Omu-rice originals in Tokyo

Fry some rice, wrap it in an egg, and sprinkle your sauce of choice over the goodness – hey, you've just put together some omu-rice, a staple of Japanese home cooking that's satisfyingly filling and easy to customise. Specialist eateries dedicated to this simple delicacy may not be as prevalent in Tokyo as in past decades, but those that do remain have really stepped up their game in recent years, either going back to the basics or conjuring up some truly innovative combinations of stuffing and toppings. Our top-15 list takes you through the capital's best omelet offerings - all you have to do is make your picks and dig in.

Azabu Shokudo

Often featured in culinary magazines, the sturdy creations here have found a dedicated following. The demi-glace version (¥945) is packed with chicken and veggies, and doesn’t lack anything in terms of size. Other sauce selections include ketchup and cream choices.
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Aladdin

Their signature dish (¥900) is a mouth-watering combo of hearty stuffing and buttery egg, finished off with an ample serving of demi-glace sauce. The soup-like consistency goes perfectly with the ketchup-flavoured rice hidden inside.
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Kissa You

Counting a number of kabuki actors among its customers, Ginza’s You keeps it simple with their ketchup-and-egg creation (¥1,100 at lunch, includes drink). Mix the soft egg with the slightly thick stuffing for ideal results.
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Pumpkin

Located in the western suburb of Sengawa, Pumpkin is a typical old-school Japanese eatery. Their ketchup-flavoured omu-rice (¥997), filled with mushrooms, onions, and chicken, looks as good as it tastes. A demi-glace option is also available.
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Renga-tei

Rumoured to be one of the originators of omu-rice, this century-old restaurant does the classic dish slightly differently. Instead of the typical wrap-style, Renga-tei’s eggs are mixed into the filling and then cooked. The chefs here let the ingredients do all the talking.
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Kitchen Punch

Nagameguro’s pugilists trust the traditional combo of ketchup and a hearty filling. The egg wrapping is skilfully done, and cutting into the omelet reveals a heavenly, smooth flavour. Portions could be slightly larger, but the taste can't be faulted.
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Taimeiken

Featured in Juzo Itami’s classic ‘Tampopo’, Nihonbashi’s Taimeiken upholds its reputation with the ‘Tampopo omu-rice’ (¥1,850), a dish pleasing to both the eyes and the taste buds. Covering the slightly ketchup-y rice is an omelet that opens like a flower when pierced.
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Kitchen Taka

There’s only room for six people at this tiny Arakicho haunt, where the omu-rice comes in three versions: standard (¥820), cheese-based (¥920), and demi-glace (¥920). Customers can observe their dish being prepared right in front of their eyes.
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Grill Grand

Founded in 1941 and run by the same family for three generations, Grill Grand makes an omu-rice (¥1,700) covered with a home-made demi-glace sauce that takes two full weeks to prepare, and features a lingering, sweet aftertaste.
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Cote de Rouge

Omu-rice at a café/wine bar isn’t a very common occurrence, but the two worlds come together nicely at this stylish Akasaka location. 1,400 yen for a truffle-topped dish made with organic eggs is very reasonable, and the three kinds of sauce available can be freely combined.
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Beer Hall Luncheon

This century-old Kanda beer hall is actually not a great place for drinks, but the same cannot be said for the food menu. The omu-rice (¥850) is as tasty as it’s pleasing to the eye, and contains a hint of parmesan that helps raise this dish above the bunch.
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Chamorro

Over 50 percent of customers order the beef tongue-topped omu-rice (¥1,500), a truly impressive creation that would turn eyes anywhere else than here. The actual tongue is soft enough to cut with a spoon, and goes perfectly with the demi-glace sauce and the peppery rice.
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Restaurant Agazuma

The chefs at this Asakusa oldie are particular about only cooking the eggs just enough, making Agazuma’s omu-rice (¥2,500 at lunch) a creamy and soft affair. You can watch it all happen at the counter, as your dish is prepared from only the highest-quality ingredients.
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Kurofune-tei

Having welcomed celebrities like John and Yoko in the past, Kurofune-tei is the ultimate safe choice for omu-rice beginners. The standard creation (¥1,360) contains shrimp, chicken, onion, and mushrooms, and is topped with a light but flavourful tomato sauce.
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Shinkawa Tsutsui

Head to this Kayabacho classic for a slightly different take on omu-rice. The egg and rice are cooked together, producing a compact, voluminous dish (¥1,350) that gets its flavour and orange colour from two kinds of tomato sauce.
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