Turning a Yakiniku Restaurant Soup into a Hot Pot: Ryuji's Yukgaejang Nabe and His Candid Thoughts on Cooking YouTube

Now that it's getting cold, Ryuji says he plans to make plenty of hot pots. He explains that he has already made kimchi nabe, and a related new product has come out, so this time he went with a different spicy hot pot.

According to Ryuji, the kalbi soup at Japanese yakiniku restaurants is a soy sauce–flavored beef soup, while yukgaejang soup is considered a miso-flavored soup. He added that the Korean style is a little different. Old-school yakiniku restaurants also have something called "tegutang soup," which is miso-flavored as well. When A-ko, picturing a white soup, was surprised, Ryuji corrected her: "That's gomtang." Ryuji himself noted, however, that there are various views on this classification and that it differs from restaurant to restaurant.

The ingredients are cheap American beef (belly), a slightly wilted Japanese leek, shiitake mushrooms, daikon radish, and soybean sprouts. He uses the leek because it would be a waste to throw it away. If you don't have shiitake, any mushroom will do, such as oyster mushrooms. If beef feels too expensive, Ryuji says it's also delicious with pork.

A-ko was surprised that he was adding daikon and asked whether he wasn't putting in napa cabbage or cabbage. Ryuji's answer was that adding napa cabbage or cabbage would just make it a so-called ordinary hot pot. When he asked her whether she doesn't eat daikon much in hot pot, A-ko replied, "It's refreshing." He prepared soybean sprouts because they're tasty, but ordinary bean sprouts are fine if you don't have them.

On the amount of meat, they agreed that the 300g he had prepared was a bit much. Since it's hot pot, it's up to you; the guideline is 250–300g, and you can add more if you want. This time he used 250g. A-ko said she prefers more vegetables.

Ryuji stresses that because the dish is originally a soup, the stir-frying step is extremely important. First he adds about 15g of grated garlic to the beef (3 cloves if they're large; this time they were small, so about 4), then coats it with 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. This is the same method as for jjigae soup, and it's a preliminary seasoning meant to transfer the aroma of the garlic to the meat. He lets it marinate a little in this state and cuts the vegetables in the meantime.

The basic cut is thin strips. According to Ryuji, the ingredients in yukgaejang are cut into thin strips, which also makes them easy to pick up in a hot pot. About 200g of daikon, more if you like it. About 120g of leek, cut diagonally. The leek was thin, so he added a little more. Three or four shiitake are cut into fairly thick slices of about 1cm. This keeps some texture, and not slicing them too thin makes it feel more like hot pot, he says. The stems are edible too if you cut them. Ryuji added that some people don't like shiitake, so other mushrooms are fine.

"Today it's loaded with vegetables, so it's surprisingly healthy," Ryuji says. He used belly this time, but if you want to make it healthier, leaner offcuts are fine. For pork, he said loin is good, and A-ko replied that she tends to choose loin for pork.

While grating the garlic, the conversation turned to how cooking YouTubers are doing these days. According to Ryuji, 15–16 years ago everyone in the cooking scene pushed each other and kept updating. Now, though, they aren't putting out many videos.

One name that came up as a concrete example was "Takeshi." He sometimes goes a month without updating and only puts out sponsored videos, Ryuji complained half-jokingly. He does everything himself and his quality is high, yet "he can do it but doesn't," Ryuji said, calling on viewers to comment "Takeshi, put out a video." Takeshi has also made yukgaejang nabe, but Ryuji added, "Mine's definitely better."

The other was Onishi of COCOCORO Channel (as written in the subtitles). Onishi is a video pioneer who has been active longer than Ryuji, but lately has been focusing on activities outside YouTube, such as a food truck. In a stream the previous day, Onishi reportedly said something to the effect of not putting out new videos and said they would re-edit and release past videos instead. Since it's only re-editing rather than reshooting, Ryuji is critical: "Who would that make happy?" "I think it's a complete no." Ryuji's view is that fans have already watched the past videos, so they must want to see something new. He says he actually commented, "Please put out new videos."

A-ko asked why view counts for cooking videos have dropped. Ryuji answered that it's because there are too many cooking videos. For example, if you want to make hamburg steak, there are countless hamburg steak videos on YouTube. Once people learn the best recipe, they keep making it that way, so they have no reason to watch new ones. Ryuji and the others grew because they started when no one else was doing it, but the market is already saturated. Ryuji's analysis is that now people watch based on whether the talk or entertainment is interesting.

Ryuji admits that YouTubers lose a huge amount of motivation when their numbers drop, and that he's the same. Even so, he said that although it's a tough industry, he wants everyone to keep making videos. A-ko, who makes about 90% of the Shorts, also confided that she gets down when things keep not taking off. They also mentioned that staff member Ebisu has been showing a lot of motivation recently, which A-ko called "lovely."

Now the beef is stir-fried. The sesame oil is already mixed in, so it goes straight onto the heat. The savory aroma from frying strengthens the yukgaejang flavor, he says. Ryuji mentions that lately, maybe because of his age, oil has started to feel heavy, so he uses less of it in his recipes. He keeps a fair amount of salt, but leans toward something that suits everyday meals.

The frying step is "super important," and even the garlic tastes different depending on whether it's fried. When A-ko asked whether to fry it until cooked through, Ryuji said it's fine to cook it through. It's sometimes said that beef shouldn't be simmered, but with thin slices it doesn't matter, so you can go ahead and simmer it. Even at the stage of just garlic, sesame oil, and beef fat before seasoning, the two remarked that the aroma was mouthwatering.

Next he adds the shiitake and daikon. The leek is held back because he wants to put it on top at the end. Daikon tastes better when it's stir-fried and coated in flavor, he says. Ryuji explained that he delivers dishes he has test-cooked and found truly delicious, and that even if he makes something on the spur of the moment, he scraps it if it isn't good. The staff's spirits sink every time, but it's in order to deliver delicious food.

Once the daikon has softened, in goes the gochujang. But the container on hand had almost nothing left, not even a full tablespoon. He doesn't use it much normally, so he panicked for a moment, but found another one in the fridge. The amount used is 2½ tablespoons.

According to Ryuji, frying gochujang brings out depth. This is also where yukgaejang gets its red color. Miso-type pastes become more fragrant when cooked, so he fries it lightly and then adds 700cc of water.

Because this soup is modeled on the soup at Japanese yakiniku restaurants, it is miso-based. Gochujang alone inevitably makes it sweet, so Ryuji explained that he adds an equal amount of miso for a half-and-half mix. This time he used 2½ tablespoons of Ryuji's favorite light-colored Yamabuki miso. Ordinary country-style miso is fine, and white miso is also good. However, considering color and compatibility with gochujang, he thought a stronger-flavored miso would suit it better.

Next goes 1 teaspoon of sugar. Ryuji says he doesn't want to add much sugar, but uses just a little for umami. His belief is that understanding subtle uses of sugar like this will make you a better cook. Adding sugar contributes umami and richness, and can sometimes substitute for umami seasoning, he says.

Then he adds 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of Dashida. If you don't have it, chicken stock powder works, or beef consommé for a beef-style soup. Chinese soup stock also makes it tasty, but the depth is different, so he recommends Dashida for hot pot. Ryuji added that Dashida contains Ajinomoto.

The heat comes from 1 teaspoon of ichimi chili pepper. Korean chili pepper is also fine, but it isn't sold much and isn't spicy in the first place, he says. If you love spicy food, you can double or triple it. According to Ryuji, gochujang alone doesn't make it spicy at all. When A-ko said she thought he would use doubanjiang, Ryuji answered that doubanjiang is basically a Chinese seasoning and isn't originally used in Korean cooking.

After tasting, Ryuji says, "Tastes like yakiniku restaurant soup, right?" The daikon is in thin strips and the shiitake is already sliced and cooked, so it doesn't need much simmering.

The bag says the soybean sprouts can be used without washing, so he adds them as is and simmers briefly. Ryuji says the soybean sprouts make it more filling and give the ingredients a Korean rather than Japanese feel.

Finally, depending on preference, he adds 1 beaten egg. According to Ryuji, adding egg makes it mellower and the spiciness less noticeable. Beating the egg in a measuring cup is quick. Moving back and forth in parallel, as if cutting a line, makes it easier to break up the whites, he says. Ryuji explained that the egg isn't so much an ingredient as something to coat the soup—essentially it's an egg soup, and the egg is a flavor, not an ingredient.

Lastly, he tops it with the reserved leek. The leek is for aroma and green color, giving it a fresh vegetable fragrance, he says. It was finished with extra ichimi chili pepper at the table. A-ko reacted with "It makes me want to add ramen," and Ryuji answered that it's delicious with ramen added or poured over rice as gukbap.

The first thing A-ko praised was the daikon. According to Ryuji, he originally used carrot instead of daikon, but daikon is better because it's less sweet. The meat was stir-fried first, so it's savory and well seasoned. A-ko said, "This level of spiciness is fine for me." Ryuji thinks that without the egg she'd have been huffing and puffing quite a bit. Ryuji himself would be fine with it spicier.

Ryuji said you've probably rarely heard of a miso-flavored hot pot soup, and emphasized that the wide variety of textures keeps it from getting boring. A-ko mentioned the texture of the soybean sprouts and the egg and said she'd like to try making a single serving. Ryuji answered that it's fine to make half, but to adjust the egg—though adding a whole one would probably be fine. Even half the amount makes about 1.5 servings. It's a hot pot and a soup at the same time, and there are no ingredients that get soggy, so you can set some aside and reheat it later without the flavor deteriorating, he says.

Ingredient variations also came up. Ryuji said other ingredients such as carrot would work, and A-ko suggested adding fried tofu. Her reasoning was that "Akakara" hot pot contains fried tofu, so it should go well. Ryuji agreed that sounded good. A-ko also wanted to add mochi, and Ryuji agreed it should be tasty since rice goes well with it.

If you want it more Korean, you can drizzle a little sesame oil at the end. However, some people don't like it when the sesame oil aroma is too strong, so it's up to preference, Ryuji added. He also said that his old self would have used more oil, but since fat also comes out of the meat, the current amount isn't heavy.

The finale is gukbap. According to Ryuji, Japanese gukbap is usually made by simmering the rice, but that isn't real gukbap. In Korea, rice is served on the side, and you can drink the soup on its own or pour it over the rice. Simmering rice releases starch, so strictly speaking, pouring it over makes a lighter gukbap. If you put rice in the pot, it becomes yukgaejang zosui, Ryuji explained.

Ryuji says this method has a practical advantage too. Everyone finishes at different times, but since you just serve rice and pour soup over it, everyone can have gukbap even if someone is still eating the hot pot. He also said gukbap is eaten with a silver spoon, not chopsticks.

After eating, the two couldn't stop sweating. Ryuji said the capsaicin in chili peppers also has slimming and fat-burning effects. A-ko said it might be good to have it this way for dinner from the start. Ryuji agreed: you don't need any other side dishes, this one hot pot can carry the meal, and it's easy as an everyday dish. What was supposed to serve 3–4 people was largely eaten by the two of them, and the rest went to the staff meal for staff arriving later.

Toward the end, Ryuji let slip, "I hope this video takes off." He's filming good stuff in the staff meal series, but says the yukgaejang nabe probably won't take off. Even so, doing something definitely delicious is what this series is about. According to A-ko, the staff meal recipes have so many hits that viewers say they make them again and again. They also mentioned that after having various people handle the camera framing, A-ko's framing was said to be the easiest to watch. A-ko reads every video and every comment, and laughs that she sometimes gets hurt.

Ryuji admits that keeping it up takes stamina. Still, the reason he won't stop posting daily is comments like "I decide my meals by watching Ryuji's Buzz Recipes every day." A-ko also said they often get comments from people who watch the video to see what's on today and then go shopping. Ryuji said they make their living because viewers watch them, so they must not betray those people—the content, at least, must never betray them. He doesn't usually say this in his videos, but he also said he wants to liven up the cooking industry more.

The conversation returned to Onishi. The two got excited about inviting Onishi to this channel to cook something. Since it's the cooking of someone who has done it all, it'd be elaborate and interesting, Ryuji said. A-ko agreed that hearing from viewers here might get Onishi motivated, and Ryuji called out through the camera, "Why don't we just do a collab?"

Ryuji wrapped up by saying it's not super spicy but just the right amount of heat, so if you don't mind spicy food, give it a try during the cold season.