This Japanese Dish at Bar Moga is Taking Over NYC

The omurice at Bar Moga is a near perfect representation of its the half-Japanese half-American creator Shintaro Eleazar Okuda.

Omurice comes from a distinct genre of Japanese cuisine called yoshoku or “Western food” that was introduced in the early 1900’s as a way to add calories to the Japanese diet.

Jeremy Jacobowitz selected the omurice at Bar Moga as his Best Dish calling it “a masterclass in technique” He goes so far as to say Chef Shintaro's version is better than ones he had in Japan. 

“People might hate me for that,” he said. “But it’s true.”

Chef says omurice is a rather straight forward dish made of three components: a soft omelet, rice and sauce. It's also a dish he has been eatingsince he was five years old.

“It was made by my grandmother. It was very simple,” he said. “It  wasn’t even chicken fried rice. It was just white rice with a soft omelet, ketchup and mayo.”

Chef Sintaro says the omurice at Bar Moga is just an elevated version of the one his grandmother made for him. 

The omelet at Bar Moga is perfect by any standard. It’s tightly sealed but the inside is just set, so when he runs his knife over the top, the omelet peels open over the bed of chicken rice. It's then covered with a silky, house made demi-glace.

Chef Shintaro says the sauce is reduced for 72 hours to create a silky, beefy, unctuous, umami The rice is pan fried and well seasoned with saffron, house made ketchup, chicken stock and onions.

The end result is a dish that's incredibly decadent and deceivingly simple.

Chef Shintaro says the dish is a near-perfect representation of his experience as a half American half-Japanese chef.

“I know a lot of people recognize Japanese food as sushi, tempura and all that stuff, he said. “But this is another side of Japanese food."