Chef Motokichi Yukimura From Kyoto's Kichi Kichi Is Bringing His Viral Omurice to Melbourne

Some dishes are as straightforward as they sound, and omurice — aka omelette rice — is one of them. It's an omelette made with fried rice, then typically topped with sauce. Yes, it's an easy concept to get around; however, not all versions of this western-influenced Japanese eggs-plus-rice staple are made equal. Indeed, trying Kichi Kichi Omurice's in Kyoto 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. As of January 2024, it's no longer doing bookings in advance, in fact. 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.

But if you'd like the Kichi Kichi Omurice experience without the airfares, that's about to become a reality in Melbourne for two nights only.

Yukimura is heading Down Under in February and March 2024, hitting up Harajuku Gyoza in Sydney and Brisbane, and now also Ishizuka in Melbourne. On each stop, he'll show why the dish he's been making for over 45 years is such a hit. And in Melbourne only on Thursday, March 7–Friday, March 8, as well as cooking his specialty for everyone who attends — and putting on a show, complete with his Kichi Kichi Omurice song and dance — he'll be teaming up with Ishizuka Head Chef Shin Kato to highlight Japanese flavours using local and seasonal ingredients.

This is the pair's second collaboration, after doing the same in 2023. Exactly what else will be on the menu other than omurice hasn't been announced, but Ishizuka has been known for heroing kaiseki cuisine — aka multi-course haute cuisine — since opening in 2018.

Sittings cost $365 per person, with dining at 11am, 1.15pm, 5.30pm and 7.45pm available on both days. That price doesn't include either boozy or non-alcoholic sips, which you can add on top.

Yukimura's events alone are always popular — when it announced his Sydney and Brisbane visits, Harajuku Gyoza advised that chef's last international event notched up 50,000 booking enquiries — so expect tickets to get snapped up quickly.

Eve Wilson

Motokichi Yukimura will be at Ishizuka, b01/139 Bourke St, Melbourne, on Thursday, March 7–Friday, March 8, 2024. Head to the eatery's website for further details and bookings.