Omurice sits right at the heart of yoshoku – the Japanese take on Western food – and it is pure comfort. Chicken fried rice, seasoned unapologetically with tomato ketchup, bundled up inside an omelette so soft it barely holds together.
Every Japanese family cafe does a version, and half the appeal is the theatre: the omelette is slid over the rice mound and split open at the table so it slumps down over the sides. If that feels like too much pressure, the simpler wrapped version below tastes exactly the same.
It is a brilliant way to use leftover rice, it takes about twenty minutes, and children eat it without negotiation. Do not skip the squiggle of ketchup on top – it is not optional, it is the whole point.
