Benefits for Japan

Japan is a major culinary inspiration for many local chefs. Now Boston's ever-generous restaurant community is stepping up to aid the country after March 11's earthquake and tsunami.

Through April 1, the Metropolitan Restaurant Group (Metropolitan Club, Met Bar & Grill, Met Back Bay) will donate all proceeds from its Tokyo Burger (above) to the American Red Cross Japan disaster relief effort. The burger is topped with avocado, Muenster cheese, pickled red onions, daikon sprouts, and sticky soy sauce.

Chef Jason Santos of Gargoyles. (File Photo/Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe)

Today through April 26, Gargoyles on the Square will donate the proceeds from their Tokyo Tuesdays bento box to the American Red Cross Japan disaster relief effort.

Kinmedai sashimi at o ya. (File Photo/Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)

On March 26 and April 9, o ya offers Saturday afternoon "Sake 101" courses from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross. The restaurant is also donating all proceeds from nightly sales of Sato no Homare sake. It's made by the Sudo Honke Brewery in Ibaraki Prefecture, an area heavily affected by the quake.

The sushi bar at Oishii Boston (Globe Staff File Photo/Evan Richman)

On April 3, Oishii Boston owner Ting Yen hosts a fund-raiser at the restaurant. All proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross. Chefs Anthony Caturano (Prezza), Dante de Magistris (Dante and Il Casale), Evan Deluty (Stella), Luis Morales (Radius), Kang San (Oishii Too Sushi Bar), and Michael Serpa (Neptune Oyster) will join him. Tickets are $100. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.

File Photo/Erik Jacobs for the Boston Globe

On April 4, Blue Ginger hosts a sake-tasting dinner featuring TY KU soju and liqueur. Chef Ming Tsai (above) has created a five-course menu, featuring a cheese course by Wasik's Cheese Shop. It costs $115 per person, including tax and gratuity, and starts at 6:30 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will go to earthquake and tsunami relief.

Mizu is a salon. And now it's a restaurant. (File Photo/Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe)

On April 9, chefs Will Gilson and Louie DiBiccari stage a pop-up restaurant at Mizu salon, presented by Eat and Sel de la Terre Back Bay. The $100 ticket includes five courses, tax, and gratuity. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to International Medical Corps to aid in their Japan relief efforts. The dinner starts at 7:30 p.m. and includes salon-themed dishes such as leek panna cotta with asparagus, morels, and shaved Parmesan, and angel hair fideos with rock shrimp, Meyer lemon, chickpeas, and spring greens.

Oringer (right) and Bissonnette. (File Photo/Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe)

On April 17 at Clio, chefs including Ken Oringer (Clio, Toro, Coppa, etc.), Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger), Tony Maws (Craigie on Main), Barry Maiden (Hungry Mother), Jamie Bissonnette (Toro, Coppa), Michael Schlow (Radius, Tico), and Seth Raynor (Nantucket's Boarding House, The Pearl, Corazon del Mar) join forces to create a 10-course kaiseki dinner. The cost is $250, including sake pairings and gratuity. All proceeds go to charity.

More to come.