Name: How to Make Netflix Midnight Diner’s Hot Pot for One (Hitori Nabe Recipe)
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Japanese

How to Make Netflix Midnight Diner’s Hot Pot for One (Hitori Nabe Recipe)

Hot PotWinter Dish Comfort FoodSolo-friendlySuper Easy

Do you know the viral series Midnight Diner? This recipe introduces one of the dishes featured in the story: Hot Pot for One.

Midnight Diner originally began as a manga titled Shinya Shokudo (Midnight Diner) and was later adapted into multiple drama seasons and films. The story centers on a small late-night diner in Tokyo, run by a quiet chef known only as Master. He serves simple, nostalgic Japanese home-style dishes to customers who wander in after midnight. As long as he has the ingredients, he prepares whatever dish they request. Each episode combines human stories with classic, comforting Japanese food.

One episode features a simple “Hot Pot for One” made with Chinese cabbage and thinly sliced pork belly. In the story, the hot pot is enjoyed with ponzu dipping sauce made using bushukan, a citrus fruit native to the Shimanto area of Kochi Prefecture. Dipping the hot pot ingredients into ponzu brings out deep flavor despite the dish’s simplicity.

Nabe or Japanese hot pot, is usually associated with winter and family gatherings, where everyone shares one large pot at the center of the table. At the same time, hot pot can also be enjoyed alone. A single-serving hot pot warms the body, provides balanced nutrition, and requires minimal preparation. For solo meals, smaller donabe pots or compact saucepans are ideal. There are also products made specifically for solo hot pot, such as Ajinomoto Nabe Cube, which lets you prepare hot pot easily by adding one cube and your favorite ingredients.

Common ingredients for hot pot include a mix of vegetables, protein, and pantry staples. Popular vegetables are Japanese leek, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, daikon radish, carrot, crown daisy (shungiku), bean sprouts (moyashi), and mushrooms. For meat and seafood, thinly sliced pork belly, chicken meatballs, shrimp, cod, salmon, and oysters are commonly used. Other classic additions include tofu and shirataki noodles. Broth options range from light dashi-based flavors with soy sauce or miso to Korean-style kimchi or Chinese-style tantan broths.

This recipe follows the Midnight Diner style closely and finishes with instant ramen, just like in the show. It is simple, comforting, and easy to make, making it a great introduction to Japanese hot pot cooking.

If you are looking for ways to make hot pot for one, many hitori-nabe recipes can be found on Japanese websites. We have also introduced several hot pot recipes on our blog, including kimchi gyoza nabe, chanko nabe, motsu nabe, and sukiyaki.

Overview

Prep time: 3 minsCook time: 10 minsTotal time: 13 mins

Total servings: 1

Difficulty: Super Easy

For Batch-Prepared Dashi Soup Stock

Water

1000 ml

Dried Bonito Flakes

20 g

Yamaki Katsuobushi Japanese Dried Bonito Flakes 2g x 20 Sachets

Dried Kombu Seaweed

10 g

J Taste Hidaka Kombu Seaweed Dried Japanese Kelp 100g

Ingredients for Hot Pot

Dashi Soup Stock (from batch-prepared dashi soup stock)

300 ml

Izuri Additive-Free Kombu Dashi Soup Stock Kansai-Style 8g x 10 Packets

Thinly Sliced Pork Belly

100 g

Enoki Mushroom

80 g

Matsuo Dried Japanese Enoki Mushrooms 15g

Chinese Cabbage

70 g

For Dipping Sauce

Ponzu

as needed

Suehiro Premium Citrus Ponzu Sauce Japanese Sudachi & Yuzu Ponzu 300ml

Additional

Instant Ramen (optional)

1 pack

Instructions

1) Gather the Ingredients

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Gather all the ingredients together. For the dashi soup stock, prepare it in a batch so it can be used both for the hot pot broth and for boiling the instant ramen at the end of the meal.

2) Prepare the Dashi Soup Stock

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Lightly wipe the kombu with a paper towel to remove any dirt. Add the water and kombu to a pot and let it soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat over medium heat until the water reaches about 80°C, then remove the kombu. Bring the water to a boil, add the dried bonito flakes, and turn off the heat.

Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with paper towel or cloth.

You should have about 700 ml of dashi broth.

Expert's Tip

Using high-quality dashi makes a clear difference in flavor. Kayanoya Original Dashi Stock Powder allows you to prepare authentic Japanese dashi quickly and consistently. Simply add one packet to water, bring it to a boil, and simmer for a few minutes. It works well for hot pot, miso soup, and many other Japanese dishes.

3) Cut the Ingredients

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Remove the base of the enoki mushrooms and separate them into smaller clusters. Cut the Chinese cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Cut the sliced pork belly into manageable pieces for easy eating.

4) Arrange the Ingredients

Arrange all the ingredients neatly in a small pot for one serving. Grouping the ingredients by type creates a more visually appealing presentation. Pour the dashi soup stock into the pot.

5) Simmer the Ingredients

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Heat the pot over medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until all ingredients are fully cooked.

6) Serve & Enjoy!

Prepare your preferred dipping sauce. In Midnight Diner, the hot pot is enjoyed with ponzu made from bushukan citrus, but any ponzu works well.

Scoop the ingredients from the pot, let excess broth drain briefly, then dip into the ponzu sauce and enjoy.

7) Add Ramen (Optional)

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Finish the meal with instant ramen, just like in Midnight Diner. Add water to the remaining dashi to reach about 500 ml, bring it to a boil, then add the ramen.

Simmer for about 3 minutes, following the package instructions.

Add seasoning to taste, using less than usual since the broth is already flavorful.

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

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