Kichi Kichi Meet and Eat
Chef Motokichi Yukimura from Kyoto's Kichi Kichi is whipping up his internet-famous omurice in Sydney — again.
Overview
It's omurice time. Some dishes are as straightforward as they sound, and this one — aka omelette rice — is among them. It's an omelette made with fried rice, then typically topped with sauce. Clearly it's an easy concept to get around. And Motokichi Yukimura from Kichi Kichi Omurice in Kyoto keeps visiting Down Under to whip it up.
Not all iterations of this western-influenced Japanese eggs-plus-rice staple are made equal, which is why Kichi Kichi Omurice's version might be on your travel bucket list. Chef Motokichi Yukimura's viral-famous take on the dish has made him an internet star — the term "Japan's most-famous omurice chef" has been used — and seen his eatery become a tourist destination. Sometimes, however, he brings his omurice to Australia, as he's set to again in March 2025.
If you'd like the Kichi Kichi Omurice experience without the airfares, you can make that a reality in Sydney. And if this sounds familiar, that's because Yukimura headed this way twice in 2024. He's again visiting Harajuku Gyoza to show why the dish he's been making for over 45 years is such a smash. The chef is doing 'meet and eat' events, cooking everyone who attends his specialty — and putting on a show, complete with his Kichi Kichi Omurice song and dance.
Harbour City residents are headed to Harajuku Gyoza Darling Harbour across Tuesday, March 18–Thursday, March 20. Tickets cost $170 per person, with sittings for both lunch and dinner. That price covers tucking into Yukimura's omurice, as made at your table, plus a range of Harajuku Gyoza signature dishes — and meeting the chef.
Alongside removing the need to book a flight to Japan, this is an easier way to enjoy the Kichi Kichi experience for another reason. As of January 2024, the Kyoto eatery is no longer doing bookings in advance. Now, diners are only able to make reservations on the same day they're eating, and need a password that's placed on the restaurant's door each morning to lock in their seating.