# Hibachi Dipping Sauce Recipe Like from My Favorite Place **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323 "2015-07-05T17:05:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/1 "2015-07-05T17:05:43Z")
So my favorite Japanese restaurant closed. I used to love the hibachi there and would like to try making it at home. It’s grilled chicken and vegetables and fried rice — I can do that on the stovetop. They had a dipping sauce which they kept on a bottle at the table. It was clearly soy sauce based, but wasn’t just soy sauce though it had the color and consistency of soy sauce. I’ve tried searching for hibachi dipping recipes, but what I find is either a creamy sauce or a soy sauce base with solids in it (ginger, garlic, onions, etc.). This sauce, if it had any solids, they must have dissolved completely into the liquid like sugar. Does anyone know what the sauce was? If it’s available in bottles? If it has to be made, what the recipe was? Also, what oil should I use? I typically just use a cooking spray. If I use oil, it’s normally either olive or vegetable. But I’m thinking sesame seed oil would be better for this. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/2 "2015-07-05T17:32:46Z")
The name of the restaurant would help. If it’s a chain/franchise sometimes you can google something like “Hibachi dipping sauce [restaurant name] copycat” to come up with a recipe. Even if you can’t find it online, other people on this site may have been there. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/3 "2015-07-05T17:46:50Z")
It’s probably some variation on soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger and garlic. If you don’t want the solids in your sauce, fill a jar with chopped ginger & garlic and then fill it to the top with rice vinegar. Let it soak for a week or two, then just use the vinegar to make your sauce and use the pickled garlic & ginger in your actual stir-frying. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/4 "2015-07-05T22:58:18Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > The name of the restaurant would help. If it’s a chain/franchise sometimes you can google something like “Hibachi dipping sauce [restaurant name] copycat” to come up with a recipe. Even if you can’t find it online, other people on this site may have been there. It was a local small business, not a chain. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/5 "2015-07-05T23:01:08Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s probably some variation on soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger and garlic. If you don’t want the solids in your sauce, fill a jar with chopped ginger & garlic and then fill it to the top with rice vinegar. Let it soak for a week or two, then just use the vinegar to make your sauce and use the pickled garlic & ginger in your actual stir-frying. If it had the garlic and ginger, why would they have strained it out? No, when I think about the flavor, no garlic on ginger. Probably had some sugar because it did have a little sweetness. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/6 "2015-07-05T23:09:15Z")
Did it have a citrus note? The best steak I ever had in my life was in Kyoto and it was served with a soy/ponzu dipping sauce that I was reluctant to use because of the quality of the meat but which turned out to be perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/7 "2015-07-06T01:17:46Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s probably some variation on soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger and garlic. If you don’t want the solids in your sauce, fill a jar with chopped ginger & garlic and then fill it to the top with rice vinegar. Let it soak for a week or two, then just use the vinegar to make your sauce and use the pickled garlic & ginger in your actual stir-frying. I agree with this. Most Japanese soy sauce-based savory sauces include a combination of sake, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar. Another popular ingredient is a konbu (kelp)-based dashi to give it more umami body. Garlic and ginger is used to give it tang and zest and if you don’t want food particles in your sauce, you can use a metal grater called oroshinage to grate it fine and just use the juice. Onions can be used the same way to give it a more natural sweetness. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/8 "2015-07-06T03:18:57Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Did it have a citrus note? The best steak I ever had in my life was in Kyoto and it was served with a soy/ponzu dipping sauce that I was reluctant to use because of the quality of the meat but which turned out to be perfect. No, no citrus. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/9 "2015-07-06T03:21:34Z")
> [@Saturn\_Dreams](#): > > I agree with this. Most Japanese soy sauce-based savory sauces include a combination of sake, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar. Another popular ingredient is a konbu (kelp)-based dashi to give it more umami body. > > Garlic and ginger is used to give it tang and zest and if you don’t want food particles in your sauce, you can use a metal grater called oroshinage to grate it fine and just use the juice. Onions can be used the same way to give it a more natural sweetness. Do you have a recipe (or link to a recipe) for one that’s just the liquids and sugar without the garlic or ginger? ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/10 "2015-07-06T04:31:35Z")
Here’s a very basic recipe: Combine soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake in a ratio of 5:4:1:1 and boil on the stove for a few minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding sugar, or sake/water to dilute. Experiment by adding ginger and garlic, dried chili pepper, and konbu if you can get your hands on it. If you can’t get konbu, MSG is an easy substitute. I also like to add a touch of red wine and a pat of butter to give it more body. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/11 "2015-07-06T06:34:29Z")
Try [Okanomi](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00886NJP6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687602&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000FKHVW0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04S40WBHJD68AJNJ94DA)or [Tonkatsu](http://www.amazon.com/Kikkoman-Tonkatsu-Meat-Sauce-60-Ounce/dp/B0046H020Q/ref=sr_1_35?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1436163981&sr=1-35&keywords=tonkatsu)sauce. Did it taste a little like worchestershire? ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/12 "2015-07-06T16:40:48Z")
> [@Saturn\_Dreams](#): > > Here’s a very basic recipe: > Combine soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake in a ratio of 5:4:1:1 and boil on the stove for a few minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding sugar, or sake/water to dilute. Experiment by adding ginger and garlic, dried chili pepper, and konbu if you can get your hands on it. If you can’t get konbu, MSG is an easy substitute. I also like to add a touch of red wine and a pat of butter to give it more body. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/13 "2015-07-06T16:43:59Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > Try [Okanomi](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00886NJP6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687602&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000FKHVW0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04S40WBHJD68AJNJ94DA)or [Tonkatsu](http://www.amazon.com/Kikkoman-Tonkatsu-Meat-Sauce-60-Ounce/dp/B0046H020Q/ref=sr_1_35?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1436163981&sr=1-35&keywords=tonkatsu)sauce. Did it taste a little like worchestershire? Looking at those makes me miss when we had a Japanese store in town. Now all we have are “Asian” stores that barely carry anything Japanese. No, I don’t think it tasted like worcestershire. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/14 "2015-07-06T19:03:45Z")
> [@Saturn\_Dreams](#): > > Here’s a very basic recipe: > Combine soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake in a ratio of 5:4:1:1 and boil on the stove for a few minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding sugar, or sake/water to dilute. Experiment by adding ginger and garlic, dried chili pepper, and konbu if you can get your hands on it. If you can’t get konbu, MSG is an easy substitute. I also like to add a touch of red wine and a pat of butter to give it more body. That is a teriyaki sauce. Great for a marinade or for cooking in but different than a dipping sauce. The sauce I get at the Samurai steak place is different. The chicken/ steak sauce is 1/4 cup soy sauce mixed with 1/4 cup water, 2 tsp cream, 2 tsp oriental mustard and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hibachi-dipping-sauce-recipe-like-from-my-favorite-place/724323/15 "2015-07-07T00:19:35Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > That is a teriyaki sauce. Great for a marinade or for cooking in but different than a dipping sauce. On its own, yes it is. Change the ratio and add some sesame oil and you can make yakiniku sauce. It will give the op a good base to start with and they can experiment with the other ingredients I mentioned to get it close to taste.