One of my favorite food films is Tampopo. Do you remember the scene where two characters sneak onto a boat and make a late night snack of omurice? If you don’t remember the scene, by all means take two and a half minutes to watch the clip here.
I was greatly impressed by that scene but it wasn’t until less than an hour before my flight left Japan that I finally got to try it. I was sure it would either be totally disgusting or surprisingly good and I was right. Oh my! If you think eggs and potatoes are good together, wait until you try eggs and rice. The super-tomatoey, sweet and tangy rice is perfectly complemented by the soft, luscious omelet that either tops or surrounds the rice. And the ketchup is de rigeur!
I watched this omelet being made in the basement of a department store in Osaka. There was a booth with two men cooking and a little counter with diners enjoying nothing but omelet rice or “omurice”. But the one at the airport was divine. I’ve never had such a creamy delicious omelet and now I can hardly think of anything else…In addition to watching the video clip, which is highly instructional, I am glad there is also a recipe for it in Amy Kaneko’s new book, Let’s Cook Japanese Food!
