History

Omurice was invented at Hokkyokusei (North Star) in Shinsaibashi in 1925 by founder Shigeo Kitahashi, who wrapped ketchup-mixed chicken rice in a thin omelette for a regular customer with a weak stomach (the restaurant itself had opened in 1922). The dish became Hokkyokusei's signature; the restaurant still serves it the same way at the original Shinsaibashi branch. The dish spread nationally through Showa-era yoshoku diners.

Common allergens: Egg, Soy, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 30 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (day-old is best)
  • 200g chicken thigh, diced 1cm
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced
  • 60g frozen peas
  • 4 tbsp tomato ketchup (use a good brand)
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 30g unsalted butter (for the rice)
  • 5 large eggs
  • 3 tbsp whole milk
  • 30g unsalted butter (for the omelette)
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • Extra ketchup, to finish, plus chopped parsley

Method

  1. Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thigh and a pinch of salt; cook 3 minutes until just done. Remove.
  2. In the same pan, add the butter and diced onion. Cook 4 minutes until soft. Add the carrot for 2 minutes.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the cooked rice and break it up with a wooden spoon.
  4. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire, soy and sugar. Toss for 3 minutes until the rice turns bright red-orange. Add the peas at the end. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Divide the chicken rice into two oval mounds; cover and keep warm.
  6. For each omelette, beat 2 1/2 eggs with 1 1/2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt.
  7. Heat half the omelette butter in a 22cm non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the egg mixture.
  8. Use chopsticks to swirl the egg as it sets, scraping the curds back into the centre. After 30 seconds, the omelette should be set on the bottom but glossy on top.
  9. Slide the half-set omelette over the rice mound, tucking the edges underneath. The omelette should drape softly, not seal tightly.
  10. Repeat for the second portion.
  11. Finish with a long stripe of ketchup down the centre of each and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. For the modern tornado omelette, slit the top open with a knife so it unfurls onto the rice. The traditional Hokkyokusei version stays closed and folded.

Where to eat omurice

Omurice in Osaka

Hokkyokusei Shinsaibashi ★ 4.7

Western-style Japanese (yoshoku)¥¥Shinsaibashi and AmerikamuraMon-Fri 11:30-22:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-22:00

Birthplace of omurice in 1922: thin omelette folded over seasoned chicken rice on a teppan. The Shinsaibashi original location is still the benchmark.

Order: ['Omurice', 'Cream croquette', 'Hayashi rice']

2-7-27 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0086

Kadoya Shokudo ★ 4.2

Ramen¥Horie and Nishi-kuWed-Mon 10:00-15:00; Tue closed

A Shinmachi ramen institution since 1957: house-milled noodles in duck and shoyu broth. Queues form by 11:30 and the kitchen closes when soup runs out.

Order: ['Duck soba', 'Gyoza']

4-16-13 Shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0013

Dotonbori Imai Honten ★ 4.0

Udon¥¥Dotonbori and NambaThu-Tue 11:00-22:00; Wed closed

One of Dotonbori's oldest udon restaurants; the kitsune udon recipe has been unchanged since the 1940s; dashi is simmered in a 70-year-old clay pot.

Order: ['Kitsune udon', 'Kakiage tempura udon', 'Ankake udon (winter)']

1-7-22 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0071

More cities are in research. Want omurice covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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