Jordan S.
Google
There's often a line here. There are even stanchions in the the garage area beneath the place, like they're preparing for a theme park length crowd. I think it's one of those Tik Tok famous places that are all over Japan. But it was dead when I walked in on the Monday night after the neighborhood's summer festival, about 40 minutes before they closed.
There was strange Western style music playing, some sort of odd accordion folk tunes, like the kind of thing you hear in a faux Tuscan place in the US. They seems to be aiming for a kind of European elegance ambience, but the lighting is so bright that it comes off a little more like casual American diner or family restaurant.
I ordered the omelet with hamburger steak and tomato rice. That seems to be the specialty dish. First, they brought me a tiny little skillet full of demi glace served with a steak knife. Then, about five minutes later, they brought my food.
I get why this place is popular. The combination of egg, hamburger steak, tomato rice, and demi glace is classic for a reason. The tomato rice tastes like ketchup risotto, which compliments both the omelet and the hamburger patty. Plus, you're getting three different takes on the same soft lumpy texture. They are similar in form, but also distinct. It doesn't blow your mind, and I can think of ways it could be better (add some gorgonzola to the bechamel, some spicy smoked paprika to the rice, some fresh herbs to the burger) but it's good as it is.
Sometimes, in Japan, when they call it "Western food" it's hard to understand what they mean. Especially since I've never seen anything like it, despite living my whole life in the West. But this omirice, even though it's utterly foreign to me, tasted familiar. It's a quintessentially Japanese take on Western flavor combinations.
Not the best meal I've ever had, but perfectly acceptable and satisfying.
