Ketchup-seasoned chicken rice wrapped in a soft folded omelette, finished with a stripe of tomato sauce or demi-glace. Yoshoku (Japanese-Western) comfort food, invented in Osaka and now national.

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.

Where to eat Omurice in Osaka

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Make it at home

Serves 240 minIntermediate

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.

Editor tip. 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.

Common allergens: Egg, Soy, Dairy.