Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat dry. Cut into 2–3 cm bite-sized pieces. In a bowl combine soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, honey, cornstarch and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Cook the chicken

Heat a large nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat with a light coating of oil. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Cook 3–4 minutes without moving to get a sear, then stir and cook another 3–4 minutes until internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) and pieces are caramelized. If pan juices are abundant, reduce over medium heat until sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Remove from heat and rest 2 minutes.

Grains & Base

Cook rice (if necessary)

If you are cooking rice from dry, rinse 175 g short-grain brown rice until water runs clear. Combine with 210 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt in a pot, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low and simmer 35–40 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let sit covered 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in 1 tsp rice vinegar. Alternatively use 250 g cooked rice (warmed) for convenience.

Vegetables & Toppings

Prepare vegetables

While the chicken marinates and rice cooks, wash and dry the baby spinach. Thinly slice or julienne the cucumber and carrot. Steam or blanch the shelled edamame for 2–3 minutes until bright green, then drain. Thinly slice scallions and shred the red cabbage if not pre-shredded.

Assemble bowls

Divide the warm rice between two bowls (approximately 125 g cooked rice per bowl). Arrange baby spinach, cucumber, carrot, edamame, shredded cabbage and cooked chicken on top of the rice in sections to create a composed bowl. Sprinkle sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds and nori strips over the top.

Sauce & Finish

Make finishing sauce

In a small bowl whisk together ponzu (or additional soy), 1 tsp rice vinegar, 0.5 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey (or maple), and chili crisp or sriracha if using. Taste and adjust: add more ponzu/soy for saltiness or more honey for sweetness.

Serve

Drizzle dressing over each bowl just before serving. Optionally serve extra sauce on the side. Serve hot — total weight of assembled bowl should be about 910 g combined (chicken + rice + vegetables + sauce).