Konnichiwa!
Hi, I’m Lisa! I’m the voice, photographer and recipe developer behind Okonomi Kitchen and I want to welcome you to my little space on the internet. I’m 24, from Markham and just graduated from The University of Western Ontario with a BA Honours Kinesiology degree. I love experimenting in the kitchen, developing my skills as a food photographer sharing my favourite plant based recipes with friends and family. When I’m not busy making a mess in my kitchen, you can find me at a coffee shop working on the blog, at the gym or outside for a walk with a pod cast on.
The story behind Okonomi Kitchen.
My background is Japanese and Chinese, and I grew up with a lot of Japanese influences thanks to my mom. Okonomi (お好み) is a Japanese word that literally translates to “how you like” or “what you like”. When I cook, I cook while tasting. Everyone has different taste buds, taste preferences and dietary needs- and I truly think to make any dish taste good, you have to adjust the balance of flavours to your own liking. Cooking (especially healthy food and vegetables) doesn’t need to be hard and stressful. Here, I hope I can inspire and show you how to easily cook up healthy, easy and delicious plant based meals with everyday ingredients… to how you like you like it.
What will you find on this blog?
A bit of everything, but mostly feel good recipes inspired by whole foods- mostly plant based and usually gluten, oil & refined sugar free. Naturally, I LOVE Japanese and ethnic food so you’ll probably find a lot of recipes from Japanese cuisine and other cuisines around the world.
You’ll also find that most of the recipes are very budget friendly. I’ve been a student, so I know what it feels like when money is tight. I’ve learned the ropes to making inexpensive ingredients taste delicious and hope to share some tips and tricks with you.
I’m also a huge health & fitness advocate that hits the gym regularly, so high protein plant based recipes are a must. All in all, you’ll find easy-to-follow recipes suited for anyone! I also try my best to provide helpful tips, tricks and substitutions to so you adjust the recipe to your liking. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself here & leave feeling inspired to cook!
