haha I’m in the middle of training to master rolled omelets. It’s so much fun that I’ve been making them almost every day. I was hoping it would turn out a bit softer… I really love topping my dashimaki tamago with plenty of grated daikon. I love how eating at home means I can pile on as many toppings as I like. I’m enlisting the blender’s help to grate a generous amount. For a small amount, it’s easier to just grate it by hand, but… I’m in the mood for a big helping of grated daikon today. By the way, the lower part of a daikon is usually spicier,
so that’s the part most people use for condiments. But I prefer using the sweeter upper part instead. I make grilled eggplant. Grill over an open flame for 3–4 minutes. Grill the bottom a little longer. Plunging it into ice water
firms up the flesh and makes the skin easier to peel. If the eggplant has turned jade green, it’s perfect! It’s uneven… maybe I grilled it a bit too much. Chopping the green onions for garnish. Now, today’s drink is… Ume syrup and… It’s Tantakatan！ I have a three-way meeting at school tomorrow, so just a little… Should’ve chilled the glass!! (T□T)〣 The ice has melted and it’s already watered down… Ume dessert is… I’ll just have one. ur ice is a bit too cloudy… (･ω･;) (≧▽≦) Green onion skewer crafting. Enjoying drinks while grilling on the Hibarin. Komochi Shishamo (roe-filled smelt) The tiny, popping roe inside is exquisite. Plenty of grated daikon and green onions. Bonito flakes on the eggplant. Drizzle with soy sauce. Marinated eggs, fully soaked after a day. A lineup of classic, old-school dishes is ready〜 My drink’s almost gone before I even start eating… Eating it all would be too much, so I’ll stop at two slices. The eggplant has lost its color, but it’s tender and delicious. Edamame packed with flavor (๑´ڡ`๑)♡ I usually keep dinner light, but I made a bit too much today. Shishamo is fragrant and so delicious. Negi skewers are perfect with just salt. Mayak eggs are so good, they’re addictive. Even though my son has staff meals, he’s on his way home hungry. The rest goes to my son (´ω`) Since I have some extra time this morning, I’m making miniature food. After eating watermelon, I felt like making one. It’s still not quite what I’m happy with, so this is practice. There are many types of clay,
so I tried out which texture works best. Yeah, it’s been over a week since I burned myself,
but my finger still stings (T_T) My wounds are healing slower these days… (´Д` ) It’s tricky to paint watermelon patterns. I made this watermelon out of soft, lightweight clay. The surface is dry now, so let’s slice it up. This clay gives a cute look, but not much transparency. This is called “Sukerukun,”
a clay that turns semi-transparent once dry. I prefer the texture of this one. Planting the seeds Sukerukun clay is tricky to handle,
so I still need more practice. Breakfast is a super easy-to-make burrito. I’m making it with spring roll wrappers. Wrap it up with cheese and ham inside. Microwave at 600W for 1 minute. It’s done already!! It’s just too easy! Super Easy Burrito-style
Ham & Cheese Gooey, melty cheese〜(*´﹃`*) Just like
7-Eleven’s burrito. Make one with
sausage wrapped, too. I’m happy to get the request, so let’s give it a try. Mozzarella cheese version Shredded cheese version I forgot to mention something important. Lightly sprinkle the spring roll wrapper with water to soften it before use Tasting one. An extra order… burrito-style spring roll? He insisted it’s better grilled, so he started grilling it himself. It’s Marotan’s walk time, so she’s chirping away 🐥 Honestly, it really does look way better grilled… The cheese is hiding and won’t come out. The second one, too… Even the sound of slicing makes this one look tastier. I wonder what this dish is called. Cheese & sausage spring roll? This one’s way better 50 times tastier
(๑´ڡ`๑) Heading to school for my son’s parent-teacher meeting. Swaying along on the bus. Just arrived. Finished the 10-minute meeting and headed out for a meal. He almost always picks ramen when we eat out together. Here you can addveggies and other toppings for free. Very kind of them, especially in times like these. He ordered extra veggies and garlic. Student discount ramen
900 yen Chilled Shio Negi Soba
1,200 yen I went with less noodles. Since a regular serving is 300g
and I didn’t think I could finish it, I went for half. The noodles are extra thick and chewy, almost like udon. Grinding sesame seeds… Delicious! (≧▽≦) It was a very generous place, and the food was delicious. I’m bringing home some delicious-looking bread for my daughter. A dango shop caught my eye… Picked up two mitarashi dango (260 yen each) Bought her favorite dango—she’s going to love it (´罒`) Yummy-looking clouds… Just 5 cm more on each side… (´；ω；`) Landed on my napping daughter’s face. Preening has begun. Looks kind of sleepy… It’s amazing she hasn’t woken up. (･ω･;) Marotan’s gone full-on head-back nap mode!! In full-on deep sleep mode ( ˘ω˘ )zzz… Thank you for watching until the end. Hope you have a great week (^-^)♡ Bitten!!
(But not eaten) ［ I would be happy if you subscribe to my channel ］
See you soon…

In this vlog, I share a slice of my freelance life that starts at 5 AM.
I make a Teriyaki Chicken Bento, enjoy a solo night at an izakaya, and work on a miniature watermelon craft.
After my child’s school meeting, the day ends with a hearty Jiro-style ramen.

A slow-paced look at small, everyday moments—I hope you enjoy watching.

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📝 Ingredients | 材料
（Serves: 2 chicken thighs｜鶏もも肉2枚分）

ー Chicken thighs (approx. 500g) … 2 pieces｜鶏もも肉（約500g）… 2枚
ー Oil … 1 tbsp｜油… 大さじ1

For seasoning | 下味
ー Potato starch｜片栗粉
ー Salt & pepper … a pinch each｜塩・こしょう… 各少々

Sauce | たれ
ー Soy sauce … 3 tbsp｜しょうゆ… 大さじ3
ー Mirin … 3 tbsp｜みりん… 大さじ3
ー Sake … 3 tbsp｜酒… 大さじ3
ー Sugar … 1 tbsp｜砂糖… 大さじ1

✨ Sweet and savory—perfect with steamed rice!
｜甘辛でご飯がすすむ味付け！

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🎵 BGM: nonai sound / Epidemic Sound
📷 Camera: iPhone 13

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【Favorite Products】
⬜︎ Amazon (Amazon Associates Program)

🍱 Bento Boxes
◻︎ Round Wappa (MUJI)
https://amzn.to/3Wf8Htm

🍳 Cooking Equipment
◻︎ Aladdin Portable Gas Stove
https://amzn.to/3HAyCr0

◻︎Food Processor｜フードプロセッサー
https://amzn.to/4maCOgx

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I’m adding subtitles while studying English, hoping this connects me with people around the world.
If you notice any funny English, feel free to laugh :)))

I’m also preparing to open a miniature food shop.
My dream is to have a booth at flea markets around the world someday, and I’m working toward that little by little ⭐︎

You can select subtitles from the settings.
If you’d like another language, please leave a comment (´ω`)

To all of you kind-hearted people—thank you always.
I’m truly filled with gratitude ♡

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#bento
#japanesefood
#lunchbox