Success in the reverse engineering effort. The following recipe yields very close knockoff of the Tokyo Express Tofu Salad Ginger dressing. It was described as the Benihana ginger dressing so I have to assume Tokyo express copied their dressing.
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper ( optional – original Benihana recipe called for this. Appears Tokyo Express does not use it )
Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Artsy's comment below stimulated me to email him and ask for any recipe he thinks is closer to the Tokyo Express recipe. While googling I found some useful research links.
Research Links
- Oyako Bowl and Ginger Dressing This coupled lived in Phoenix during the 90's and had the same experience I did there.
- Benihana-Ginger-Salad-Dressing-Copycat-Recipe
From CollabKitchen
Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
1//3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce, soy alternative or coconut aminos
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, optional
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until all of the ginger is well- pureed. Serve over a lovely green salad with strips of carrot. Also works well on Japanese chicken recipes such as Teriyaki chicken or Oyako chicken bowls.
If you have any tweaks to these recipes please by all means leave a comment detailing your tweak.
7 Comments
this is the supposed recipe for benihanna salad dressing (as stated), not tokyo express, which has a thinner, almost milker dressing. this is copied directly out of the "top secret recipes". both dressings, while ginger based, are distinctively different and while you may get something similar in this recipe (i use it all the time) if you are specifically looking for the dressing from tokyo express, i believe you will be rather dissappointed with the results. it isn't bad-tasting, just prepare yourself for benihanna, not tokyo express.
I cribbed off the recipe from Benihannas that was online however I was recreating the Tokyo express recipe since I'd never really been there but maybe once a very very long time ago. To me it is close to Tokyo Express. I have a hard time seeing how it could be considered "distinctly" different as it has the essential ginger + catchup + celery undertones that make it's flavor so subtle. If you have what you feel is a better version please do return and inform. I love the Tokyo Express dressing!
BTW: I’d never heard of the “top secret recipe” site.
I emailed artsy asking for his recipe. Â No answer. Â His motivation goes suspect.
I worked at Tokyo Express for five years and they make the dressing at the Cherry Blossom bakery. It is very hard to replicate but I do know it is a ketchup lemon ginger base so it should be close. Good luck. If you find something close add to it. Charlie will not tell you.
Justin — who is Charlie?? The recipe results in a very close facsimile and I have been using it for years. I loved Tokyo Express after hiking squaw peak. I always ordered the teriaki chicken bowl.
Thank you so much for sharing this! Â My husband & I loooove Tokyo Expresses Ginger Dressing & are excited to give this recipe a try. Â It’s a challenge finding any premade that comes close to their deliciousness. Â I hope this is a winner!Â
It is the exact recipe. You might need to work on your execution but it is the dressing you are looking for :)