"Japanese comfort food: tomato fried rice wrapped in a soft omelette split open at the table. The Kyoto restaurant Kichi Kichi's tableside technique has been filmed 100 million times."
About Omurice
Japan's most beloved yoshoku (Western-influenced) dish — a pillow of tomato-flavoured fried rice wrapped in a thin, French-style omelette skin that is split at the table and draped over the rice like a blanket; at Kichi Kichi in Kyoto, chef Motokichi Yukimura's tableside technique of slicing the omelette skin with a knife has been filmed 100 million times.
Omurice — a staple of Japan's cuisine
Japan's most beloved yoshoku (Western-influenced) dish: tomato-seasoned fried rice wrapped in a thin, French-style omelette and served with ketchup or demi-glace sauce. The omelette must be soft enough to split open at the table and drape over the rice like a blanket — the Kichi Kichi technique in Kyoto, filmed 100 million times.
The omelette skin is a separate and demanding technique — thin, soft, not browned, cooked in a single continuous motion and transferred without tearing. At Kichi Kichi in Kyoto, chef Yukimura slits the omelette with a single knife stroke at the table.
What to Expect
At Kichi Kichi the omelette arrives on the plate, the chef slits it with a knife and the egg unfolds and drapes itself over the rice in one continuous motion. It is genuinely theatrical and the food is excellent.
Why Try It
Omurice shows how Japan absorbed a Western concept and refined it into something with a technique and aesthetic entirely Japanese.
Insider Tips
Kichi Kichi in Kyoto (tiny, reservations required) is the most famous omurice address in Japan.
The omelette skin should be pale gold, not browned — browning means the heat was too high.
The tomato fried rice filling should be slightly sweet with ketchup. The demi-glace version is richer.
