I managed to bag a seat at the hottest table in Kyoto – Kichi Kichi Omurice! Reserving a table here is no easy task, but more on that later! Affectionally referred to as Japans best rice omelette restaurant, Kichi Kichi has been in business since 1978! The restaurant is named after the head chef, Motokichi Yukimura. Also known as the famous omurice guy!
Chef Motokichi Yukimura is an internet sensation! A Buzzfeed article thrusted into the international spotlight; now he goes viral on TikTok with his cute noises and catchphrases. He has also been on Youtube since 2007 and has almost 300k followers on Instagram! He charms and entertains millions of people. Chef Kichi Kichi is a national treasure, with people coming far and wide for a chance to taste his omurice, and see him in action.
At 68 years old (he does not look one day over 40!), his fame is only about to skyrocket further. Kichi Kichi Omurice will feature on season 6 of Netflix’s popular show, Somebody Feed Phil, and chef Kichi Kichi will be in Australia as a guest chef for four sold-out nights in February and March 2024.
Is this restaurant really worth the effort required to secure a table? I share my experience below!
Kichi Kichi Omurice Opening Hours
Weekdays: 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
Weekends and National Holidays: 12pm, 1pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
Reservations for lunch open at 9am, while reservations for dinner open at 1pm.
How To Make A Reservation At Kichi Kichi
Reserving a highly coveted seat at Kichi Kichi is not easy; there are a number of steps you need to take!
They only accept same-day reservations, seating just 9 to 10 customers every hour. You must get there 20 minutes before your reserved time!! We were 3 minutes late, they gave our bar seat away, and sat us at a table in the back. We were gutted!
Here is a step by step guide on the Kichi Kichi reservation system.
- Go to the Kichi Kichi Omurice located at 185-4 Zaimokucho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8017.
- On the door is small whiteboard, here you will find the days password. Make note of this!
- There is also a QR code, you need to take a photo of this for later! This QR code takes you to the reservation page.
- At 9am (lunch) or 1pm (dinner) the booking system opens, you need to enter in the password you got earlier, choose your seat, and time. Viola that’s it, you’re in!
The reservation times tend to fill up very fast; in just 2 minutes, all times are gone! Sometimes, there are such a large number of people online when the bookings open that the website crashes.
If you don’t manage to get a reservation, you can always try again tomorrow! That is the best thing about this booking system; you can try a few times throughout your stay in Kyoto. Prior to this, the system was on a weekly basis. As you can imagine, all 7 days would sell out in the first 5 minutes.
Does Kichi Kichi accept walk ins?
No, Kichi Kichi Omurice does not accept walk-ins. You could always show up on the slim chance there is a no-show. However, this really is the hottest seat in town; you need to jump through a few hoops to get a table. Therefore, anyone who has reserved likely really wants to experience it and won’t miss it!
Kichi Kichi Omurice Menu + Price
The star of the show is the Omurice, a simple Western-inspired Japanese omelette, served on a bed of rice with vegetables, and covered in a special demi-glace sauce! The price of an omurice dish at Kichi Kichi for a small size costs ¥1,600, while a regular is priced at ¥3,000.
Aside from the famous omurice the menu also features Ox tongue stew, this was incredible and I recommend you order this as-well, it costs ¥3,800.
I did not try the rest of the menu but these are the current prices Beef stew (¥3,800), chicken cheese cutlet (¥1,600), cream croquettes (¥1,600). Make sure to check the Kichi Kichi website for an up to date menu and prices.
Vegetarian Options At Kichi Kichi
You can order a vegetarian omurice that omits the beef and chicken, and uses a vegetable sauce. The vegetarian omurice costs ¥3,000. Other vegetarian options include the soup (¥700)and cream croquettes (¥1, 600)
The Kichi Kichi Experience
The Performance
Once you enter the restaurant, the Kichi Kichi experience begins! You are greeted with a friendly hello by Chef Kichi Kichi, who stands behind the bar wearing his signature red beret with a wide smile.
When your order is placed, the show starts! For those seated at the bar, you can place your phone on one of the stands provided to capture chef Kichi Kichi in action. This is encouraged by staff (the man knows how to market himself!). Anyone sitting at the table in the back is invited to stand behind the bar to watch the chef begin his performance.
Watching chef Kichi Kichi expertly cook the most perfect omelette you will ever see is a real treat. His cooking demonstration is full of jokes, theatrics and his iconic trademark noises and words. At one point, his pan was engulfed in flames, he screamed his classic “FIIIIYAAAAAH” line, which got a good cheer from the crowd!
When it is time to serve the omelette on top of the rice, chef Kichi Kichi asks if you would like it cut or flipped, well, he actually says “fly”! If you choose cut, he delicately slices the omelette, which then opens up and covers the rice. If you choose fly, he skilfully flips the omelette from the saucepan onto the rice. Both ways are super fun, but for me, the cut was a more special display, there is a real wow factor in its reveal. His last step is to pour the demi-glace sauce over it and sprinkle some herbs.
He comes around to everyone’s table and personally cuts or ‘flies” your omelette, giving as much energy, not to mention care, as he did during his first serving all the way to the last! Even if you are sitting at the back table, you still get the full experience.
All steps of the omurice cooking are demonstrated with chef Kichi Kichi’s own brand of pans and utensils, which anyone can buy from the Japanese Amazon store. He has sold over 5,000,000 products so far!
The cooking performance was a lot of fun to watch. Chef Kichi Kichi is an enigmatic person; watching him in the kitchen is a pure delight. It is clear he is doing something he loves and is passionate about! As a result, he creates so much joy for those who come to watch him.
The Taste
So, the performance part of the reservation is entertaining and fun, but does the food actually taste good?
We ordered the regular-sized omurice and ox tongue stew, along with two house cocktails, the White Caiscais.
The omurice is, by far, the most delicious omurice I have tried in Japan. The egg is cooked to perfection, while the demi-glace has a bitter and sweet flavour. The spicy seasoning on the table adds further depth of flavour, and a real kick, I recommend trying it.
For me, the real food highlight was the ox tongue stew, it was incredible. I think this dish should be what chef Kichi Kichi is known around the world for. The ox was so succulent; so soft it just falls apart in your mouth, the accompanying red wine sauce was silky and rich. My only complaint about the stew is that it was a very small portion; I would order the croquettes as a side dish to accompany the stew if I could visit again.
The Service
The service was faultless. The waitresses were constantly topping up our glasses with water, asking if we needed anything, and taking photos for those who asked.
As I mentioned earlier, we were so disappointed when we were not seated at the bar; we seemed to have the worst seat in the house! However, we were totally wrong! if you too are placed at the table in the back, do not be disappointed! Chef Kichi Kichi comes to each and every table!
Finally, he is happy to take photos with people once he has finished serving the food. As you leave, he shakes your hand.
Verdict – Is Kichi Kichi Worth It?
Personally, I was skeptical on my way to this reservation. I assumed the food would not be that good, and it was likely just a fun gimmick. I couldn’t have been more wrong; chef Kichi Kichi is far from being a gimmick. He is a true artist, combining food, teaching, and performance everyday in front of 40 lucky diners!
Aside from his cooking, chef Kichi Kichi is a marketing genius! From the phone stands on the bar placed perfectly to record him, his own range of cooking utensils, and his presence on social media, he is in a league of his own.
The prices are high, our meal of a regular omurice, ox tongue stew, and 2 cocktails cost a total of ¥8,600, however the experience of watching Kichi Kichi makes it all worth it! Although the signature dish is the omurice, you should not miss out on the ox tongue stew. It is amazing, albeit small Overall, I feel it is great value for money.
Visiting Kichi Kichi during your time in Kyoto will be one of the most memorable experiences you will have in Japan!
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