Sunomono (with wakame/octopus/crab)
Cucumber and Seafood Vinegar Salad
Yes, with a tweak: request a dressing made *without* sugar or mirin. About 7g net carbs per serving, on the higher side for Japanese food, so watch the portion.
What it is
A refreshing and light salad featuring thinly sliced cucumber, often combined with rehydrated wakame seaweed and a protein like octopus (tako), shrimp, or real crab meat, dressed in a vinegar-based sauce.
Key ingredients
Cucumber, wakame seaweed, octopus, shrimp, or real crab meat, rice vinegar, soy sauce (low-sugar).
How to make it keto
CRITICAL: Request a dressing made *without* sugar or mirin. This is the biggest carb risk. Focus on cucumber, wakame, and real seafood. Avoid imitation crab (kanikama) as it contains starch and sugar. Ask for real octopus, shrimp, or crab.
Say this to the waiter (Japanese)
酢の物は、ドレッシングを砂糖やみりんなしでお願いします。カニカマではなく、本物のタコ、海老、蟹を使ってください。
For Sunomono, please ensure the dressing has no sugar or mirin. Use real octopus, shrimp, or crab, not imitation crab. Cucumber and wakame are fine.
Watch out for
Traditional sunomono dressing (su-miso) is very sweet, containing significant sugar and mirin. Imitation crab (kanikama) contains starch and sugar. Hidden sugars in pre-made dressings.
Macros are estimates for a typical serving and vary by restaurant. Confirm ingredients with staff, especially if you have allergies. Our ingredient lists are generated automatically and describe how a dish is typically made.
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